Child Obesity Prevention

Childhood Obesity

Obesity prevention is an issue which each parents needs to address

As per the recent report, 34% of people in the U.S. are overweight, with an additional 33% considered obese! This shows that just a third of us are of ‘normal’ weight. These statics not only includes people of all ages but kids as well. No doubts about everyone seems to be on a perpetual diet, with dozens of best selling books on weight loss programs and entire corporations dedicated to weight loss products and programs. For the sake of their kids heath parents need to formulate a child obesity prevention program, beginning in grade school.

A few decades back, you never saw a child who looked overweight. In fact, kids were most often considered scrawny, until they were well into their teens and started filling out and gaining weight. Today, children who are scrawny are few and far between. Now Type 2 diabetes is been diagnosed in the kids of grade school. Type 2 diabetes used to be a condition which didn’t develop until at least middle age. A risk factor for a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes is being overweight and along with a host of other health conditions, including heart disease.

It is easy to figure out why a child obesity prevention program is necessary. What has caused this epidemic of overweight and obese kids? If you want some clear answers for this then just have a brief look back in recent history and American eating patters.

There were few overweight people because during great depression, people had a hard time putting sufficient food on the table as of that he kids were thin, as a rule and remained so into their adult years. The kids of next generation were growing taller and were being nourished in a better way but still did not develop weight problem at an early age. The unprocessed foods which did not contain excessive amounts of salt and sugar, hormones, antibiotics and food additives, is been called as ‘whole’ food by us and which is served everyday.

These problems simply did not exist. The term ‘couch potato’ had not yet been coined and people would have thought you were crazy had you mentioned the need for child obesity prevention. There is daily exercise for kids both in school through P.E. Classes and school yard recess, and the begged parents go to play ground or go to ride their bike. As it is the case for today that prefer Fast food, processed foods and junk food but it does not constitute the majority of kid’s diets. Soda, candy and chips were considered occasional treats.

If you want to make the most effective child obesity prevention program then just start the general eating habits and exercising habits of the post World War II era. Sure, you’ll have a hard time prying the kids away from several hours of web surfing and television watching and instead insist that they get out to ride bikes, play a game of basketball, soccer, volleyball or baseball for just an hour each day – anything that keeps them active and moving.

Not even a single kid wants to be overweight or obese. For that you have to help them by forcing them initially to comply with your child obesity prevention program, once they break their old habits, they’ll feel and see the positive effects. They may even start enjoying their new habits. One thing is for certain. For the sake of our kid’s health, both now and through adulthood, we must address this epidemic of overweight and obese kids now.

 

Related posts:

1. Child obesity prevention is the need of the hour!
2. A three step treatment of obesity that works
3. 3 Reasons Why Obesity Is… A Disease?
4. Healthy Eating for Kids
5. Diet for Kids – Guidelines for a Healthy Diet

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