Now more than ever parents and children need to be concerned about their weight. Child obesity has become a national epidemic of huge proportions and it is attacking families of every race, creed, and culture. There are many reasons why child obesity can be harmful for a child, and even the family that they are in.
One of the first steps in learning about how to deal with child obesity is to find out the underlying cause. Just about any problem is going to be harder to fix if you don't know what it is. Some children may have deep rooted emotional issues that begin the behaviors that cause obesity, others may have emotional problems because of it.
Another cause that is becoming more and more frequent is the actual lack of activity in a child's schedule. Multi-media video, music, and other forms of home entertainment have become the focus for many children. This has caused many of them to grow increasingly obese. Many parents are living such a hectic schedule themselves between working, household chores and bills that they can't seem to find the extra time to deal with the problem thinking that the obese child will "just grow out of it."
Unfortunately, kids are not growing out of it. The habits they are learning in their childhood are going along with them into adulthood, which is easily seen by the increase of obese young adults as well. Chronic health problems can start from the increased weight even in childhood. If a parent is ready to make a change for their child's future, they have learned some of what it takes to be a healthy child.
There are a few factors that a parent of an obese child needs to get educated about:
● Nutrition: Having a fast-paced schedule can lead to dinners out, fast food, and general snacking that can be downright unhealthy. But getting proper nutrition in a child does not have to be a time-consuming process. There are plenty of options that will appeal to a child. A couple aspects to include here are planning and preparing. By planning a shopping list and time to go, and then prepping the right snacks and meals, nutrition is easy to get going.
● Physical Activity: As a parent of an obese child, chances are that he/she is obese as well. By getting together as a family, kids, and parents can have fun while including important physical activity. Look for activities that each member of the family will be able to do and enjoy. For inspiration, think about some of the seasonal things available. Going swimming in summer can be just as fun as walking in winter looking at holiday lights. This is a great way to be creative.
● How to Stay Healthy: By learning the right habits for exercise and nutrition, and getting continued emotional and mental health support, obese children can lose the weight and keep it off. One of the most harmful aspects of losing weight is regaining it back quickly.
By creating a real lifestyle change, a child will be able to take their newly formed good habits into their adulthood. They will not only be able to apply it to themselves, but also to the children that they will have. Education is an important tool to breaking the obesity cycle and creating new ways for everyone to be healthy.
Copyright (c) 2008 John M Hook
Statistics On Child Obesity
Modern lifestyle has become a bane to children's health. Rather than playing outdoor sports, a lot of kids spend most of the day at home watching DVD movies or beating the highest score in the newest play station game. With both parents working full time, kids often have free rein over what they eat. To make up for the little time they spend with their kids on weekdays parents pander to their children's liking for junk food during weekend outings.
Poor eating habit is a major cause of obesity among children. A sedentary lifestyle compounds the problem. Kids are eating more high calories fast foods, spending more time in the front of the computer monitor and TV screen and less time on physical activities. This applies to kids all around the world.
What parents can do to prevent child obesity?
?Keep a close watch on your children's diet. Provide them with foods recommended in the food pyramid. Avoid empty calories ? sweets, sodas, fried foods, foods with thick gravy, etc. Encourage them to opt for steamed, boiled or grilled foods instead.
?Give your children lots of fresh fruits, vegetables, and wholegrains. For a treat give them fruit instead of candy. Serve water instead of sodas.
?Make exercise a family affair. Go cycling or swimming take walks in the park. Physical activity burns calories and improves overall health. If your child sees you enjoying healthy foods and physical activity, he is more likely to do the same now and for the rest of his life.
?Gradually change your family's physical activity and eating habits. Slowly introduce good food choices. Instead of removing all unhealthy foods, try reducing the portions first. If your kids feel deprived, they may crave for more.
?Establish regular eating times. Eat only at the dining table and not in front of the TV. Limit snacks.
?Reduce the amount of time you and your family spend in sedentary activities such as watching TV or playing video games.
?Help your overweight children maintain their current weight growing normally in height.
?Focus on your child's health and positive qualities, not your child's weight. Try not to make him feel different. Let him know he is loved and appreciated whatever his weight. Overweight children are probably more aware than anyone else that has a weight problem. They need support, acceptance and encouragement.
?If the child is morbidly obese, seek your doctor's advice. The child will require proper supervision for weight loss as well as diagnosis and management of associated diseases.
Both John M Hook & Nick Mutt are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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