Childhood Obesity is a major factor contributing to the poor health of many children in Western society. Rates of severe childhood obesity have been seen to triple in the last quarter of a century, this puts many children at risk when it comes to both diabetes and heart disease either in their youth or leading to these conditions in later life.
Children eat even more when they are bored. It is very easy for them to be watching television or perhaps reading a book, whilst at the same time chewing on doughnuts or other "danger" foods. Many boys are apt to sit playing computer games and at the same time eat - thereby compounding the situation; they are getting little exercise in front of their computer screen and at the same time filling up on carbs!
Parents can often fall into the trap of rewarding their children with food. A trip to the diner or other fastfood outlet can all to easily become the norm for the child who has completed something well. A friend of mine pleases her young son by taking him to the aquarium, though the trip to the fire station really hit all the right notes with her son! There are many other ways of rewarding children for their efforts - maybe a trip to a game, a new t-shirt or maybe some "can't do without" fashion accessory. Steer your children away from the food reward - think outside the lunch box!
Children who are overweight are just storing up health problems for the future. Looking after your kids health now is going to pay dividends in the future. Any child who is overweight has up to an 80 percent chance of being overweight in later life
Your kids health need not be your only concern if you have a family. By getting the whole family on board with a healthy eating programme everybody benefits. The rest of the family get to eat healthily, and the kids do too. Then they do not feel like they are being singled out or punished. What could be worse than sitting at the dining table facing a pile of salad while the rest of the family chow down on pizza and fries?
But do not try to make any changes in diet too quickly. You will have much less resistance if you make the changeover gradually. My sister found this with her young son. By slowly increasing the "good" foods on his plate and replacing the "bad" foods, he hardly noticed the change. Also he did not suffer any withdrawal symptoms either perceived or otherwise.
Above all encourage your child - use the carrot (literally) not the stick. Get them to choose the healthy option when shopping at the supermarket. Involve them in preparing some meals - any kid who has spent time and energy producing something for the table is sure to want to impress dad - and he will show dad just how good it is by eating lots of it!
School lunches can sometimes be a difficult issue - check out your child's school first - take time to visit their canteen and see what is on offer. If you are not happy with it, inquire as to the school policy on pupils taking packed lunches. Packed lunches give you much more control over what your child eats. They may not eat it all, but it is there for them and when they get hungry they will start attacking it. Watch out for bars and drinks marketed towards children. The packs may look great but often a piece of fruit and fresh orange is far better for your kids health and diet.
Peter Noakes - just someone interested in his own kid's health and eating habits to take time to let others in on a few thoughts of how to make a difference before it s too laet.
