We live in a time when childhood obesity is reaching epic proportions, as are the typical portions of food served to our nation’s youth, much to their naive delight. The old adage still holds true: ignorance is bliss, but it’s time our kids educated themselves on the relationship between lifestyle and health!
Instead of second-guessing and hesitating about the seriousness of the problem, practical methods for teaching children how to recognize and, in turn, avoid negative social influences, while teaching how and why to drink, are long overdue. better lifestyle decisions. Given all the negative stimuli our children encounter every day, sometimes hour after hour, of course they will make poor decisions. Simply put, they are pushovers and society is setting them up for failure.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reporting that more than 20 percent of American children are overweight or obese, now more than ever we need to help our children recognize the overwhelming number of cultural influences outside of your span of control that impact your decision. making and lessening the emotional burden carried by children who have internalized responsibility for their weight problem. Instead of harboring guilt or displaced guilt, our nation’s children would benefit greatly from refocusing their emotional and physical energy to effect positive and healthy changes in their lives.
All of this sounds good in theory, but instead of guesswork, we need action…mainly from parents, who are the real foot soldiers in our children’s Battle of the Bulge. And, it is NOT rocket science. For starters, parents need to teach their children the vernacular of healthy living, so they understand exactly why they’re being asked to do things related to their health so they can make the right connections. Children should know that it is important to drink milk because it contains calcium that will strengthen their bones, or to eat protein because it will help them build muscle strength. They should know that their parents go to the gym to exercise or go for a walk because exercise helps keep their hearts healthy.
Parents, teachers, and other caregivers of adolescents need to TALK about the health risks of chronic overweight and obesity, including age-appropriate concepts related to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes. Parents should point out TV commercials, billboards, and other advertisements that try to influence their children to make a bad decision and discuss what a healthy alternative would be. While out and about, parents need to show children exactly how treats are strategically placed just about anywhere they go, and how to read nutrition facts on food labels so they don’t fall victim to false health claims or misleading.
Parents should teach children how to eat “proper” portions of food, even when the restaurant serves entrees that could feed a family of four, they should stock their home with nutritious snacks and other foods so their children can make the right choices , and should limit the amount of time your child can spend in front of the television, computer, and/or video game system. Parents should teach their children to use the stairs even if there is an elevator nearby. This is the tip of the iceberg…there are many practical ways we can teach our children to make the right decisions in life.
The bottom line is simple: childhood obesity not only poses a danger to the future health of our children, but to our nation as a whole. As such, it is our collective responsibility to help children navigate the ever-present cultural landmines.