Obesity in children was once only a problem in wealthy nations, but today it’s present in nearly every country in the world. The total number of obese young children in countries in Africa and Asia now outnumber those in wealthy countries like the U.S. In 2014 there were estimated to be 41 million obese or overweight children under the age of 5 in the world. The numbers are growing rapidly. These figures come from the World Health Organisation. According to Miriam Nelson, director of the John Hancock Research Center on Physical Activity, Nutrition, and Obesity Prevention at Tufts University, “You don’t necessarily want to pit one disease against another – there’s still major concerns about tuberculosis and HIV in many nations. But, obesity will be an enormous burden on these children as they get older.” The sad fact is that most overweight children grow up into more overweight adults and they rarely lose the weight. The greater number of years a person is overweight, the bigger the risk to their health. Many people develop high blood pressure and high cholesterol when they reach their 40s or 50s. These are risk factors for heart attacks, strokes and kidney disease. What happens if an 8 year old child has high blood pressure and cholesterol; what age might they suffer a heart attack or stroke? The best way to manage your child’s weight is to set a good example. It is normal for most children to eat some junk food on occasion. What the child eats 90 percent of the time is what counts. Home cooked meals are almost always healthier and less expensive. It is more time consuming to prepare food from scratch, but the benefits for your child’s life long health are surely worth it. Reference