Many of us who are a bit older, who are battling a few midlife pounds or health conditions, can look back at our healthier selves -- perhaps in our 20s or our 30s -- and we have a frame of reference for what being fit and lean
feels like. We understand the balance of eating well and being active, and even if we've let good habits slip, we do know our way back.
But right now, we may have a generation of young adults who've never felt that lean, fit feeling. They have grown up in our carb-heavy, supersized-food world, and they are already feeling the effects between the ages of 18-29, which arguably should be an age when they're at their healthiest.
The annual report from the National Center for Health Statistics (released Wednesday) found this data on 50 million young adults between the ages of 18-29:
-- About a third are overweight.
-- About a third are obese.
-- About a third do not have health insurance.
-- About a third of young men smoke. About a fifth of young women do.
They are still in the years where their young, resilient bodies can undo a lot of damage. But the frightening part, of course, comes decades down the line: What happens when this generation hits 40? 50? 60?
"They're still smoking, still drinking, still taking illicit drugs and not exercising," says Amy Bernstein, the primary author of the study. "Whatever we're doing, we're not getting through to this particular age group."
Here's the article:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-02-18-young-adult-health_N.htm
What do you think? Have our society's newest bad habits possibly affected an entire generation?
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Thank you for this SHARE Diane! I have been pulling my hair for a while now regarding this matter. Last summer I decided that once and for all I was going to invest on my son's health. He is 12 and soon to be 13 now. But last summer I invested $9,000 on a 5-week weight management program up in northern California. It was all worth it. As I wellness coach I felt unable to influence his compulsion for food. Despite the healthy food choices at home, he could not control his portion. There was some stress related issues and he was using food for comfort. Having third party counselors during the 5 weeks that program lasted was a great thing. He lost 20 pounds and grew 3 inches. Today he is better at controling his portions but he loves to eat. I do not buy anything unhealthy, but his is responsible for calorie count. He is very active with sports thank God!
Obesity among teens is in the raise, this will have long term health implications later on in life. It is a serious issue and parents need to be held accountable for the quality of nutrition they provide to their children. I have invested on my son's health and it was all worth it. Not everyone can afford a program like this one, but there is so much free information now available that there are no excuses.
By the way, someone brought to my attention that the Food Channel is very popular and very little attention has been paid to the unhealthy dishes they promote....so it is not only fast food restaurants.
February 19, 2009 - 10:41pmThis Comment