Childhood Obesity

Childhood Obesity Facts and Tips
by Ruff Raun

Researchers claim that childhood obesity has risen dramatically, with 1 in 5 kids today being either overweight or obese.

Unfortunately, a lot of these overweight kids are victims of a lack of balanced home prepared meals due to the busy lifestyles of parents, whom are probably not eating wisely themselves.

With the convenience of a fast food restaurant offering quick hunger fixes for a relatively small amount of money, it encourages kids and adults alike, to keep returning for their favorite Super Size meal and motivates the franchises to be more interested in steady profits rather then healthy nutritional fast food.

The poor are really in the grips of fast food eating, since you can fill up on belly, butt and thigh busting foods for under $5.00.

Becoming overweight or obese is a symptom of inactivity and poor eating habits and if not prevented, the child will grow up with all of the health, employment and social issues associated with obesity, so it is important that parents take steps now before the kids need to start dieting.

The chances of kids growing up with good eating habits and embracing exercise and physical activity as a way of life are not too good if the parents aren’t setting a good example with better eating and lifestyle choices themselves.

Obesity wasn’t an issue in past generations, if a child wasn’t helping with the many chores that needed to be done, they were out on the street or on the ball field playing fun cardiovascular, stamina type sports and games, but today most children find television and computer games a way of life.

50% of American families today don’t have a sit down meal together, allowing kids to make their own food choices, or they are given an allowance for a pizza or you guessed it fast food. Kids that have a parent at home have a better chance at the rewards of balanced meals.

Schools are at last playing an important role in offsetting the childhood obesity epidemic by providing students with more nutritional food choices. Results of the 2006 School Health Policies and Programs Study (SHPPS), released 10/19/07, reveals that schools are offering more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains and low fat dairy, and less high fat foods.

What the schools are providing now can give the parents some suggestions as what to offer at home with more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains and less high fat foods such as deep fried potatoes. Also, an average of about 85% of schools teach nutrition education.

Some Tips: Parents need to try and prepare more healthy food for the kids and themselves, such as cold whole grain cereals or hot oatmeal to start the day and fill up on lower calorie foods – salads for example with fruit for dessert. Prepare meals for the week on the weekend so when the kids reach for something to eat it will be of nutritional value, and don’t leave out protein. Cut way back on the five C’s, candy, cookies, cakes, cola and chips, unless they are made of whole grain products.

Kids are no different than adults when it comes to the biology of obesity, they need to cut more calories throughout the day than they take in. In order to maintain a healthy weight, get the kids involved in sports if possible, but if not try to get the kids in the habit of starting the day with some stretching and calisthenic type exercises, and if they can’t pry themselves away from the tube or computer, make them do ten minutes of chores or some exercises for ten minutes for every hour they sit.

It is the responsibility of the parents and school administrators to guide the kids towards healthy choices and enlighten them to the benefits of exercise and avoiding bad food choices so they can avoid being victims of obesity related diseases that include diabetes, heart disease, cancer and premature death.

Some Studies: Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. One study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10-15 years were obese adults at age 25. [Source: Centers for Disease Control (CDC)]

Another study shows that a child’s weight may be influenced by the mother even before the child is actually born, and is more likely to become overweight at a very young age – 2 or 3 years old – if the mother was overweight or obese before she became pregnant. [Source: National Institutes of Health (NIH)]

Conclusion: Before and after pregnancy the same formula applies; everyday physical activity + balanced diet = good health.

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