Thank you for showing concern in the health and well-being of the younger generation. I would like to take a minute to give you a little background story about our organization.
For years it has bothered me every time I would see a child so overweight that I wanted to approach the parent and ask if they were aware of the permanent damage they were causing to their child’s health. Of course, this is not something you do, so it bothered me more because I felt helpless and frustrated.
Then I remembered my own childhood when we would eat Spam burgers with Velveeta imitation cheese, only white bread, sugar cereal, Mom cooking with lard or chicken fat and a whole lot of other not so healthy choices. Some of these selections were due to economic situations, others due to misleading information. Wasn’t white bread the healthiest because you didn’t see any germs? Then came Fast Food chains, and TV dinners and canned dinners. Some of us remember that authentic Italian food in a can “Chef Boyardee”. Well, today over 19% of our children are classified as “obese” by the Centers for Disease Control and 37% of applicants for the military are rejected because of their extensive weight. Childhood Obesity can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, liver disorders and not to mention low self-esteem along with many other emotional problems.
Today the causes of childhood obesity are many, but rarely is it due to bad parenting. What parent wants to cause something bad for their child? Some of the contributing factors are fast food choices because both parents work, too little physical activity – replaced by video games, portion sizes of purchased meals, peer pressure in eating habits, and on and on.
I decided to try and do whatever I could do to help today’s children on a healthier path. In April 2019 I started the foundation to bring awareness and support to the parents and children affected by obesity.
Our most important goal is to support parents and children in reversing this dangerous affliction by spreading awareness and providing tools and guidance in way that is both fun for children and informative for parents.
We will lead our next generation on a path to a healthier future!
Sincerely,
Bob Warwick
President
Obesity Prevention Foundation of America