Sitting on the hard cold bleachers of the little league diamond, I watch the team gather around the coach for a last minute pep talk. The brightly colored shirts, white knickers and stripped socks, flashed me back to the days of my youth, attending little league games just like this one to watch my brother play.

The boys break the huddle and run out to the field with the same enthusiasm from long ago, but today I noticed a decisive difference. Many of their strides are slower, more lumbering than the lanky quick gates of boys residing in my memory. For many, their shirts cling tightly to their waists, affectionately hugging mini versions of a "middle-age spare tire." It is then I realize that the "norm" isn't what it used to be. At least not for these boys.

It turns out my experience on the baseball field is not an isolated incident. All over the country alarms are being sounded. According to U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, "Childhood obesity is at epidemic levels in the United States." "We have been remiss in shedding light on this problem, which leads to so many other health problems, particularly when we consider the threats this disease imposes on our children. Today, we see a nation of young people seriously at risk of starting out obese and dooming themselves to the difficult task of overcoming a tough illness." One fact that punctuates his statement is the dramatic rise in diet-related diabetes in children since 1992. (Also known as Type 2 or Adult On-Set Diabetes.) According to the American Obesity Association, "The parallel increase in obesity in children and adolescents is reported to be the most significant factor for the rise in diabetes."

Whiteside County is no exception! According to the Illinois Department of Health, the 2001 general population mortality rate for Diabetes Mellitus in Whiteside County exceeded both the Illinois and US rates by over 12%!

Like most problems, the first step in overcoming is recognition. As parents, we tend to compare our kids to others in order to gauge what is normal and what isn't. But what happens when "normal" isn't a good thing? Could we be setting up our kids for serious health risks without even knowing it?

How do you know if your child is a healthy weight? Even underweight children can face health risks of their own. A place to start is a BMI calculator specifically designed for children, followed by a consultation with your family doctor. One easy-to-use version can be found at www.keepkidshealthy.com/welcome/bmicalculator.html.

If you would like to know more about what is being done in Whiteside County to combat this serious problem, contact Extension.