Recent studies reveal that 35 percent of the children in Orange County are overweight. Nationwide the statistics show 22 percent of children are obese which means that they are destined to suffer stroke, hypertension, diabetes, cancer, arthritis and heart disease, along with mental health problems such as depression and related eating disorders including bulimia and anorexia. 

It does little good to blame the fast food industry, excessive television viewing or even parental eating habits. It is more important for all of us to engage in a concerted effort to turn the tide and minimize the epidemic.

I always like to begin solving any problem by first taking responsibility for my own behavior, that of my children and grandchildren. I am not suggesting that we prosecute parents of overweight children but I am inferring that we focus attention on helping them.  I know as a mental health provider that there are laws created to protect children from abuse in many other unhealthy situations. A child who is obese at age 10 is most certainly going to suffer emotionally, mentally and physically. Who takes responsibility for their pain if not their caregivers?

I recognize how easy it is to fall into the pattern of using food to comfort a crying toddler. My family consistently resorted to food as the cure all for every discomfort.    

I had to reconstruct that paradigm when teaching my children to use other methods to soothe what ails them. I insisted upon exercise and made an effort to offer healthier food choices. I heard upon numerous occasions, especially from my youngest how their friends frequently ate pizza for dinner, so why were they being punished with skinless chicken breast and vegetables. 

There is nothing more powerful than parental example. Parents who eat healthy and respect their body, set the pattern for lifelong habits. 

Much of my hypnosis and counseling practice includes weight loss. I can say across the board that nearly 100 percent of my past and present clients grew up in families where food was an issue in one way or another. 

Being a former member of “the clean plate club”, I know how hard it is to retrain thinking and alter lifelong habits. But it is possible to alter the future and retrain attitudes and habits with a determined effort.

I know parents who frequently monitor movie and television viewing and then let their children consume large amounts of sugary, fatty foods. We must be as vigilant about what goes in the body and what goes in the mind.

I recall dragging one of my children (who hated any form of physical activity) to San Clemente High School swimming pool on a daily basis to eliminate adolescent weight gain. I loved my child enough to endure the wrath of anger and discontent. It worked, and I was later thanked for my efforts. 

I delivered a standard response to my children whenever they rejected my better judgment. "I take my role as your mother, very serious, and I don’t want to get into trouble by the parent union.” 

Dare to be different. Take control of your children’s eating habits. Refuse to indulge their requests for fast food, loaded with empty calories.

If you don’t know what constitutes a healthy diet, find out. I am happy to supply free resources. 

If you aren’t exercising or eating healthy it’s never too late to change and become a positive influence on an impressionable mind. Whenever I hear Americans complain about the mounting cost of health care, I remind them how much is preventable. 

Our children have no one else to turn to but us. We are working to clean up the water, the air, improve education and reduce violence. Wouldn’t it be sad if we allowed them to suffer loss by the hand that feeds them?

(C) Copyright 2005, Pamela Harper