Even though the word is out that more children consume more calories than they burn, still the epidemic continues. We have an obesity epidemic. One out of five children is obese. The problem with obesity is not cosmetic but a health issue.

Childhood obesity can plague children as young as 3 years old. The cause of obesity often is attributed to genes, heredity, environment and behaviour. While some contributing factors cannot be changed, experts say children can adjust their attitudes to eating healthy and become physically active with the help of their parents and of course the expert eye of GetKidsActive.com.

Prevention is the best intervention. That's where parents can develop a family routine by limiting TV time.

GetKidsActive suggests that the causes of childhood obesity in our country are:

- A lack of regular exercise

- Sedentary behavior such as frequently watching TV, computer usage and similar behaviour that can be used for physical activity

- Socioeconomic status or low family incomes and nonworking parents

- Poor eating habits including over consumption of high-calorie foods. Also eating when not hungry, eating while watching TV or while doing homework

- Overexposure to fast-food advertisements that promote high calorie foods and lack of recreational activities.

The issue here is not how long we're going to live but how well we're going to live.

For more information about how to get your kid's active and eating healthy sign up today it's free and easy. Have a look around and visit our live chat room, recipes section, and our shop.