- Thu Sep 08, 2011 1:26 pm
#17117
Childhood obesity is a growing problem in western countries. There are many causes--one being that we no longer feel safe letting children roam around playing outside all day the way they used to decades ago. Another cause is the same reason many adults are getting fatter--we have fewer physical chores to do than we used to. When kids were expected to help out with chores, including some that were far more physical than before we had machines to do our work around the house, kids got more exercise. Another reason is schools cutting out physical education in order to make shorter school days and in order to appear as though they are focusing on "important" subjects.
The causes of childhood obesity are numerous, and need to be addressed by entire societies. Some parents have to work long hours, and don't have enough time to take children for long bike rides every day. Some families don't have enough money to put their children in organized sports. Still, they don't have to sit around wondering "why is my child obese?" because there is plenty that parents can do to prevent childhood obesity and set their children up for a lifetime of healthy habits.
Preventing Childhood Obesity
Preventing childhood obesity requires effort. It's more work to chop up some healthy vegetables for your child to snack on than it is to rip open the package of a pre-made snack loaded with sugar and preservatives. And although it is usually cheaper to shop the produce aisle than the packaged aisles, it is far more work to create your own meals from scratch, with healthy fruits and vegetables, than it is to take something out of the box and pop it in the oven. An effort to collect healthy recipes and ingredients in order to serve healthy meals is a must. Healthy food does taste good if it is prepared well!
If you don't have time for special trips to the park, try walking to places with your child rather than driving or taking the bus. You might be surprised at how far a toddler can walk, even though it will slow you down. And five and six year olds have a lot of energy to burn, so try walking to get to their friends' houses. Although it isn't always possible or practical to walk, try it whenever you can.
It's up to our generation to teach children how to live healthy lives, and exercise and good nutrition when they are young will stay with them their entire lives.
The causes of childhood obesity are numerous, and need to be addressed by entire societies. Some parents have to work long hours, and don't have enough time to take children for long bike rides every day. Some families don't have enough money to put their children in organized sports. Still, they don't have to sit around wondering "why is my child obese?" because there is plenty that parents can do to prevent childhood obesity and set their children up for a lifetime of healthy habits.
Preventing Childhood Obesity
Preventing childhood obesity requires effort. It's more work to chop up some healthy vegetables for your child to snack on than it is to rip open the package of a pre-made snack loaded with sugar and preservatives. And although it is usually cheaper to shop the produce aisle than the packaged aisles, it is far more work to create your own meals from scratch, with healthy fruits and vegetables, than it is to take something out of the box and pop it in the oven. An effort to collect healthy recipes and ingredients in order to serve healthy meals is a must. Healthy food does taste good if it is prepared well!
If you don't have time for special trips to the park, try walking to places with your child rather than driving or taking the bus. You might be surprised at how far a toddler can walk, even though it will slow you down. And five and six year olds have a lot of energy to burn, so try walking to get to their friends' houses. Although it isn't always possible or practical to walk, try it whenever you can.
It's up to our generation to teach children how to live healthy lives, and exercise and good nutrition when they are young will stay with them their entire lives.