Almost two thirds of Americans are considered overweight or obese. Some feel that it has reached epidemic proportions here and around the world. The most concerning part of this is that 15% of children in this country are considered to be overweight. It was only a few short decades ago that this figure stood at 4%.

Diseases that were only seen in adults just a few short years ago are now being found in our children and adolescents. Obese children run a much higher chance of contracting diseases such as osteoarthritis or having heart attacks and strokes as they get older. Even the youngest members of our society are affected with 10% of preschoolers being overweight.

Childhood obesity is the leading cause of pediatric hypertension along with increasing the risk factor of a child coming down with diabetes and heart disease. But the most concerning consequence is the peer pressure and psychological pressure that can cause the child to go into periods of depression. These social and peer pressures are the main consequence of childhood obesity.

While it is true that not all obese infants grow to be obese children and not all obese children will become obese adults it is important to understand the risk factors. These can include a combination of genetics, family history, psychological and nutritional.

Family plays an important role. Statistic show that children born to parents that are obese have a higher chance of being born obese or developing the condition over time. There can be several factors that affect this. The parents could have a very sedimentary lifestyle that does not include the proper exercise, they could have poor nutritional habits or genetics could come into play.

If a child is inactive this can lead to obesity. Previous generations of children spent a lot of time outdoors and in turn were much more active. Now children spend much more time indoors on computers or in front of a television set. Becoming couch potatoes and putting on weight is not good for any child. If a child develops these bad habits at an early age it is more likely that they will become overweight and that will develop into obesity at some point. Children need physical exercise and as parents we need to make sure they are getting the proper amount each day.

Nutrition is another important factor. We live in a world of fast and processed foods that have little nutritional value. Children that eat this type of diet are not getting the proper nutrition that they need. One thing that is interesting to note is that with all we have learned over the last couple of decades in the field of nutrition the word is not getting out. One factor that may be to blame for this is information overload. People have so much information that they are confused as to how to interpret it. There are three websites that help people make sense of all this information and have issued some very helpful guidelines. They are The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), The American Cancer Society and the American Heart Association.

Heredity could also a factor in obesity. We all know children that do not eat a nutritious diet and have little to no exercise yet they are not overweight or obese. This is the reason that researchers thought it would be interesting to look at heredity as a factor. We know that an infant born to an overweight mother generally gains more weight in the first three months of life than infants that are not. Could this imply an inborn drive to conserve energy? As more research is done in this area it will be interesting to see what conclusions are drawn.

The fact is that childhood obesity is much easier to prevent than it is going to be to deal with all of the negative health implications it will cause in the future. The very first step is in educating parents. They need to be aware of the importance of proper nutrition, exercise and breast feeding. They also need to be introduced to low fat snack foods and what proper nutrition actually entails. In cases where the problem is heredity they need to know how to teach their children self esteem and cope with any psychological problems as they arise.

What if you could change what you have for your daily snack at work and see an improvement in your skin? What if you could make more substantial changes to what you choose to eat on a daily basis and completely eliminate acne breakouts? If this sounds like the perfect solution to a problem you are tired of dealing with, it’s time to learn how changing what you eat can in fact change the number of blemishes popping up on your face.

There has been a lot of confusion about whether dietary habits actually influence the health of facial skin, but you can cut through all the arguments by understanding one very real fact: people who go on well balanced, healthy diets to lose weight notice right away that a beneficial side effect is clear, healthy skin.

Many everyday people have proven hands down that what you eat does in fact have an effect on your skin. They are backed up by many experts who agree that eating a healthy, well balanced diet on a consistent basis is one of the best ways to clear up acne and have beautiful skin that appears more youthful.

What Not to Eat

Changing your diet to see improvements in your skin essentially means limiting foods that will increase your chances of an acne outbreak. The first essential change is to stay away from fried foods and those with a lot of grease. Read labels and avoid things high in saturated or trans fats in particular. These are the greasy fats known to clog arteries and contribute to heart attacks, but they can clog your pores and create acne outbreaks as well.

Next, start replacing white refined carbohydrates with whole grain alternatives. This includes 100% whole grain bread instead of plain white bread, whole grain pasta in place of refined noodles, and so forth. You should also try to stay away from products high in sugar, ideally replacing them with fresh fruits to get that sweet taste.

What to Eat

So, what can you eat in order to have a positive effect on your skin? You are already eating lots of whole grains to replace those white refined carbohydrates, now add in lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and a healthy daily dose of water. Meats should be lean with as little fat as possible.

Including foods high in antioxidants will also help your skin stay youthful and clear. Many facial products are now using antioxidant rich ingredients as main selling points, so it only makes sense that an anti-acne diet includes lots of antioxidants as well. Look for fruits with dark, rich coloring such as deep purple and red grapes, strawberries, and cranberries. These will be loaded with antioxidants as well as a variety of other nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly and keep your skin clear and beautiful.

When it comes to drinks, try to stick with plain water, even if it is kind of bland at times. You can always add in sweet fruits or mix with a little 100% fruit juice to make it more flavorful.

Despite the controversy and what some facial product manufacturers want you to believe, it is entirely possible to eliminate your acne problem by making critical changes to your diet.