Fatter Not Fitter -- The Decline of Today's Youth

I read a news story yesterday that made my heart sink. CNN reports that ten times more children and teens globally are obese today than 40 years ago. The number of obese children and adolescents rose to 124 million in 2016 -- more than 10 times higher than the 11 million classified as obese 40 years ago, in 1975 (when I was 10 years old). This equates to nearly 6% of girls and nearly 8% of boys being obese.

CNN reported on the largest study ever done in obesity, with more than 1,000 researchers collaborating to analyze weight and height data for almost 130 million people (including more than 31 million people 5 to 19 years old) in order to identify obesity trends from 1975 to 2016.

From 2005 through 2011 I ran thousands of miles across states and countries -- speaking to countless numbers of school children -- in an effort to combat the development of the statistics that CNN reported yesterday. Obesity in our world is going to have to be fought by more than just a handful of people. It truly is going to take more than a 'village' to turn things around. It's going to take the whole world. Sadly, it seems that too many people are not only thick in the waist when it comes to this issue, but thick in the head as well.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

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Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past

Is America Sinking In Obesity?

Is the BIG issue of obesity sinking into the brains of Americans, or is America simply sinking under the increasingly alarming weight of its citizens? Based on recent information from the Centers for Disease Control and other prominent organizations, statistics show that in the United States 16.5 percent of children ages two to 19 are overweight and 9.9 percent are obese. Since 1980, obesity has more than doubled across the entire global population. If current trends continue, 70 million children will be at risk of being overweight or obese by 2025 -- only 9 years from now.

From Him, Through Him, For Him (Romans 11:36),

Paul J. Staso

_______________________________________

Visit my YouTube channel -- https://www.youtube.com/user/pacetrek

Click on any of the links below to see some of my adventure photos:

• United States in 2006 (3,260 miles solo in 108 days at age 41)
• Montana in 2008 (620 miles solo in 20 days at age 43)
• Alaska in 2009 (500 miles solo in 18 days at age 44)
• Germany in 2010 (500 miles solo in 21 days at age 45)
• The Mojave Desert in 2011 (506 miles solo in 17 days at age 46)
• Various Photos From Mileposts Gone By
• Students Worldwide Who Ran With Me Virtually
• Roadside Sights From My Running Adventures
• Some Cycling Moments From The Past