Are Our Kids Getting Fatter and Hungrier?

SEATTLE, WA--(Marketwire - Jun 3, 2011) - If the war against childhood obesity was a race, America would still be at the starting line.

Nearly 75 percent of Americans will be overweight or obese by 2019, and a new study by New York's Food Research and Action Center describes another dilemma -- a new definition of hunger that actually describes how families can become obese at the same time they are going hungry.

"The term the scientists used is 'food-insecure,'" said Erin Baker, founder of Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods (www.bbcookies.com), a bakery that combines the appeal of baked goodies with nutritional benefits to help fight obesity. "It describes the condition that hits a huge sector of the population. Low-income people tend to seek out cheaper food which in most cases is fast food; the result is a high calorie diet with poor nutritional value -- just a lot of empty calories void of fruits, vegetables and grains. But there are ways to avoid that fate."

Baker's advice includes:

• Fruits, Vegetables, Grains -- Providing a diet that includes six to nine servings of fruits, vegetables and grains per day will change your family's life. It will give them more energy and enable them to exercise more effectively.
• Preparation -- Each meal should be thought of as sustenance, and you should ask yourself every day, "What is this meal doing for my body and my family's bodies?"
• Food as Fuel -- The cooking show revolution has America hungry for tasty new dishes, but if you want to actually be healthier, you should also regard your food as fuels for your body. You wouldn't try to fuel your car with garbage. Why do you think your body is any different?

"I hear all the time about how people just don't have time to prepare decent meals anymore," Baker said. "What we feed ourselves and our families is killing us, killing our kids and one day soon, it might actually serve to cripple our nation. Our families need to eat the right foods to truly satisfy the appetite."

About Erin Baker

Erin Baker is founder of Erin Baker's Wholesome Baked Goods, whose product line includes Breakfast Cookies, Home-style Granola, Breakfast Cookie Minis and Organic Brownie Bites, all of which are handcrafted and baked to order.