Some Tips on Making Sure Your Kids Do Not Become Part of Childhood Obesity Statistics?
Childhood obesity statistics are growing at such a rapid rate that some experts predict that by 2020 50% of adults in America will be obese, and the rest of the world will not be far behind. Here are some simple but effective steps to make sure your children do not become part of the obesity statistics.
Get them away from entertainment that involves no movement at all. Examples are watching TV for extended periods of time, playing computer games or spending time in front of the computer.
Make them walk or ride a bike. I remember walking about ten kilometers to visit my girl friend, but today my kids would scoff at the suggestion that they do the same. We take our kids everywhere in the car, and by simply taking that away as an option for everything but essential travel, we will soon see our kids walking or cycling around the neighborhood again.
Watch what they eat. It is shocking that in spite of all the media coverage about obesity, school cafeterias still sell the worst of the worst in junk food. This should be made a crime against humanity – surely our educators should know better.
Watch what they drink. Somewhere along the line we stopped our kids from drinking water and now they “need” energy drinks just to play a simple game of tennis or soccer or whatever. Even water now has to be flavored for our kids to like it, and we even have “Vitamin Water”! It remains true that plain water is just what our bodies need, and we can survive, no thrive, on your everyday tap water which contains more nutrients your body can use than any “doctored” water.
Lights, camera, action! OK, forget the lights and the camera, but make sure you get the action. Any child that does not have a major disability is capable of some kind of sport or activity – dancing, walking, running, gymnastics, fishing, hiking, and on and on we go. The most embarrassing thing is that disabled children seem to try harder than the rest of us, because they know what they have lost and they so badly want what we just take for granted.
Eliminate unnecessary snacking. Teach your kids early on to eat six small meals a day, and the best way of doing this is by following this advice yourself. It speeds up the metabolism and keeps hunger at bay. How often do your children want to snack just before dinner is ready? They smell food cooking and suddenly they have to eat right now! Fruit is healthy, and it is a good source of natural energy, but too much fruit is just as bad as too much of everything else.
At the end of the day if you want your children not to become part of childhood obesity statistics, it is up to you as the parent to lead by way of example. Set your goals, change your lifestyle and the kids will follow your lead. Too often I see parents following the child’s lead by giving in to the fast food temptation. We are just as susceptible to the addiction of sugar-loaded fast food, and our kids provide the handy excuse as to why we need to indulge. Take control of your own life and your kids will follow suit, and they will thank you for sparing them from the obesity epidemic as adults.
