Good Morning America...well maybe it should be wake up America and start exercising.

Did you know approximately 65% of American adults are classifieds as overweight and almost 31% are categorized as obese. In 1960 the incidence of obesity in the United States was 13.4% and in 200 the rate was 30.9%, that's more than double. This coincides with the alarming trend in the incidence of overweight children who displayed an increase from 4% in 1970 to 15% in 2000.

Children today are more overweight than at any other time in history and the news gets even worse! A recent study indicates that an overweight child has an 80% likelihood of being overweight as an adult. That translates into future health concerns and additional career challenges.

Just the other day I happened to be talking with a friend who mentioned how surprised he was to notice the number of overweight children attending his daughter's school. I seem to remember when I was in school the percentage of my classmates who were overweight was very small.

So what can be done to solve this problem? It all start with a little moderation, self-discipline, and education. Adults and parents should start by becoming more physically active on a daily basis. Educate your children why exercise and physical activity are important. Get your children involved in some sort of physical activity, get them outdoors (don't forget the sunscreen), and give them a much needed break from television, video games, and the Internet.

Become more educated about food, food combinations, and proper meal planning. Enlist the help of a registered dietitian who will educate you so you can pass the information onto your children. Get away from pre-packaged foods and go fresh. Remember your children are watching you and adopting your good and bad habits. They will become you in certain respects when they grow up; don't start them off with bad eating habits.

Fixing the problem: The steps are simple and they start with you - begin an exercise program right away. If you start moderately, stay consistent, and make weekly progress; you will soon realize how exercise will dramatically benefit you and the people around you. You will begin to feel better, look better, increase energy, increase strength, improve stamina, control weight, and decrease the likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes, high-blood pressure, high-cholesterol, osteoporosis, breast cancer and many other afflictions.

It is everyone's responsibility to maintain a healthy lifestyle, incorporating physical activity and healthy eating habits into your daily life. Our generation should heed the responsibility and make it a point to pass on healthy lifestyle habits and reduce our dependency on the health care system. The best medicine is preventive medicine!

Where to get the help you need: United State of Fitness Center can help. We have both certified personal trainers and registered dietitian to help you in the design and implementation of a safe and effective exercise and nutritional program. To find out more simply call us for a free fitness consultation and body composition profile.