In the beginning......

When I started researching childhood obesity for my class project my first thought (and my original thesis) was "There have always been fat kids, I was a fat kid.  Is childhood obesity really much more of a problem now or are we just more aware of it so it seems like a bigger issue?".  That's what I was going to base my paper on; the media was making a big deal out of a problem that Americans have had for decades.  One of the first websites I visited was the US Center for Disease Control (www.cdc.gov) and discovered just how wrong I was.  Here are some "did you know" facts I learned on day one:

1. Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled in the last 30 years.  
2. In 2008 more than one third of American children & adolescents were diagnosed overweight or obese. 
3. In 1980 only 7% of children ages 6-11 were obese.  That number was 20% in 2008. Percentages of obese adolescents ages 12-19 went from 5% in 1980 to 18% in 2008. 

That last statistic surprised and saddened me.  It also began my mission to find out what's causing this epidemic and how to stop it.  I know I personally am not going to be able to stop childhood obesity but hopefully I can make a difference. 

As part of the final project for my class is to create some kind of a multi-media visual project of some kind. I chose to do this blog and my plan is to keep adding to it even after this class is over next week.  My hope is by sharing the information I have found and will continue to find that it will help someone help their child(ren) get healthier. 

I will share the link to this blog with my classmates, and post it on my Facebook page hoping that friends will also share the link on their page.  If you've happened to come across this blog and think it might help someone please share it.  The more we get the word out the better!

~Jennifer~

References:
Childhood Obesity Facts (2011).  www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm

Why I'm doing this

As I mentioned I am a student of Kaplan Online University working on a degree in early childhood education.  At the beginning of my College Composition II class students were given the assignment to chose a "Big Idea" that was going to be our topic of research and work throughout the term.  The "Big Idea" was to be a problem and solution, invention, new or improved concept, social issue, etc.  I chose childhood obesity as my topic.  This blog is part of that assignment. 


Childhood obesity is so much more of a problem than I thought it was when I began this assignment.  I have spent a little over two months researching, talking to professionals that work with children in one form or another, reading books and articles and websites. 


After learning so much it has become more clear to me than ever that this was the right topic for me.  I have learned things that have not only benefited myself and my own children, but also the daycare children I care for.  I have learned games and songs to teach toddlers to eat healthy.  I have had talks with my older children about health and nutrition and have made changes to improve our own quality of life.  I even lost 10lbs in 8 weeks of working on this assignment. 


My hope for this blog is that it will actually get read by people and will serve as a wake up call to parents.  Our children depend on us for our lives.  We'd do anything to keep our children safe, and yet we are guilty of making them sick.  If this blog does anything, I hope it would help at least one parent make a difference in their child's life and take the steps to improve their child's health. 


My goal is to provide the best information I can find and be a source of help to parents.  I am not a medical professional by any means.  I do my best to do as much research as possible before including anything in my blog.  I will always list the sources of where I get my information and posts links to websites I use and feel could be beneficial.  By all means feel free to do your homework and prove me wrong.


Whatever you do please consult your child's doctor before making any sudden changes to their diet and or exercise routine. 


~Jennifer~

A little about me.

My name is Jennifer.  I'm a 30-something mom of 4 boys ranging from high school age to preschool age. For most of my boy's lives I have been a stay at home mom.  That is until the summer of 2010 when a woman named Cindy moved in right next door to me.  She had been doing in home daycare for 20+ years in Michigan and Ohio.  As she went through the process of getting licensed in Indiana she had been looking for an aid.  Her and I had been getting to know each other and one day she asked me if I wanted the job.  I've worked with her ever since.  Together we've survived personal struggles, illnesses & surgeries, freak weather storms, potty training toddlers, newborns with colic, special needs preschoolers, and about every kind of parent you can imagine.  We have become a family.  Not just Cindy and I but our daycare kids and their families.  I wouldn't change it for the world.


Aside from working full time at an in-home daycare, I am currently attending Kaplan Online University working toward my associates degree in early childhood education.

~Jennifer~