Weight Watchers is coming under fire some "twittidiots" because they're now marketing to teens by offering them free memberships to help them develop healthy eating habits. As someone who was overweight as a teen and forced to endure the insults and low self esteem of being fat, I wish someone had taught me to eat right at that age. My boys are 11 and my wife and I are making sure they do.

In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled among adolescents. In fact, the percent of adolescents aged 12-19 who were obese increased from 5% in 1980 to nearly 21% in 2012. It's about time someone addressed it in a positive way.

The National Eating Disorders Association said in a statement that they're "very concerned" about Weight Watchers teen marketing because 35% of "normal" dieters can develop eating disorders. Isn't it better to teach them a well researched proven diet method that they can see results with than to have them try to lose weight by harming themselves with laxatives and other unsafe methods?

Among the biggest problem of adolescent obesity are bullying and body issues. The best cure for both is building your self confidence through diet and exercise. Once I started dieting I lost 60 pounds and grew 4 inches. I was not the same person on the outside but still remember what it was like on the inside. Based on those memories, I say if Weight Watchers can get the weight off teens in a safe way and teach them healthy eating habits that they can keep for the rest of their lives, more power to them!

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