The number of overweight children has tripled over the last thirty years. Overweight and obese children are setting themselves up to a lifetime of health issues. Included in the list are sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, fatty liver disease all of which can lead to premature death. Children who are overweight are often teased and ridiculed by their peers. Many overweight kids lack confidence and often suffer from depression.

The campaign, was in part, inspired by a warning from the Obama family Doctor who told Mrs. Obama that her children were becoming overweight. She took a stance in her household, changing the girl’s diets.

Their new eating plan included switching to low fat milk, cutting back on food like burgers as well as reducing portion sizes. Sugary beverages were replaced with water. Grapes, apple slices and colorful vegetables were added to their daily menu. A repeat visit to the doctor showed great results with these simple changes.

Michelle Obama along with the US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin appeared together at the program launch. The surgeon general talked of her struggles with her own weight. Both she and Mrs. Obama encouraged healthier eating. The campaign is set to encourage eating of more fruits and vegetables, pushing for higher quality physical education in schools and working to bring more supermarkets into low income communities.

Currently the United States spends approximately 150 billion dollars a year in the fight against obesity. In comparison that is more than what is spends on fighting cancer each year. Not to mention that the cost of fighting obesity has doubled over the last decade.

It is at such a critical level that a good chunk of economic stimulus money is being used on programs to fight obesity. 650 million dollars in stimulus funds is being spent to fight obesity and smoking. The cost of healthcare can be astronomical for the obese and with the rising costs of health care, spending money now could save a bundle in the future.

Michelle Obama Kicks of Campaign Against Childhood Obesity was created by and is property of American Consumer News.

Walk into any clothing store or open up just about any magazine these days and you’ll see all sorts of unrealistic depictions of humanity. Clothes are always modeled by the men and women in the best physical shape of their lives and by people of great beauty. Our culture believes that the ideal specimen of health is just one or two steps away from being a stick figure, but it turns out that this might not be the case. In some cultures being somewhat overweight is considered a sign of wealth and health, and these people might have been onto something.

The Center for Disease Control recently did a study about how one’s weight contributes to their overall health. The survey actually found that being very thin caused a slight increase in the risk of death compared to those who are at the appropriate weight for their height and those who are slightly overweight!

The CDC’s study found that if you’re under 30 years of age and slightly overweight, you have no increased risk to get cancer or heart disease. In fact, for some diseases, it can even significantly lessen your risk of death.

The study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which is about as prestigious as it gets in the medical world. The survey accounted for many extraneous factors such as age, race, smoking, and alcohol consumption.

This is not however a green light for you to totally ignore your health and get out of shape. The CDC’s study found a significant increase in risk for death in those who are extremely obese, which make up about 8% of the United States. Being obese is definitely not a winning game plan, but there’s nothing wrong with a little extra heft here and there.

It Turns Out Being Fat Isn’t So Bad After All was created by and is property of American Consumer News.