In yet another study, excess junk food has been linked to poor health in children. This increased risk of disease tends to follow them into adulthood.

Anybody surprised by this?

It should be obvious to pretty everyone by now that eating fast food and junk food is not good for you. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, GA and from the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry in New York, along with other colleagues, looked at data from several studies conducted over the years by the U.S. Federal Government.

In this meta-analysis they found that excess belly fat in children indicated a higher risk for cardiovascular disease as well as increased risk for diabetes. The primary contributor to this increased belly fat happens to be fast and junk foods. Obesity and abdominal fat has increased by more than 65 percent since the 1990’s.

When you add to this the fact that when people, especially teenagers and younger, consume fast and junk foods, this is replacing more nutritious meals. Even though they are getting plenty of calories, they are becoming malnourished. This leads not only to the health problems already mentioned, but decreases the effectiveness of many of the body’s systems, including the immune system.

As parents, we need to take the responsibility for our children’s health by making sure that they are properly nourished. If we can do that by providing a good example in our own lives then we not only help them to stay healthy and avoid illness, but it will keep ourselves healthier as well.

Who wants to miss the important days in the lives of our children because we are feeling under the weather, have the flu, or maybe even be in the hospital. There are so many things that we have to stay healthy for and even though it’s not always easy, it is vitally important to give our bodies what they need to help heal and fend off the disease that seems to be more prevalent every day.

These days it is increasingly easy to view poor health as being “normal”. Disease is not the normal state of life. Do not accept it.