Fight Childhood Obesity at Home

In the past few decades, we have seen an unsettling trend with childhood obesity more than tripling in the past 30 years . Childhood obesity is defined when a child is well above the normal weight for his or her age and height . It’s a particularly troubling issue, because the extra pounds often start children on the path to health problems that were once confined to adults, such as diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

Being overweight during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes as a youth . Recognition and prevention is key for children, especially for ones that are predisposed genetically to obesity. Simple things can be done now to start changing some of the less healthy habits children have already begun forming. Here are a few quick tips on how to start changing your child’s way of life:
• Choose water as your child’s main source of hydration.
• Limit electronics time: If you begin setting a time limit on your child’s use of the TV, computer, video games, etc…and encourage outside fun, they will begin to discover some of the more traditional ways of playing
• Make fitness a family activity: Start taking nature walks together or bike rides. Children are easily influenced, and the changes begin with your initiative
• Avoid fast food restaurants or make a stern policy of only choosing healthy menu items.
• Emphasize the positive: Encourage a healthy lifestyle by highlighting the positive points—the fun of playing outside, the benefits of eating healthy fruits/vegetables, and promote the advantage of physical activity apart from helping to manage weight, for example, it makes the heart, lungs and other muscles stronger

Becoming active is an important lifestyle change for your child to make, but your child is more likely to stick to those changes if you lead by example in making healthier, more active lifestyle choices yourself. Let your child choose what physical activities he or she is comfortable with or wants to do. The changes and habits formed now can greatly change the way your child will develop into adolescence and later on, adulthood. Be proactive and start making changes today.

1 National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
2 Mayo Clinic
3 U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

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