According to recent federal findings, the number of American children from the ages of six to eleven has tripled in the last forty-years, with one in every seven of these children meeting the criteria for obesity. (Brownlee, 2002) As a nation, we are starting to see children as young as two years old with serious weight problems (Brownlee 2002). Children, like the rest of Americans, are living more and more sedentary life styles. They are also bombarded …showed first 75 words of 1234 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1234 total…balance out time spent in front of the television. The point is that although there are influences on a child's weight gain that may not be totally controllable, there is always a way to counteract them. And it is up to the parents to begin this routine before it is too difficult or just too late. With the life-threatening and health-hindering side effects related to obesity, why would any parent want to take that chance?