Battling Childhood Obesity
Obesity is a major problem in many places including the USA. Until recent times however it was a condition that mainly affected older people, certainly not children. Today childhood obesity is a serious problem in many parts of the world. In the United States, one out of seven children is obese. Not just chubby, fat, or chunky, but medically obese. That is a staggering statistic! What is equally shocking is that many parents don't seem to think it's a big deal! How a parent can not be concerned about a serious medical condition their children have is beyond me!
Obesity obviously carries serious health risks. These days obese children are developing diseases traditionally thought of as middle aged diseases, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and adult onset diabetes. It seems that children may be in fact aging faster, although that is a laymans opinion, not a medical opinion.
Childhood obesity has to be battled with a two prong approach: exercise and diet.
First let's look at exercise. Most children do not need to formally exercise, but they need to be active. When I was a child there was little to do but be active. We had 3 television channels that only had child friendly programming a couple hours a day and no computer or computer games. Today, adults need to encourage children to be active. Kids like activity but may need to be given some encouragement. Traditional sports work, but just playing outside, riding bikes, walking, swimming, etc. make an enorm ous difference. Games like hide and seek work well and require absolutely no equipment at all.
Next, diet: few children need a formal diet, but they need to have healthy food choices available. If all they have is junk food and high fat and calorie laden fast food available, or course they'll eat them. Making some fruits, vegetables, and non high fat food available works wonders.Just eating fast food and candy and fatty snacks will not do for children or adults!
Parents need to take initiative. Just getting outside with your kids a few times a week, and setting a good example by eating healthy foods and snacks with them occasionally and making them available will have an extremely beneficial effect.
I wonder how long all these obese children will live, especially as they are coming down with traditionally adult diseases now. Parents need to take the initiative, a s well as aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and other adults!
Obesity obviously carries serious health risks. These days obese children are developing diseases traditionally thought of as middle aged diseases, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, and adult onset diabetes. It seems that children may be in fact aging faster, although that is a laymans opinion, not a medical opinion.
Childhood obesity has to be battled with a two prong approach: exercise and diet.
First let's look at exercise. Most children do not need to formally exercise, but they need to be active. When I was a child there was little to do but be active. We had 3 television channels that only had child friendly programming a couple hours a day and no computer or computer games. Today, adults need to encourage children to be active. Kids like activity but may need to be given some encouragement. Traditional sports work, but just playing outside, riding bikes, walking, swimming, etc. make an enorm ous difference. Games like hide and seek work well and require absolutely no equipment at all.
Next, diet: few children need a formal diet, but they need to have healthy food choices available. If all they have is junk food and high fat and calorie laden fast food available, or course they'll eat them. Making some fruits, vegetables, and non high fat food available works wonders.Just eating fast food and candy and fatty snacks will not do for children or adults!
Parents need to take initiative. Just getting outside with your kids a few times a week, and setting a good example by eating healthy foods and snacks with them occasionally and making them available will have an extremely beneficial effect.
I wonder how long all these obese children will live, especially as they are coming down with traditionally adult diseases now. Parents need to take the initiative, a s well as aunts, uncles, grandparents, teachers, and other adults!
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