Raena Morgan: We’re visiting with Sherry Torkos. She is a health writer and a pharmacist. And we’ve been talking about obesity. Sherry, what about childhood obesity because you make a very dramatic statement in your book, that by the 4th grade, 80% of children have already been on a diet. That’s pretty alarming.
Ms. Sherry Torkos: Yeah, and that was according to one study that was done in the state of California. It is very concerning that children today are struggling with obesity and developing adult diseases as a result of being obese. We have record numbers of children as being classified as having metabolic syndrome and this is a collection of symptoms that greatly increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. Children that are carrying extra belly fat, they have high blood pressure, high triglycerides and cholesterol—all of these factors are part of what we call metabolic syndrome. And today, a growing number of children do present with the symptoms of metabolic syndrome. But we’re also seeing that a lot of children today are already starting with the dieting—
Raena Morgan: That was the concern I had.
Ms. Sherry Torkos: The dieting concern. . . Diet is a term that we use that usually implies restrictive changes to what you’re eating.
Raena Morgan: Exactly.
Ms. Sherry Torkos: And I think that it’s important that parents encourage children that are struggling with being overweight or obese to eat healthy and to not get involved with fad dieting. I mean, there are so many fad diets out there, promoting all kinds of crazy things, but what the research shows us, is that those approaches don’t work and some of them can actually be dangerous to health. I think what is important and what does work is health eating. And that involves making sure you get enough fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean sources of proteins, such as chicken, fish, beans and legumes and healthy fats. We don’t need children today to be caught up at young ages, getting anorexia or bulimia as a result of, you know, feeling that they have to do these things in order to lose weight. I think there are healthy ways that children can lose weight and it involves getting the family more physically active. The family as a whole eating better, so that everybody can benefit from it. And rather than centering children out and making them feel guilty or making them feel that they have to follow some restrictive diet.
Raena Morgan: But they’re getting it from the parents, but they’re getting it from the media, too, wouldn’t you say?
Ms. Sherry Torkos: You know, I think there’s a lot in the news, a lot of misinformation. And, unfortunately, you know, children today, there are two issues that we have. The commercials for breakfast cereals and children’s food—
Raena Morgan: The marketing.
Ms. Sherry Torkos: The marketing of unhealthy foods to children. I think that has to stop. And I think we also need to reinforce positive messages about healthy eating and regular exercise and activities so that children get exposed to that and have that positive reinforcement of what really is important for healthy weight management.
Raena Morgan: Okay, well, thank you.
Ms. Sherry Torkos: Thank you.
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