| A large part of the GDP of the United States of | | | | responsibility of developing a diet plan for the child |
| America is spent on health care facilities. Health | | | | that would incorporate all the essential nutrients |
| care expenditure amounts to 15.3% of the total | | | | and at the same time appeal to his or her taste |
| GDP. The coming decade is predicted to be no | | | | buds. Along with the right kind of food, it is also |
| different and the costs can rise up to 19.5%. | | | | necessary to encourage them for engaging in a |
| More than deadly diseases, it is physical conditions | | | | lot of physical activity instead of remaining glued |
| like obesity that has increased the amount of | | | | to the computer or the television screen. |
| money that an average American spends on | | | | The effort towards countering this rising |
| health related problems. Of the total population of | | | | expenditure should come from all quarters. To |
| the United States, almost 25% are obese and | | | | begin with, it is the duty of every parent, teacher |
| suffer from ailments that result out of it. | | | | and coach to inculcate healthy eating habits in kids. |
| Health statistics reveal that cases of obesity | | | | Teachers and coaches can set an example by |
| witnessed a steep rise of 37% from 1998-2006 | | | | organizing healthy fundraisers that impose |
| that consequently raised the amount that was | | | | restrictions on the intake of food items rich in |
| spent on it to a whopping $40 billion per year. The | | | | fats, saturated fats and sugar. Chocolate |
| amount spent on treatment of obesity related | | | | fundraisers are no longer organized in most |
| diseases was 42% more than what was spent on | | | | schools across the nation and thus pass on the |
| the health care of standard weight individuals. This | | | | message of opting for healthy solutions in |
| high rate of expenditure is on health is surely a | | | | fundraising effectively. |
| cause of concern especially in current scenario of | | | | Now the question may arise as to what are the |
| economic downturn. | | | | substitutes for fried foods and snacks which |
| These were not spent on fat removal surgeries | | | | children find hard to resist. The solution to this is |
| like bariatric surgery but on diseases that | | | | healthy alternatives or snacks that contain less |
| occurred as a result of obesity. People who are | | | | fats and sugar thereby minimizing the chances of |
| overweight are likely to be diagnosed with | | | | children becoming prone to obesity. It is difficult to |
| diabetes and heart diseases. The increasing cases | | | | restrain children from snacking, especially at the |
| of obesity are thus responsible for the upward | | | | time of a school fundraiser, but when you arrange |
| swing in health care costs. | | | | for healthy snacking options, you no longer need |
| You do not want your child to be troubled by | | | | to restrict kids from having them. You cannot |
| obesity and other associated diseases like Type 2 | | | | compromise with the health of your family and |
| Diabetes from such an early age. Therefore, it is | | | | therefore it is better to be careful rather than |
| up to the parents and the teachers to share the | | | | repent later. |