According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Illinois’ obesity rate is at an all time high – 31 percent. Comparing studies done between 2003 and 2006 with studies done between 1976 and 1980, obesity rates for kids have gone up drastically – from 5 to 12 percent for kids aged 2 to 5, 6.5 to 17 percent for kids aged 6 to 11 and from 5 to 17.6 percent for kids aged 12 to 19.

The good news, says Dr. David Shoham, of Loyola University’s Preventive Medicine and Epidemiology, is that while the numbers are high, there are indications that the increase we’ve seen over the last decade is slowing down.

"We know the contributing factors, now we have to tie it all together," said Dr. Shoham, who has received a grant and is currently doing research on childhood obesity.

While many people blame too much "screen time," time spent on video games, the computer, or watching TV, for our county’s obesity problems, Dr Shoham says that the fact that our youth is not active enough may be true, but the reality is that the current obesity problems we are facing is more about what is going into our bodies than what is (or in this case what is not) being worked off.

"Kids are not getting enough exercise, this is true, but the bigger problem is what the kids are eating," says Dr. Shoham. "Parents know this, the problem isn’t in the knowing, it is having time to do something about it."

Parents know their families should be eating healthier, he said. But in many families today, both parents work, leaving very little time for meal preparation. These families must rely on others – take out and convenience foods – for meals. And often these types of meals are less healthy than their homemade counterparts.

Then, to add to the problem, serving sizes have grown to almost double in portion. People no longer know what a serving size is. Instead of grabbing a bowl, they grab the whole bag. And even if they have just one of something – that something is most likely double the size of what it was 20 years ago.

Twenty years ago an average bagel measured 3 inches in diameter and yielded 140 calories. Today the average bagel is 6 inches with a whopping 350 calories. Twenty years ago, you might pick up a cheeseburger and add 333 calories to your diet, today you are more likely to pick up one with 590 calories or even more.

Childhood obesity can have devastating effects – much more than having to deal with peer pressure and teasing. Obesity increases risk factors for many long-term problems, from physical – such as type 2 diabetes, early puberty, sleep Apnea, and orthopedic problems – to psychological problems such as poor body image and depression. This is not a problem your child is going to grow out of; it is more likely to be a problem they will grow into. Studies show that a child who is obese before age 8 is likely to be an obese adult. In fact, one study showed that 80 percent of children overweight between the ages of 10 and 15 were obese adults at 25.

Dr. Shoham says that parents already have the solution to the childhood obesity problem – the real question is how they will make that solution fit into their lives.

Taking control

The first step in reclaiming your family’s health is to make small changes and build on them. Small changes are much more likely to be successful. Replace soda pop with water, don’t add extra salt to dishes, and avoid automatically adding butter. Too often we mask the tastes of our food without giving their natural qualities a chance. You don’t have to have bread with every meal, and dessert should be a treat rather than something enjoyed everyday.

Avoid mindless eating

Don’t let your children eat because they are bored, sad, or use it as a reward. When we are born we are born crying when we are hungry. But every time we cried didn’t mean we were hungry. Our bodies looked to food for substances and as babies we usually stopped eating the minute we were full. But well meaning parents unconsciously teach their children to view food as something so much more. Food becomes attached to emotions and often becomes a crutch.

Rely less on convenience food

If you don’t have time during the week to cook, find freeze-ahead recipes online that you can make on the weekends and opt for them instead of convenience foods, which usually contain more calories and undesired ingredients than their homemade versions. Don’t want to spend your family time in the kitchen? Why not, the kitchen is a great place for just that. Kids love to cook and what you might now view as a chore could just become some of you and your children’s most cherished memories.

Eat out less

If you do have to eat out, don’t use it as an excuse to order whatever you want. Many fast food restaurants have menus with nutritional information. So just because you have to eat out doesn’t mean you have to order fried chicken or French fries. You don’t have to pile on the salad dressing or finish every last bite. And most importantly, never, no matter how good the deal, supersize it.