Cara Kempf is a certified personal trainer with the Fitness Zone in Carmel and a group fitness instructor with NIFS in downtown Indianapolis. She can be contacted at fitnessblog@theindychannel.com.

"Kids these days" ... are getting bigger, and bigger, and bigger! Not only are adults in America increasingly obese, but now our children are becoming the same way. I read an article recently that said children should not be given as much juice anymore -- juice! Why? Because most juices have so much sugar, you might as well be giving them pop. So if juice is something that you need to watch out for, you can imagine what pop and fast food are doing to their bodies.

I get so angry when I see reality shows with immensely obese children, whose parents feed them whatever they want -- even if it is six hot dogs a day! And of course the parents excuse it because "they cry if they can't eat," or "they're growing boys/girls." Give me a break.

It gets worse. Let's take a look at the kinds of things that children now have to choose from at school. Gone are the days that schools serve fruits, veggies, and milk. Now kids can pick from pizza, pretzels, chips, candy, pop, milkshakes ... it's no wonder students are out of hand during school -- put all that sugar into your body and see what it does to you!

Not only is food a factor, however, but lack of exercise as well.

Computers, video games, and television sets now rule the world that used to revolve around playing outside and making up your own games for entertainment. Children are NOT getting adequate exercise. They will not only pay for it later in life, but they're paying for it now. Ask any obese child -- they'll tell you that more times than not, they are made fun of on a daily basis. And I'm sorry, but the parents are to blame. Although genetics may play a small factor in the makeup of a child, the only thing that will heavily increase their weight is calories and little or no exercise.

So come on parents, let's get on the ball. You are the parent, you make the rules! Make your children get out and exercise at least three or four times per week -- don't let them sit in front of the computer all day. PACK their lunch for school -- don't give them $5 a day for whatever they want.

Start early with your children. If they don't know that chips taste better than fruits and vegetables, they won't ask for them. Let's reset the standard so that we can have a positive impact on our children's futures!