The Numbers Don't Lie: Adults and Children

According to recent CDC data, more than 40% of U.S. adults are classified as obese, with an additional 30% considered overweight. Combined, that means roughly 74% of adults are carrying excess weight (CDC, 2024). This isn’t just about appearance or performance. It’s about the serious health risks that come with excess weight, including diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and a shortened lifespan.

The crisis isn't limited to adults. The MAHA Report released in 2025 paints a bleak picture for the next generation:

• One in five children over age six is now considered obese
• Childhood cancer rates have risen by 40% since 1975
• More than 40% of American children now live with at least one chronic condition

These numbers point to a dangerous trend: we're not just passing down genes. We're passing down habits and health outcomes.

Ultra-Processed Foods and Overeating: A Double Threat

One of the leading drivers behind these alarming statistics is overconsumption of ultra-processed foods. These foods, which now make up nearly 70% of children’s caloric intake, are high in calories but low in nutrients, making it easier to overeat and harder to feel full (MAHA Report, 2025).

But the problem isn’t just what we eat. It’s also how much.

The Twinkie Diet and the 'In Go Out Go' Principle

An experiment by Kansas State nutrition professor Mark Haub went viral years ago and is now resurfacing on social media. He ate a calorie-restricted diet consisting largely of Twinkies, snack cakes, and Doritos. Despite the poor food quality, he lost 27 pounds in 10 weeks simply because he was eating fewer calories than he burned.

This strange but true story supports a principle that continues to hold weight: the "In Go Out Go" theory. In other words, if you consume fewer calories than your body expends, you will lose weight, regardless of the type of food.

Of course, this isn’t an endorsement of junk food. While calorie restriction may lead to weight loss, quality matters for health. Nutrient-dense foods are essential for hormonal balance, immune health, cognitive function, and long-term vitality. Eating clean helps prevent chronic diseases, supports recovery, and enhances physical performance.

Quality vs. Quantity: Why Both Matter

The takeaway here is balance. You can eat the cleanest, most organic, nutrient-packed foods available, but if you're still eating too much, you will gain weight.

And conversely, someone eating less-than-ideal foods in small, controlled portions might still lose weight. But that doesn’t mean they're healthy. Weight loss does not equal wellness.

As trainers, it's our job to help clients find a sustainable, nutritious path that supports both physical goals and internal health.

What the Future Holds: 2050 Projections

If current trends continue, projections suggest that by 2050:

• Over 60% of U.S. adults will be obese (The Lancet, 2024)
• Nearly 45% of U.S. children aged 5 to 14 will be overweight or obese (The Lancet, 2024)
• More than 57% of today’s youth are projected to be obese by age 35 (PMC, 2025)

Globally, roughly one in three children and adolescents are expected to be overweight or obese by 2050, representing about 360 million youth (Parents.com, 2025).

These projections aren’t set in stone. They’re urgent warnings that demand action.

What Can Trainers Do?

This is where your influence becomes transformational. Here are some strategies to implement today:

• Educate holistically. Teach clients not just about calories and macros, but about food quality, emotional eating, and family habits
• Apply the In Go Out Go framework. Help clients understand calorie balance in a simple, non-restrictive way
• Promote nutrient-dense eating. Emphasize whole foods that fuel the body and mind
• Advocate for behavior change. Encourage sleep, stress reduction, hydration, and consistency over perfection
• Work with families. Kids mirror their parents' habits. Engage entire households when possible

Action Plan

Make sure you, and all IFPA Certified Instructors, are armed with the knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) we will all need to fight and WIN this critically important battle for the health of the World's Youth! The "IN GO-OUT GO" Principle will require you to offer safe and effective exercise programming for every child and the KSAs you need are in IFPA Youth Fitness Instructor (YFC) Certification courses offered by the IFPA. The YFC provides the Programming for the "OUT GO!" For the "IN GO," You will need the IFPA Sports Nutrition Certification courses to educate your clients on what is truly healthy eating. Upon completing these courses, go forth and conquer. Fulfill the IFPA Mission "To help every man, woman, and child to lead a healthier, happier, and longer life.

Final Thoughts

Let’s not overcomplicate the truth. If we continue down this path filled with sugar, sedentary living, and societal excuses, we’re going to lose more than waistlines. We’re going to lose health, productivity, energy, and in far too many cases, lives. As trainers, we cannot afford to be passive participants in this epidemic.

The good news? You don’t need a PhD or a lab coat to be part of the solution. You just need to care. You need to educate, model discipline, and offer real-world guidance rooted in proven principles. Remind your clients that the body doesn’t lie. Calories in versus calories out still matters. But so does nourishment, consistency, and accountability.

We have the tools. We have the science. What we need now is follow-through. Every conversation, every rep, every meal…it all counts. And if we stay the course, one client, one family, one community at a time, we can absolutely turn this around.

References

• _{^{Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024). Adult Obesity Facts. https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/adult-obesity-facts/index.html}}
• _{^{MAHA Report. (2025). The White House. https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/MAHA-Report-The-White-House.pdf}}
• _{^{Fox News. (2025). MAHA paints grim picture of U.S. childhood health. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rfk-jrs-highly-anticipated-maha-report-paints-dismal-state-child-health-national-security-concerns}}
• _{^{Haub, M. (2010). The Twinkie Diet. Kansas State University}}
• _{^{AP News. (2025). American kids have become increasingly unhealthy. https://apnews.com/article/d920bb5421bfdc2c83d4356986e9ade7}}
• _{^{The Lancet. (2024). Global burden of childhood and adult obesity. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2824%2901548-4/fulltext}}
• _{^{PMC. (2025). Risk of adult obesity from early childhood weight. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9036858/}}
• _{^{Parents.com. (2025). Childhood obesity projections to 2050. https://www.parents.com/a-third-of-children-will-be-overweight-by-2050-how-to-help-your-kids-without-body-shaming-11746616}}