Overweight Teens - Wellspring Florida Summer Program

Over the past 20 years, clinical obesity among children and adolescents (defined as 95+ percentile body mass index on a growth chart) has skyrocketed from 6% to 15%. This makes overweight teens and teen obesity the most common chronic illness in pediatrics. To provide a sense of the magnitude of the opportunity, the prevalence of eating disorders is only 0.3%.

Although pediatric and adolescent obesity is most common in lower socio-economic groups, it is prevalent at all income levels, including in upper-income families. In 1995, 2.9% of households in the top 5% of income had obese children or adolescents. The number has certainly risen over the past 8 years.

The cause of this epidemic is entirely behavioral: high-calorie diets and insufficient exercise.

The direct effects of pediatric and adolescent obesity are clear and well established:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (formerly adult onset diabetes)
• Hypertension and predisposition for cardiac disease
• Sleep apnea
• Asthma
• Gallbladder disease
• Kidney disease
• Pancreatitis
• Eye diseases
• Nerve damage
• Various gastrointestinal disorders
• Various skeletal and orthopedic problems
• 80% increase in incidence of obesity in adulthood
• Obesity in adulthood likely to be more severe with earlier onset of co-morbidities

Source:  Overweight Teen

Wellspring Florida is the first and only scientifically-based summer fitness and weight loss camp in St. Petersburg Florida, and one of the most effective weight loss programs in the world.

MTV's latest reality show

MTV just launched their new show, "I Used to Be Fat". The show will follow teens during the summer after high school as they work to lose weight and transform themselves before entering college.  As with many of today's reality shows, this is a topic that can be sensitive, difficult, however extremely necessary to talk about and address.

Be an educated parent, you will have healthier teens.


Watch the video to learn more about Wellspring summer for your overweight teens.

Read more.

Sue Scheff: Food Revolution - Sign the petition and start eating healthy and feeling better!

Message from Jamie Oliver:

If you care about the health of your children and the food they eat please sign this petition now.

It will only take 30 seconds.

Click here.

Sue Scheff: Parenting/Childrens Book - Trying to Get Kids to Eat Healthy

Shirt for Dessert

By Jayne Bonilla

Shirt For Dessert tells the tale of Marley Barley, who sucks on her clothes. Why does she do it? Nobody knows! This rhyming children’s book tells the story of a little girl who would rather climb the jungle gym than the food pyramid! Illustrated by Janis Dougherty, Shirt for Dessert is a funny romp about a unique girl with a common problem.

This children's book is a funny look at the universal parenting problem of trying to get our kids to eat healthy.

This book will be available in September 2009, place the book title in the Amazon Box and learn more!

Sue Scheff: Love Your Body, Love Your Life

By Sarah Maria

Coming Soon! Pre-order today!

Sarah Maria is a body-image expert who can help you discover the beauty that you already are so that you can create a body and a life that you truly love. Read Sarah Maria's story of Transformation

She combines ancient wisdom with modern science and shows you, step-by-step, how to pacify your mind, heal your heart, befriend your body, and transfrom your life.

CLICK HERE TO BE NOTIFIED as soon as Sarah Maria's Life-changing book Love Your Body, Love Your Life is available for purchase.

Sue Scheff: A Teen's Guide to Weight Management

What Do I Have to Lose?

A Teen's Guide to Weight Management

By Elizabeth Bauchner

Do you need to lose a few pounds? Are you overweight? Or are you just built differently from the "Barbie-doll" (or "Ken-doll") shape? Sometimes it's hard to tell. In a culture that insists we all have to be model-thin, it's hard to judge. Dieting is a big business that sells books, magazines, and food products. In the midst of so many conflicting messages, it can be hard to sort out fact from fiction.

We all want to look our best and at the same time, we all hate to deny ourselves our favorite foods! Healthy weight management is all about achieving the weight that's right for you, and this book will give you the facts you need to determine what is right for you. Your ideal weight will depend on many factors, your height, your body type, your gender, or your age, but there are at least two common factors for successful weight management: regular exercise and a balanced diet.

Forget "diets" and focus instead on a lifetime of healthy habits. In the long run, weight management is not about denying yourself. It's about providing your body with what it truly needs, and this book will tell you how.

Learn more: http://www.masoncrest.com/book_view.php?bookID=96

Sue Scheff: Childhood Obesity

It’s Up 2 U!

12.5 million American children are obese. By 2010, this number will increase by 20%. Isn’t it time we make a change? Get on board with the Fit Kids Act today at http://iu2u.org/sign.php Then, check out the four-week Chiquita Family Challenge complete with menus, daily fitness and activity charts , kid-friendly recipes from Chef Robert Rainford and lifestyle tips from Dr. Oz’s HealthCorps at http://iu2u.org/change_family_habits.php.

Learn more at http://iu2u.org/index.php and join their FaceBook group at http://apps.facebook.com/causes/271974