Is Your Child On The Road to Obesity? 4 Mistakes You Can Fix Now

Everywhere you look, you’ll see the signs of an obesity epidemic in the United States. Adults struggling with their weight, levering themselves into and out of cars. Many so morbidly obese that they’ll circle a parking lot four or five times before parking rather than be forced to walk an extra hundred feet.

In all honesty, we can not totally place the blame for this on the individuals themselves. Several studies have shown that for a number of people, their chemical and genetic makeup aide in their body’s ability to process certain fats. Sure being 100 plus pounds over weight might have been good in the Ice Age but today this is simply not the case.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in looking at childhood obesity and nutrition. Nutritionists estimate that for every point of body mass index a child is overweight by before puberty, the adult that child will grow into will be three points overweight by the time they’re thirty. Type II diabetes, where body stress from overeating builds up resistance to insulin, is becoming more prevalent in teenagers.

At the ages of 12 – 16 is when most young girls and boys are self conscious about their bodies. Even “normal looking” kids get teased. If we allow our children to continue down a slippery slope toward obesity, we are setting them up for a very difficult childhood. Parents must be told that healthy eating habits and not Slimfast diet shakes or Medifast meals are the key to weight loss and a nutritious lifestyle.

Fortunately, this can be prevented. And it can be prevented easily and early on, and the solution is surprisingly retro:

Look back at your younger days and remember what you did as a kid before the electronic babysitters came on the scene. If you recall this time in your life, you will more than likely remember going to the park with friends, playing kick ball or soccer.

When you were thirsty, mostly you grabbed milk, sometimes orange juice, not sodas. Cookies were a treat, not a staple of your diet. Snacks were things like apple wedges or an orange, maybe some peeled carrots.

While the fast food outlets might not want you to know this, many parents are successfully teaching their kids to make healthy eating decisions. Today however, water too many of our youth is like the library, they’ve heard about it but never fully experienced it. Listen up parents. Sodas, juices or energy drinks are not a substitute for water. When properly hydrated, hunger pangs were shown to decrease significantly compared to those individuals who consumed no water.

As for snacks, limit their intake of high sugar and high fattening foods and increase their consumption of fruits and vegetables. This may not be as hard as you think. Consider this, if you kids are not of driving age and do not have a job, the only reason they are eating the way they are is because you as the parent purchase the unhealthy food in your kitchen. Trust me, if you don’t buy it, they will immediately decrease their over consumption. Oh yeah, they’ll complain however it is up to you to be the parent.

Staying physically active is an absolute necessity. Children are usually mirror images of their parents. If you as a parent live a sedentary life, the chances of your child duplicating your example are very high. If you have little league teams in your town, encourage your children to participate. Not all kids are athletic but all kids need to be active. In addition, set aside at least one day in the week where the entire family is physically active together. It could be a walk in the park or playing tag in the backyard.

Have you ever heard the acronym “WYSIWYG”? It stands for “What You See Is What You Get”. Well, that is the reality your children are faced with on a daily basis. They will never raise their standards of healthy living beyond that of your own. If you are serious about having an impact on their lives, ask yourself this question, what can I do today that will demonstrate to my family that I am committed to living a long and fruitful life.

Tagged with: Weight Loss Articles

Filed under: WEIGHT LOSS ARTICLES

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!