Adaptation is defined as a change or changes by which an organism becomes better suited to it’s environment. Camels possess a number of nifty traits, such as their famous humps, which enable them to make it in the desert without water for seven months. The human body has more fat cells than a polar bear - an adaptation that allows us to survive and even flourish in a variety of environments where food might be scarce or abundant.  For millions of years humans survived cyclical periods of feast and famine without the benefit of refrigeration or canning for long term food storage.

Our brains depend on an uninterrupted supply of oxygen and fuel.  We have no mechanism for storing oxygen, if we stop breathing we die within minutes. On the other hand we are able to convert intermittent feedings into fuel that can either be used right away or stored for short or long term access.  Because we require fuel even when food is unavailable, and the most efficient way to ensure a constant fuel supply is to pack on the pounds; we were brilliantly designed to USE weight - not to LOSE weight.

A human infant is a pretty helpless creature. They aren’t really capable of much but they do have one characteristic that many of us long for. They know how to eat when they are hungry and stop when they are satisfied. When a baby is breastfed on demand they will nurse more frequently and vigorously when they are going through “growth spurts” yet they seem to be able to just lazily take an occasional sip when they are nursing “for comfort”. Many scientific studies confirm that humans, even newborns have a distinct inborn preference for foods that are sweet and creamy and those tend to be the ones we will gorge upon. A “breastfed on demand” baby may as well have a free pass to Baskin-Robbins - so how do they regulate their food intake when the supply is plentiful, palatable and already prepared?

How did we (and our children) get so fat, so fast.  It seems like it has happened overnight.  Complicated theories and studies abound dissecting the possible causes of our "rapid expansion" but I believe it can be boiled,  eh… broiled, down to a single word. BACON. Bacon is everywhere these days. In fact I think we should petition Webster's dictionary to replace the word ubiquitous with bacon.  It is much easier to pronounce and spell and it means exactly the same thing - present, appearing, or found everywhere.

We are experiencing record growth ... at least in our waistlines. According to a 2008 report by the Center For Disease Control (CDC), more than two-thirds of the adults in the US were overweight, and more than half were obese. Apparently, the acorn doesn’t fall far from the tree as the same report claims 30 percent of American children are overweight, and 15 percent are considered to be obese. How did we get here? I think that our wishes have come true. Unfortunately, like the opening line of one of my favorite stories, “The Monkey’s Paw” by W. W. Jacobs, “Be careful what you wish for; you may receive it.”

I was watching the Disney film, Pinocchio, the other day with one of my nieces; and I was struck by how effectively it dealt with the topic of temptation. Temptation is obviously something we all struggle with from time to time. The kind and gentle puppet-maker Gepetto had wished that the little marionette “could be a real boy.” The Blue Fairy didn’t just give Pinocchio the gift of life; she also gave him wisdom, guidance, and the sense of accomplishment that accompanies success. She told him

“It’s up to you to become a real boy. You will be a real boy when you have learned right from wrong and proven yourself to be brave, unselfish, and truthful.”

“How do I do that?” asked Pinocchio.

“You listen to your conscience,” said the Blue Fairy.

“What’s a conscience?” asked Pinocchio.

Jiminy Cricket replied, “Your conscience is the little voice that tells you when you’re doing something you shouldn’t be doing!”

What if, as you are enjoying your delicious Chinese takeout, you open your fortune cookie, and it says...

“You will always be fat.”

Just writing these words make my heart palpitate; yet, for many teenage girls, this thought is their constant companion. It is said that males have a sexual thought every 52 seconds. Well, at least they get a break! Amidst real concerns about the rise in childhood obesity and its collateral health risks, there seems to be a new snake in the grass stalking our children—eating disorders. Most people seem to believe that relentless media pressure for thinness is to blame for this threat, but I think the real culprit is our failure to find workable strategies for everyday eating.

Although it may seem that the problem of childhood obesity has sprung up overnight, in reality, we should have seen it coming years ago. Much like hurricane warnings on television, we may have observed the brewing storms with casual interest, but until they affected us directly, we were not likely to take action. Many factors have played a role in the sudden jump in childhood obesity, but until they came together to create the perfect storm, we were just as unlikely to take action.

Of course, in any perfect storm there are always winds and currents that amplify the situation. But there are also discrete, smaller storms that combine to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. In the case of overweight children, I believe three separate storms have joined forces to create this perfect storm: (1) abundant, available calories; (2) bored, sedentary children; and (3) moms who are stretched too thin  (figuratively). If we look closely, we can actually see these storms arose from faulty assumptions: that more nutrients mean more health, that learning takes place only through formal education, and that it is possible to multitask effectively.

Has it ever occurred to you what a great metaphor the sinking of the Titanic is for one of today’s most pressing problems: namely, childhood obesity? The parallels are striking.

The Titanic was huge, opulent, and the ultimate in luxury. No expense was spared in her construction or décor. Everything about her conveyed abundance with a capital “A.” Yet, this magnificent ship was not invincible. She sank to the bottom of the sea, along with most of her treasures and passengers.

How does this relate to childhood obesity? Consider the parallels.

Compared with much of the world, Americans live in extreme luxury, especially when it comes to food. No expense is spared in providing appealing, appetizing, and available food to both adults and children. This, too, is abundance with a capital “A.” Yet, our children are at risk—not of sinking into the sea, but of succumbing to a host of grown-up illnesses and emotional problems. Like the Titanic, they are not invincible.