We all know that childhood obesity is not healthy. You don't have to look hard to find stories about how fatal this epidemic will be in the near future. It's no surprise that when we have so many overweight children, people are terrified when they look towards the future. You don't have the power to solve this problem yourself. But if you have a child, stop a moment to consider his or her future.

The effects of childhood obesity aren't just alarming, they are downright dangerous. In fact, there are links to many different diseases from being an obese child. Heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure are just a few.

Then there are the negative social effects of childhood obesity. At school, children are often very malicious. You can bet that an overweight child is probably going to be picked on and will be the target of vicious pranks.

Being a child that is not accepted, and who is made fun of is miserable. These children suffer daily as they are not chosen for sports teams, not invited to birthday parties, and not asked to the school dance because they are too 'fat.'

There may be hope. As more people realize the effects of childhood obesity, maybe we'll be able to work together to make a change for the better. But you can make a difference, starting with your own child at dinner time. You can instill good eating habits in your child that he or she will follow for life, if only you teach him or her the difference between healthy and unhealthy foods. This alone will help reduce or stop childhood obesity. Your child depends on you, the parent, to teach him or her what's right and how to eat. Your child deserves a better quality of life, and he or she depends on you to provide it and avoid childhood obesity. Don't sentence your child to a life of sadness and sickness. You can help put a stop to the childhood obesity epidemic by starting with your own child.