Sit down and be quiet. Wait - no - get moving.

2007.03.29

I have written about diet and exercise a few times in the past. But, I have been overpowered by the urge. I cannot help myself. I have decided to write a "diet & exercise" book.

I know how much you readers love me. This book will knock your socks off. I have decided to give each of a FREE electronic copy of my book.

Intake fewer calories. Burn more calories.

That is it. That is the whole book. Shocked aren't you? Good stuff. It makes for a quick read and there may be enough room for a sequel down the line.

Anyway...

I know a girl. She has tried dieting roughly 1,000 times. She ends up gaining weight on each diet. She eats around 3,000 calories per day. She is once again determined to clean up her diet.

Well, she approached me a few days ago - very proud of herself. She had a salad for lunch. She put 2 packets of dressing on the salad. Each packet of dressing was just over 200 calories. She added 400 calories of processed sugars and fats to her salad.

The kicker? She was so proud of herself for having a salad for lunch that she treated herself to a Snickers bar and a coke. A Snickers bar has close to 300 calories. A regular 12 oz coke had 150 calories.

The lunch she was SO proud of contained over 850 calories of GARBAGE.

As I mentioned in a previous update, Mini-Mattis (8 year old) ran 3.25 miles on Saturday. After his run, he was hungry. Mini-Mattis ate a protein bar and drank a protein shake. In total he took in roughly 250 calories. He received 34 grams of protein and only 2 grams of sugar.

There is a reason you can see muscular definition developing across his back, shoulders, chest, abs, and legs. He is presented with healthy food choices. He is not permitted to sit in the house in front of the TV all day. He has to go outside and play. Disclaimer: I have no desire to transform Mini-Mattis into a body-builder. That is not my plan. He still gets fast food from time to time.

Healthier Generation

About 25 million (34%) U.S. youth ages 2-19 are overweight or at risk. That's nearly one of every three kids. Overweight kids are more likely to become overweight adults.

Some experts believe that if obesity among kids continues to increase at this rate, our current generation could become the FIRST in American history to live shorter lives than their parents.

Obese & Overweight Children are at Risk for Serious Health Problems
Rising levels of overweight and obesity are already having a negative effect on our kids' health and quality of life.

NATIONAL TRENDS
General Facts
More children than ever are suffering from the effects of poor nutrition and lack of exercise. Without early intervention, these problems and habits are likely to continue into adulthood.
¥ Soaring Rates: The number of overweight children and adolescents ages 6-19 has nearly tripled since forty years ago.
¥ Overweight Toddlers: More than 10% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight, up from 7% in 1994.
¥ Carrying Health Problems into Adulthood: Overweight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults.
¥ Rising Number of Overweight Adults: Today, 65% of all Americans adults are overweight or obese. If current trends continue, that percentage will rise even higher as this generation of children reach adulthood.

Sorry, final soapbox ramblings... If you are a kid who is overweight - take action NOW. Do not wait. Do it for yourself! Take control of your life. If you are a parent of an overweight child - SAVE your child! Do NOT sentence him/her to a lifetime of health struggles. Get help!

Yardbird - what the problem is!