Forty years ago, the percentage of kids between the ages of 6 and 11 that were obese was around 4%.  Today, the number has more that quadrupled.  A whopping 17% of the population of kids ages 6-11 are obese in today's society, and that number is growing.  This is leaving a lot of parents desperate for solutions as they begin to realize that the negatives of having children that are overweight goes beyond the teasing that their kids may get on the bus to school.  Each year, more and more studies are released that show obesity as a major contributing factor to some horrible diseases.

Some parents are even turning to surgical intervention for adolescents as this option is beginning to open up for obese teenagers.  The problem is that the long term results of gastric bypass surgery and lap band procedures is simply not known at this time for this group of new patients.

There are a huge number of diseases which can affect children who are obese. It's very important that we all find out about any solutions which can be used to deal with this epidemic. Unless we find a way of resolving this then we will quite easily be facing the unhealthiest generation yet. The obese section of the population are at a greater risk of developing certain diseases such as joint problems, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and metabolic disorder among plenty of other medical conditions.  All of these can have long term health impacts.

A great (and obvious) place to start is by educating parents and children about proper nutrition and exercise routines.  In today's "information age" this shouldn't be too difficult, although there is a lot of misinformation out there.  Many companies use marketing tactics to attract consumers - naming things "wholesome goodness" or something similar that makes consumers think the food is healthy, even if it isn't.

Individual counseling can be highly beneficial as it will address the needs of the child, parent and family involved in the weight loss efforts.  

One of the easiest and most successful methods to resolve the problem of obesity might actually be a weight loss camp. These camps are staffed by experienced counselors who can offer support to the child and help them understand how they can change their lifestyle for the better. The best thing about these modern camps is that they are taught a series of activities and changes which they can continue even when they leave camp. If your children don't like the idea of staying at a camp then they can attend many of the day camps.  These camps are also successful in the sense that they remove children from the environment that has led to their obesity problems, which allows them to focus solely on their health without the distractions in their day to day life.

Although the obesity problem is becoming an epidemic, with proper guidance, our children can begin to reverse the cycle.  Most parents simply need some help in jump-starting the process, and a weight loss camp can be the perfect solution.