According the Center
For Disease Control (CDC) in Washington, and the Center
for Science in the Public Interest; the following
statistics:
Over 150 MILLION
children around the world are overweight or obese.
Unhealthy eating and lack of activity, two
main causes of obesity, are responsible for at least 300,000
preventable deaths each year in the
United States.
They also increase
the risk for many chronic diseases
including cancer, diabetes, and
cardiovascular disease.
- The USA spent $96.9 BILLION dollars in 2003 treating
weight-related problems.
- The majority of people in the United States have
poor eating habits. For example, only 28% of women and
20% of men eat at least five servings of fruits and
vegetables per day.
- Obesity has reached epidemic proportions. In the
past 15 years, the prevalence of obesity has increased
by over 50% among adults and 100% in children and
adolescents. While obesity is a
complex, multi-factorial problem, over-consumption of
soft drinks and low-nutrition snack foods is a key
contributor.
- Currently, only 2% of children meet the five main
recommendations for a healthy diet from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture.
- Children's soft drink consumption increased by 40%
between 1989 and 1996. Children who consume more soft
drinks consume more calories and are more likely to be
overweight than children who drink few soft drinks.
- The number of calories children consume from snacks
increased by 30% (from 460 to 610 calories) between 1977
and 1996.
- The sale of foods in school vending machines, a la
carte lines, school stores, and fund-raisers (often
referred to collectively as "competitive foods") can
negatively affect children's diets, since many of these
foods are high in calories, added sugars, and saturated
fat and low in nutrients. The most common items sold out
of vending machines, school stores, and snack bars
include soft drinks, sports drinks, imitation fruit
juices, chips, candy, and high-fat baked goods. 43% of
elementary schools, 74% of middle/junior high schools,
and 98% of senior high schools have vending machines,
school stores, or snack bars.
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