Have you heard that there is an obesity "crisis" in our part of the world? Have you looked around at all? Have you looked in the mirror lately? Please do not do so with the eyes of judgment but rather with the eyes of compassion.
Obesity is not just about body mass index, diet, exercise, or nutrition awareness. Nor is it about an ever-growing bunch of overindulged, spoiled, fat and lazy individuals.

Obesity is about self-esteem, self-empowerment, self-worth and self-love, or better put—the lack thereof. Only when an individual is empowered from within will he, or she, make life-long decisions for the betterment of both physical and mental health.

I was an overweight child who became a diet-crazed teen that lost and gained 20 to 40 pounds almost every year in a futile attempt to look and feel better. That mentality and self-destructive pattern stayed with me most of my adult life which greatly impacted my body's natural metabolism.

Eventually, I was clinically labeled, "morbidly obese," thus, proving that diets alone don't address the core issue.

Ultimately, I was forced to take a long look in the mirror and an even longer look at my soul. I have now walked this journey of self-discovery and self-love for more than 40 years, and I am still learning.

Our current statistics show that one third of our youth population is considered overweight—75 percent of those youth will grow up to be overweight or obese adults.

As a whole, youth only account for 26 percent of the total population—but they are 100 percent of the future!

For overweight kids in pain, I have created the Lean Teen Self-Esteem program.

It is a FREE program for all the kids eating to fill a hole, eating to stuff a void, eating to comfort aches, eating in a trance, eating out of revenge, eating in frustration, eating in anger, and for those young people who haven't a clue as to why they are overeating and why they are unfulfilled.

Lean Teen Self-Esteem is designed to awaken teens from the slumber of hunger for the self; it is self-empowerment, self-reflection, self-awareness and self-acceptance. Only then can there be positive changes made in current behaviors.

I am taking my pain and turning it into my passion and purpose; and I intend to help thousands of young people on this personal mission. The number of obese youth has been rising for almost 15 years now. This indicates to me that the core issues are not being fully addressed. An overweight person will not be motivated by simply offering them a diet and exercise plan—you must first touch their heart and allow them to know that they were born valuable. You must give these children a voice, a place to express this voice, and a place to be loved—this is the goal of the Lean Teen Self-Esteem program.

Please feel free to contact me with any joint venture ideas. If you have a passion for teens, a product for teens, or see obesity for what it truly is—then I would love to hear from you.

Advisory Board Members for Lean Teen Self-Esteem

These caring and concerned individuals and professionals have volunteered their time and offer their experience and expertise to this non-profit program for the betterment of our next generation. I gratefully acknowledge and appreciate:

Dr. Carole Liebermann: "If we fill ourselves up with the comfort of self-love, we will not need to resort to comfort foods. And if we take sips of tea, we'll feel warm inside." Dr. Lieberman is the psychiatrist the world turns to for help coping with terrorism, relationships, fear of flying and all of the other challenges we face in the 21st century. http://www.drcarole.com

Reverend Duchess Dale: is an author, teacher, speaker and compassion advocate for all sentient beings. Reverend Dale is currently serving as the Spiritual Director for the Chico New Thought Center for Spiritual Living in Chico, California and is an ordained minister of Religious Science. She is currently working on the follow-up to her recent book, "How May I Love You Today?" She is a frequent contributor to the InnerVisions magazine for the Agape International Center of Truth, as well as to her blog site: http://breathspace.blogspot.com

Dr. Karen Paquette: is "The Go Doctor," A Naturopathic Doctor, Physical Therapist and Professor turned Author, Speaker, and Wellness Coach, www.TheGoDoctor.com, is tackling the obesity epidemic head on by helping people identify and remove obstacles to the healthier, sexier version of themselves.

Tami Walsh, M.A.: is the President of Teen Wisdom Inc. a San Diego based teen and parent empowerment life coaching company, committed to raising the self-esteem of teen girls. Their mission is to empower 2 million teen girls by 2012 and train 1,000 women to become Teen Wisdom™ Certified Life Coaches. http://www.TeenWisdom.com

Justin Sachs: is a best-selling author of The Power of Persistence and Your Mailbox Is Full. Justin works with the world's top entrepreneurs, corporate executives, coaches, and speakers in creating breakthrough results in their businesses and throughout their lives. Justin has been featured in media outlets throughout the world, and his radio show has changed thousands of lives. Justin is also the founder of the Peak Performance Lifestyles Foundation which serves youth with leadership principles and a means to contribute back to the world.

Dr. Roy Robinson: is a Medical Physician, Surgeon, and a Board Qualified Chiropractor Orthopedist located in San Diego. He has been teaching and promoting nutrition for more than 25 years. With his years of knowledge and experience, he has been helping numerous individuals to reduce weight and live a healthy lifestyle.

Dr. Christine (Ito) Wood: is a practicing Pediatrician and Certified Lactation educator in San Diego with interests in healthy nutrition for children, and the environmental and nutritional impact on health and disease. She is a compelling voice on this subject. She is also the author of How to Get Kids to Eat Great & Love It!

Ron L. Berry: is a Corporate Accountant, Clinical Hypno-Therapist, Public Speaker, and Author. Ron's joy in life is breaking people OUT of Mental and Spiritual Prisons. He helps people find their light—their love—their joy—and the power that they have inside of themselves.