"Fight childhood obesity in Alabama" was one of the headlines I read in a newspaper while on recent a trip to Birmingham. It is true we in Alabama must be concerned about this problem. Our children are ranked No. 10 on the obesity list among youngsters in the United States, and our adults are number one in the United States in the stroke category. This adds up to big trouble for not only our citizens but for the doctors, therapist and health-care workers.

Childhood obesity is one of our nation’s primary health threats. It is like an indicator light in your car signaling you that there is impending trouble. Obesity and overweight leads to several other conditions that many do not connect until it is too late. Such as, diabetes, metabolic syndromes, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease such as heart stroke incidents. Many health experts believe that stroke will become the leading cause of death in the western world by 2020, that’s not far off!

There are a number of organizations trying to bring this to the attention of the public. Yet, it seems like the majority are turning a deaf ear to the rhetoric. To get kids to make health a priority, parents must set the example. It does little good just to hold out the statistics to the kids, they want to see the adults making the same changes they say must be made by the children.

Incorporating healthy habits like eating healthy and regular exercise have fallen to the wayside for many adults. While parents attempt to impose rules on the kids they are not willing to follow themselves, why can’t the entire family the children ask, follow these same rules.

Fairhope Mayor, Tim Kant designated October “Stroke Awareness Month” this past year in an effort to help everyone recognize this public epidemic in our state. This is everyone’s problem from youngsters all the way to the senior population. It begins as obesity and overweight and usually ends with something worse, like a Heart Attack or Stroke.

To get kids to make health a priority, September was designated a “Go Healthy Month” by the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint initiative of the American Stroke Association and the Clinton Foundation. Go Healthy programs in Alabama and across the nation encourage kids to make changes in their lives to improve health.

We all must do our part to effect this change and not allow the next generation to be the first in American history to live shorter and unhealthier lives than their parents.

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