One in three U.S. children born in 2000 will become diabetic unless many more people start eating less and exercising more, a scientist with the Centers for Disease

Control and Prevention warns.

The odds are worse for black and Hispanic children: nearly half of them are likely to develop the disease, said Dr. K.M. Venkat Narayan, a diabetes epidemiologist at the CDC.

``I think the fact that the diabetes epidemic has been raging has been well known to us for several years. But looking at the risk in these terms was very shocking to us,'' Narayan said.

The 33 percent lifetime risk is about triple the American Diabetes Association's current estimate.

The implications are frightening. Diabetes leads to a host of problems, including blindness, kidney failure, amputation and heart disease, and diabetics are getting younger and younger.

Are you concerned about the lack of exercise your child is getting?
Would you like to see them up and moving instead of sitting around so much?

Dance Dance revolution is the latest dance craze that is a fun and addictive way to help your child get get up and move without realizes they are even exercising.

Our kids health and fitness is more important today than ever before since video games, TV and computers are turning our kids into couch potatoes.
This new dance craze called Dance Dance revolution is a video game played on a gaming system but it is not your typical video game. This fun and exciting Dance pad is hooked up to any play station or Xbox then the player chooses one of  their favorite songs  from the DDR video game.

Fit families are healthy families who have an active lifestyle.  Frequently, they enjoy the things they do together, and the things they do together foster better communication and closer relationships than watching TV does.

Family fitness takes some parental commitment, leadership, and imagination, and you may have to listen to a lot of grousing and whining to start with, but the entire family will benefit as a result.  Five factors that affect your family fitness plan are cost, convenience, family-friendly environment, fun, and success.

Teenagers who drink a lot of soda have now been documented As being more prone to bone fractures and osteoporosis than thosewho do not drink much soda.

A questionnaire was given to 460 girls in the 9th and 10th grades, asking them about their diet and exercise habits, along with any History of fractures. The study's results showed that girls who drank soft drinks were more than THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY to have a bone fracture. And physically active girls who drank Cola were nearly FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY to have had a bone fracture.

Studies have linked mineral loss before to Cola consumption, but finally someone thought to check out teenager's consumption and how it might affect them.

Between 40% to 60% of peak bone mass is built during the teenage years. Consumption of soft drinks affects both boys and girls. The acidic nature of the phosphoric acid in the drink causes the body to pull calcium out of the bones to buffer the acid.

Generally, the best way to insure a safe and healthy diet is to eat meals that are prepared in your own home. However, many of us are eating away from home more than ever before. One of the keys to healthy eating is to plan your meals and snacks before you get hungry. Bring your own good quality food to work or school so that you have what you need when you need it. If you can't make your own meals and snacks, find out where to go to get good, healthy food in your neighborhood and near your job.

I know that it is often difficult to improve your habits for the benefit of others; this life-enhancing process needs to be something you do for yourself. However, if anyone can make positive changes, it is parents for the sake of their children. Improving your children's health and helping them start with good habits begins with you. Here are my top-ten guidelines for parents who want to teach their children good nutritional habits.

How to Help Your Children Lose Weight

There is no magic bullet when it comes to weight loss for kids. The best approach is a general approach which incorporates the following:

• Encourage your kids to make changes to their general lifestyle.
• Encourage them to become more physically active.
• Make it easy for them to eat healthy.
• Set a good example for them, yourself.

Over the past two decades, clinicians and researchers have been increasingly alarmed by the prevalence of type 2 diabetes among young people of color around the world. In North America, significant numbers of African Americans, Alaska Natives, American Indians, Asian and Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanic Americans have acquired insulin-resistant diabetes at a much younger age than is usual for type 2 (adult onset) diabetes.

As noted in the article "Emerging Epidemic of Type 2 Diabetes in Youth" (Diabetes Care, February 1999, 22[2]), "Prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes in children and youth is a daunting challenge because of the enormous behavioral influence, difficulty in reversing obesity, and typical nonadherence in this age group."

Type 2 diabetes in childhood presents frustrating puzzles to researchers and clinicians. For starters, they have yet to agree on a formal definition of the disease. Type 2 diabetes in childhood is such a recent phenomenon that youth are mostly diagnosed by accident: for example, they are discovered during screening as part of prevention programs. We know very little about the natural history of the disease, partly because patients have not been followed long enough to learn about long-term complications. Affected populations may have unique genetic backgrounds.

The Problem of Overweight in Children and Adolescents

In 1999, 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the United States were overweight. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past 2 decades. Risk factors for heart disease, such as high cholesterol and high blood pressure, occur with increased frequency in overweight children and adolescents compared to children with a healthy weight. Type 2 diabetes, previously considered an adult disease, has increased dramatically in children and adolescents. Overweight and obesity are closely linked to type 2 diabetes. Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. This increases to 80% if one or more parent is overweight or obese. Overweight or obese adults are at risk for a number of health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. The most immediate consequence of overweight as perceived by the children themselves is social discrimination. This is associated with poor self-esteem and depression.

Soda consumption and Teenagers -Our Teenagers are in Danger Nutritionally!

Teenagers who drink a lot of soda have now been documented As being more prone to bone fractures and osteoporosis than those who do not drink much soda.

A questionnaire was given to 460 girls in the 9th and 10th grades, asking them about their diet and exercise habits, along with any History of fractures. The study's results showed that girls who drank soft drinks were more than THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY to have a bone fracture. And physically active girls who drank Cola were nearly FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY to have had a bone fracture.

Studies have linked mineral loss before to Cola consumption, but finally someone thought to check out teenager's consumption and how it might affect them.