The bottomline, obviously, is that our children are not getting nutrition and exercise they need. So, what are parents to do? Dr. Wood offers following suggestions:

* Examine foods that are brought into home for their nutritional value.

* Understand how to read nutrition labels.

* Set limits on media and sedentary activities. Encourage family interaction: Does your child really need to have a TV and/or PC in his room?

* Decide, as a family project, healthy menus and healthy choices of restaurant to frequent.

* Become actively informed in your child’s school so that PTA and School Board may learn about your concerns regarding food choices.

If we don’t make some changes, trends of today predict that our young children will be at high risk for obesity and obesity-related health risks like heart attacks, strokes, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.

Encouraging good eating habits and physical lifestyle in our children starts with us, parents. This includes introducing a quality nutritional supplement program with vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that are necessary protection for our children as they face more nutritional and environmental challenges than ever before.

Remember: When you are maximizing your family’s health potential, we everyone wins. When you don’t, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW

One recent study found that nearly one-third of calories in typical American diet come from nutrient-deficient junk food. In contrast, healthy foods, such as vegetables and fruits, make up only about ten percent of caloric intake. Furthermore, poor diet, coupled with physical inactivity, is now recognized by Center for Disease Control and Prevention as one of leading causes of death in U. S. today because without proper nutrition, cells of body are less able to prevent and repair cellular damage.

“The human body is made of cells, and those cells work together to sustain your life,” says Dr. Wentz. “Taking antioxidants with food may help reduce formation of oxidized lipids.” Other medical professionals concur on importance of taking supplementation.

* “One way to effectively maintain health is to supplement our diets with a full range of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants,” so explains Dr. Ladd McNamara, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Atlanta, Georgia.

* Dr. Ray Strand, M.D., a family practitioner in South Dakota, states, “The concerns for my patients’ health has led me to recommend a complete nutritional system to my patients.”

Remember: When you are maximizing your body’s health potential, we everyone wins. When you don’t, we all lose.

© Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW