Were you aware that childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years? About one out of every three children or teens is overweight or at risk of being overweight. Because children’s bodies are still developing, the damage to organs triggers medical problems extending throughout their lifetimes, according to a report issued by First Lady Michelle Obama’s Task Force on Childhood Obesity.

Erin Baker, founder of Erin Baker’s Wholesome Baked Goods, (www.ErinBakers.com) a bakery that combines the appeal of baked goodies with nutritional benefits to help fight obesity, recommends the following steps for people who want to help reverse the trend toward obesity in their families’ lives:

• 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, enable them to exercise more effectively and truly give everyone the fuel they need.
• Preparation — It’s easy to let the fast-paced nature of American life become the tail that wags the dog with regard to you and your family’s nutrition. 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 on cable has America’s mouths watering for tasty new dishes, but if you want to actually be healthier, you should also regard your food as the stuff that fuels your body. You wouldn’t try to fuel your car with garbage. It wouldn’t work. Why do you think your body is any different?

About Erin Baker

Erin Baker started baking and selling cookies at 9 years old, and she loved it so much that she made it her life’s work. Erin created the “Bakers Breakfast Cookie” which she describes as a “portable bowl of oatmeal” to address the growing demand for healthy grab and go foods. Since 1994 Whole grain oats, pure fruit and honey have been the primary ingredients in her shelf stable products, making her a pioneer in the bakery industry. Baker’s product line includes Breakfast Cookies, Home-style Granola, Breakfast Cookie Minis and Organic Brownie Bites, all of which are handcrafted and baked to order…and yes her name is really “Baker”!