Every year, between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve the average American adds about two to three pounds and another inch on his or her belt due to the festivities of the holiday season. Now this isn’t going to be an article saying eat less, don’t have that piece of pie, pass on that glass of eggnog, and have a miserable time. I don’t want to turn into the Grinch. Instead I am going to show everyone some evidence-based ways to trick your body’s metabolism, burn up extra calories, stave off those additional pounds, and enjoy your holiday meals!

In this article I want to discuss the disturbing increase in childhood obesity in the United States. There are some frightening numbers being mentioned with regards to the growing number of children who are obese. Fifteen percent of children aged 6 to 19 are obese which means their BMI (Body Mass Index) is above the 95th percentile for their age.¹ The Bogalusa Heart study showed that nearly 90% of kids less than eight years old who are overweight become obese adults.² And as every day passes those figures, like the waistlines of America’s youth get bigger and bigger.

This past week I attended the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) national conference in Nashville, TN. Every year sports medicine physicians, athletic trainers, strength coaches, exercise physiologists, and other disciplines related to sports medicine meet to present the latest research, to discuss current treatment guidelines, and to exchange a wealth of information. In this article series I would like to share some important information that I learned at the national ACSM conference.