Is a bulging waistline the new trend for the summer?

All of us know that children are our future, but what does the future hold for
children who are suffering from obesity? With millions of American children
compromising their lives due to this growing epidemic, escalating problems
reveal just how vulnerable young bodies are to the toxic effects of fat.

In ways only beginning to be understood, being overweight at a young age appears to be far more destructive to well-being than adding excess pounds later in life. Virtually every major organ is at risk. The greater damage probably is
irreversible.

What does this mean for the future of our children? The Washington Post indicates that many will never overcome being overweight, up to 80 percent of obese teens become obese adults. Experts fear that exponential increase in heart disease, strokes, cancer and other health problems as the children move into their 20s and beyond. The evidence suggests these conditions could occur decades sooner and could greatly diminish the quality of their lives. Many could find themselves disabled in what otherwise would be their most productive years.

As well this epidemic is expected to add billions of dollars to the U.S. health care bill.

Treating a child with obesity is three times more costly than treating the average child, according to a study by Thomson Reuters. The research company pegged the country's overall expense of care for overweight youths at $14 billion annually. A substantial portion is for hospital services, because those patients go more frequently to the emergency room and are two to three times as likely to be admitted.

We all know childhood obesity is on the rise, isn't it time we start to do something about it?