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.

Houston, we have a problem….

Apollo 13 Captain Jim Lovell uttered these words in 1970. Due to a major electrical malfunction in the lunar module, Lovell and his crew had to abort their mission to the moon and figure out a way to return safely to earth. To accomplish this, they had to do a lot more than merely report the problem; they had to identify what it was. Let’s face it: until you get the problem right, it doesn't matter how brilliant the solution is.

Earth, we have a problem.

That's right, Earth. This problem isn't confined to USA. It affects people all over the world. And the problem we’re talking about is not childhood obesity, which is what we seem to insist on calling it. By defining it as childhood obesity, we have come up with appropriate but ineffective solutions like diet, exercise, and fat camps (yes, they really call them that!). In medicine, we call this identifying the symptoms. For example, when we get a cold, it is common to have a stuffy head, runny nose, and cough. These are not the cold; they are symptoms of the cold.

The old model of personal training is losing relevance when viewed against the bigger picture of how society is changing. At one time, the public just needed trainers to show them how to exercise and explain basic principles of nutrition. These “personal” trainers focused on the individual with respect to more external goals – usually related to weight loss or muscle gain.