Preventing Obesity in Children Obesity in America is on the rise. Many adults struggle with being overweight and our increasingly sentient lifestyles are beginning to affect the health and activity levels of our children. As our kids spend more time in front of the television and with their gaming systems, they become less active. While these activities of themselves are not incredibly harmful in moderation, they can be destructive to your child’s health if they become the sole pursuits of their free time. So then, what can us, as parents do to recognize unhealthy patterns and give our children the opportunity to develop the habits that lead to them growing into healthy, active adults? To begin with, the changes must start with us. Then we must give our kids the opportunity to make healthy choices on their own, teaching them the patterns they need to know to continue making those decisions for a lifetime.
Knowing is Half the Battle If you are worried about your child’s weight do not immediately set them up on a strict diet. For starters, that is incredibly unhealthy for children, and you may be doing more harm because your child may not actually be overweight. Take some time to learn about what the general health guidelines are for children. Give them appropriate serving sizes and feed them healthy, nutritious food, but don’t restrict what they can eat. Have a conversation with your child’s doctor if you are very concerned. Remember that many children carry their baby weight well into their older childhood years, and some children put on weight right before a growth spurt. While an adult may be able to do a fad diet or get weight loss surgery in Mexico, a child’s body is growing and changing, so making drastic changes can be incredibly harmful to their ability to grow.
Create Habits, Don’t Force Change As you work to understand what ‘healthy’ is for your child, begin to introduce them to activities that get them up and moving. Pay attention to which ones they enjoy and encourage them in those pursuits. If needed, put a limit on the amount of sentient entertainment they pursue. Get them out in the sun and participating in sports, or games, or just the simple pleasures of biking or swimming. Join your children as you encourage them to be more active. Let your children choose what activities you do with them, and help them learn that being active is fun. Once they reach the appropriate age, encourage them to participate in organized sports or find some kind of active physical pursuit they can do on a daily basis.
Also, let your children learn to make healthy dietary choices. Teach them what foods will give them the energy they need to be active. As you incorporate these foods into their diet, allow them to make their own choices, picking foods they like to eat from the selection of foods that are healthy. As you work with your child to help them develop healthier habits, you will find that your health and fitness level will be improving right along with your child. Soon, your entire family will be able to enjoy being active together, and you will be more inclined to go on a bike ride than sit and watch a movie.