The epidemic is obesity, and rates show that this growing problem has tripled in school-age children since 1970, according to the American Dietetic Association.

A national health and nutrition survey prepared by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 4.7 million young Americans are severely overweight. The CDC also reports that the number of seriously overweight children has more than doubled in the United States during the past three decades, with the greatest increase occurring during the last 10 years.

"An overweight child is more likely to suffer from high blood pressure, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes and gallstones," says Willow Glen dietician and nutritionist Toni Bloom. "Almost everything is made worse with added body fat."

Numerous studies reported by the National Library of Medicine—the U.S. national digital archives of medicine—show that overweight and obese children are often teased and shunned, tend to think less highly of themselves and are more likely than their average-weight peers to be depressed.

Several factors are to blame for this chronic disease. The American Dietetic Association says for starters parents generally do not recognize the potential long-term health problems for overweight children. Parents need to understand that proper nutrition is essential to a healthy lifestyle.

Chris Nobriga knows this fact all too well, having struggled with her own weight and now trying to help her son understand the importance of exercise and healthy eating.

"There is an epidemic out there that so many families are dealing with, and our kids need our help," Nobriga says. "It is important to have family awareness about staying healthy."

But Nobriga knows it isn't easy getting out of a sedentary lifestyle, and the Internet, video games and television impede on her children's daily routine.

"We have started a chart at home for my son Zach. For every hour that he is active, he gets a half-hour of TV time," Nobriga says.

But ironically, many parents are hesitant to let their children go outdoors and ride their bikes or run around the neighborhood, fearing for their safety, say parents whose children are participating in the Studio Fit Kids Fit Camp in Willow Glen. The days of playing baseball in the middle of the street until dusk have evolved into playing in the backyard.

Dietician Ruth Spirakis says a multitude of factors are to blame for the growing number of overweight and obese children. She blames the growing size of restaurant food portions, which she says creates confusion about what is considered a proper serving. She also points out that eating on the run at fast food places has become too commonplace and preparing home cooked meals is no longer the norm.

She tells families that need initial guidance to start their children by having them exercise about an hour a day, adding more fruits and vegetables into their diet, watching their soda intake, monitoring how often they are eating out and making breakfast a daily routine.

"Any program to help children get healthy will not work unless the parents are fully supporting it," she says. "This tends to be a family affair."

She adds, "Kids don't do well with diets. Diets can lead to negative feedback and, in some cases, eating disorders."

According to Spirakis, there simply is no reputable food program or diet specially made for children with weight issues, but she suggests Weight Watchers could be a good option.

"Weight Watchers is a pretty healthy and a very balanced approach to eating," she says. "In the meantime, depending on the child, Weight Watchers is a healthy option."

For parents worried about their child's weight, Spirakis suggests contacting a pediatrician who can connect the family with a dietician.

Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer Go For It: Zachary Norbriga (right) is encouraged by trainer Travis Bilanin to become more active. During one of the kids camp classes at Studio Fit in Willow Glen, the children run through an obstacle course.

She tells the family to try to incorporate one fruit or vegetable with each meal and to stop drinking calories in the form of sodas, fruit juices and similar beverages. She says people waste too many calories on these sugar-filled drinks.

Bloom has worked for 12 years in the industry and says in the past couple years she has also seen an increase in the number of families that need direction with their overweight children.

Bloom is developing a nutritional board game for the entire family to make eating the right foods more fun and an entire family activity. Since the game is still in the working stages, she doesn't want to divulge too much about it. But she hopes it will help families find a casual way to incorporate good nutrition into family meals and focus on the positive aspects of food, not the negative.

"Each family just needs to get more exercise, get active. In the evening, just get the family out and take a walk on Lincoln Avenue," Bloom says. "It doesn't have to be drastic; it is just about being active."

Unfortunately, over the years, an emphasis on physical education programs in the public schools has been replaced with a greater focus on learning the ABCs, which has added to the overall increase in obese and overweight children.

San Jose Unified School District spokesperson Karen Fuqua says that first- through eighth-grade students are required to take 200 minutes of physical education for every 10 days they are in school—approximately 20 minutes of physical activity per day.

Though schools do include some exercise and provide health and nutrition information as part of the physical education curriculum, the increase in overweight children makes it apparent that a more rigorous approach needs to be taken, says Studio Fit personal trainer Christine Collins.

It is also leading parents to look elsewhere for alternatives.

Collins is working to increase health and fitness awareness among the community's young people. But, like many, she knows how hard it is in today's fast-paced society to ditch the fast food for healthier options.

So she and the other personal trainers at Studio Fit have created a six-week exercise and nutrition program for children ages 6 through 12. During twice-weekly meetings, children exercise and talk about what constitutes healthy eating.

Students are encouraged by their instructors and classmates as they run obstacle courses and weight train. Collins says the main idea is for kids to stay motivated and to have fun while exercising. At the end of each class, students are given nutritional tips.

Collins encourages parents to get involved as well. She says it is crucial for parents to understand their role in their children's health and hopes that the children-oriented classes will provide the necessary starting tools to get families on track toward healthier lifestyle patterns.

"It's not about dieting; it is about creating a healthy lifestyle," says Collins. "Parents use junk food as a reward system. It's really about getting it right about 80 percent of the time and being able to indulge about 20 percent of the time."

She adds, "We educate kids on sex and violence. Why shouldn't proper nutrition be just as critical?"

The classes at Studio Fit have filled a niche in Willow Glen, according to several parents with children in the program. This fitness and nutrition program tries to focus on one key activity and nutritional tip each class so the message doesn't get diluted.

During Collins' years of studying health and fitness, she says it became apparent that childhood obesity could stem from many factors, including genetics, psychological issues, a sedentary lifestyle and too many fast food meals.

Kristine Jackson's son, Justin, likes the Studio Fit program because it is an opportunity for him to feel like a winner. He loves it, Jackson says. No one sees anyone as different in this program.

During the obstacle course in a recent class, Justin was having so much fun he didn't even want to stop for a water break.

"I'm not thirsty," he yelled. "Let's do it all again!"

She says that since Justin began the Studio Fit's program, he has been trying to eat healthier by monitoring what he eats and is swimming twice a week.

Kristine says it is frustrating because she wants Justin to be active but doesn't feel it is safe to allow him to ride his bike alone in the neighborhood. Scheduling exercise time twice a week has benefited her entire family.

"Justin doesn't really see this as exercising—he just sees it as an hour of fun," Jackson says.

All the parents unanimously agree that their children's self-esteem is raised by Studio Fit's classes. And Nobriga says she is glad someone has finally taken the health of Willow Glen's youth seriously.

"These kids are the ones that are always picked last at recess," Nobriga says. "In this program, all the kids have a chance to be winners. No one sees anyone as different. Here they have the chance to come in first, so they try harder. And I think the smile on his face says it all."

Studio Fit is located at 111-5 Meridian Ave. For more information about the program, contact Christine Collins at 408.265.0348.

To locate a dietician in your area, visit the American Dietetic Association website at http://www.eatright.org/Public/Index.cfm and type in your zip code.