5 simple changes you can make to prevent childhood obesity
This is a guest post by Jacque Miller, who is a nutritionist, human behavior specialist and a certified lifestyle educator. She passionately supports local and national issues regarding small business, education and health and wellness. She is an active member of the Blended Healthcare Consortium. Jacque has survived the deadly grip of cancer, even in the face of a terminal diagnosis. She shares her experience in her book, The Lopsided Gal, and travels nationally, teaching individuals and families the art of dealing with crisis and taking charge of their own health. More information can be obtained by visiting Healthystyle Choices.
It is common knowledge in the health industry that we are approaching the possibility that we might outlive our children. I can’t help but think that we have to bear the weight of the responsibility because of the choices we have made in how we feed our families. The fact that childhood obesity rates have tripled over the past two decades should give parents everywhere pause.
I feel making a better choices is a good place to start for most families. I know that is hard for most of us because it involves a behavioral or lifestyle change but the extra pounds that kids start with sets them on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol and higher risk of certain cancers later in life. Let’s take a look five possible causes that are easy to correct with little effort but the results can be life changing for us and our children.
- Overfeeding: Supersize me has become a natural option in our society that is killing us. We do not eat to live today we live to eat. We overeat at nearly every meal! Think about the size of our stomach and then look at the size of the plate we eat from that is mounded with food.
One solution: If you are going to eat out, order smaller portions or share meals. If you order a full order ask for a to go box when you order and split your meal into that box as soon as it is served and only eat the half left on your plate. Save the other for later. Eat from a smaller plate or bowl at home to help you cut down on portion size.
- Eating too fast: It takes about 20 minutes for our brains to get the message that we are full but we continue to eat at a pace that doesn’t allow us to stop eating until we are ‘stuffed’.
One solution: Put your fork down between bites, chew your food 30 times before you take another bite, you have probably heard your grandmother say that but it works. Eat 5-6 smaller nutritious meals a day instead of 3 major meals.
- Providing high calorie beverages to satisfy thirst; using food to solve problems, relieve stress, or as a reward: Eating in this country is a social function instead of a physical requirement.
One solution: Water or some other nutritious drink is a better option than high calorie soda that we automatically think of when we are thirsty. The term Comfort food has taken on a new meaning to our health as it always involves high calorie, nutrient deprived choices. A better reliever of stress is exercise yet we chose the cookie jar. When we teach our children that they can have an ice cream if they finish their homework it is setting them up for thinking that food is a reward whenever they do well.
- Not providing enough opportunities for exercise: unfortunately if the kids don’t see us making exercise a priority in our lives than why should they think it is important for them either.
One solution: Find something the family can do together even if it is a walk each evening. Many community centers offer family play options and there are innovative Gyms/clubs out there that are starting to offer family plans as opportunities for families to exercise together.
- Personal behavior and dietary habits: we are often too lazy to attempt changing our behavior even when we know it is better for us. Time is the big excuse I hear from a lot of my clients. I don’t buy it! In the time it takes to load the family up, decide where you want to go and who wants to go to which fast food joint, go through the drive through and come home you can prepare a healthy meal and have more quality time together.
One solution: Learn to do bulk cooking so time is not an issue when preparing a healthy meal for the family. Take a cooking class or work with a nutritionist to help set up a healthier pantry and kitchen so that it isn’t ‘a chore’ to prepare meals. Make fixing a meal a family affair and learning experience for the entire family.
Understanding the causes of childhood obesity and the ways in which it can be treated will help you help your child feel better about themselves and their future health. In my practice the results when working with obese children are always much better when the adults buy into the program and join the obese child or family member in the lifestyle changes that we teach.
Some food for thought:
- Teens whose parents drink soda every day are nearly 40 percent more likely to drink soda every day themselves than teens whose parents do not drink soda.
- Teens whose parents eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily are 16 percent more likely to do the same than teens whose parents do not eat five servings a day.
- Nearly half of adolescents (48 percent) whose parents drink soda every day eat fast food at least once a day, while only 39 percent of teens whose parents do not drink soda eat fast food at least once daily.
- 45 percent of teens whose parents do not eat five servings of fruits and vegetables daily eat fast food at least once a day, while only 39 percent of teens whose parents eat five servings a day eat fast food at least once daily.
Childhood obesity is real. Let us do all we can to make sure our children grow up healthy without the burden of extra weight.
Photo Source: stopmango on Flickr
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