Shaq's Big Challenge

There is a new television show out and I am very much interested in it. Why? Because it has to do with health and wellness and about childhood obesity. The name of this show is Shaq's Big Challenge and yes it was founded by Shaquille O'neil the basketball star. Shaq is on the mission of helping getting the word out about childhood obesity and its rising numbers and health concern. And he is starting out with these 6 children. All of them attends middle school in Broward County, Fl. For the next 6 months these kids are going to be trained by a team of experts that Shaq rounded up and their goal is to change these kids lives and set them on a new and healthier path.

I like this show because I feel that it will show people how serious this epidemic is becoming. I have to say that alot of adults who are overweight didn't get there in their adulthoods but it may have started looooong before when they were younger from many years of bad eating habits and lack of physical activities. I myself was always big for my age. I was not "overweight" until I was about 15/16 but I was still on the plus size. I can remember having low self-confidence and even comforting myself with food at times when I was younger. People, especially adults will make comments about my weight which made me feel bad because to me I wasn't that big.

There were a couple of these children you can tell who were not very content with their weight and the fact that they were teased about it also. Just looking at their faces and body language you can see the lack of confidence in theirselves and the sorrows that they felt. Some of these parents were taking the blame for their childrens weight. I personally feel that the parents do have a responsibility in helping their childrens to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. I really don't care if the child throws a fit or a tantrum because you don't let them eat junk food or all the fast food they want because it taste good and that's all they want to eat. Since you're the parent, and you're the one with the money and do the shopping... you kind of have a say as to what you allow to be sitting in the pantry and in the refrigerator (at least that is what I think).

Introduction to the participants of Shaq's Big Challenge

Starting from left to right we have:

Walter, age 14, weighs 285 lbs. at the start of the show.
Walter, who spends almost five hours a day playing video games, dreams of creating his own video games someday. He admits he has "not been very active" but promises he will stick with the program until the end. Walter's favorite food is a pizza burrito.

Chris, age 11, weighs 206 lbs. at the start of the show.
Chris plays on a baseball team and dreams of becoming a professional ball player one day. He loves big family dinners featuring his mother's homemade Cuban dishes. As his father says, in the Cuban culture, "if you are thin you aren't doing well."

James, age 11, weighs 182 lbs. at the start of the show.
James doesn't think he is overweight, but admits to loving fast food. His favorite meal is a "fryburger" — a hamburger with French fries on top, which he calls "flamingly delicious."

Kit, age 14, weighs 263 lbs. at the start of the show.
Kit is a talented artist and has been a bit sheltered by her parents. While she has never been able to do a push-up in her life, Kit is always the first to offer encouragement and friendship to the other kids in the program.

Kevin, age 13, weighs 230 lbs. at the start of the show.
Kevin is very close to his father, who is his biggest motivator. He is very competitive and thrives in a team environment. Kevin was able to do six push-ups at the beginning of the program, more than any of the other kids.

Ariel, age 14, weighs 211 lbs. at the start of the show.
Ariel is very optimistic about her decision to lose weight, and is excited to have the opportunity to be a part of the program. Like many of us, Ariel is a "comfort eater" in times of stress.

I will be updating and commenting about this show through-out the season. I am looking forward to watching these children transform their lives and their families as well. And I pray that it sends out a significant message to the families out there who are dealing with this problem in their own household. I hope America and the government choose to do something about it before it's too late.

To watch Shaq's Big Challenge online Click Here!