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healthy children | CHILDHOOD OBESITY

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Don’t let your children eat because they are bored,

sad, or use it as a reward. When we are born we are born crying when we are hungry. But every time we cried didn’t mean we were hungry. Our bodies

looked to food for substances and as babies we usually stopped eating the minute

The fi rst step in reclaiming your family’s

health is to make small changes and build on them. Small changes are much more likely to be successful. Replace soda pop with water, don’t add extra salt to dishes, and avoid automatically adding butter. Too often we mask the

tastes of our food without giving their natural qualities a chance. You don’t have to have bread with every meal, and dessert should be a treat rather than something enjoyed everyday.

we were full. But well meaning parents unconsciously teach their children to view food as something so much more. Food becomes attached to emotions and often becomes a crutch.

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If you don’t have time during the week to cook,

fi nd freeze-ahead recipes online that you can make on the weekends and opt for them instead of convenience

foods, which usually contain more calories and undesired ingredients than their homemade versions. Don’t want to spend

obesity rates in kids

2-5 yrs old

6-11 yrs old 12-19 yrs old

Childhood obesity can have

devastating effects – much more than having to deal with peer pressure and teasing. Obesity increases risk factors for many long-term problems,

physical – such as type 2 diabetes, early puberty, sleep Apnea, and orthopedic problems – to psychological problems such

as poor body image

5% 6.5% 5%

1976-1980 | 2003-2006

12% 17% 17.6%

from

into. Studies show that a child who is obese before age 8 is likely to be an obese adult. In fact, one study showed that 80 percent of children overweight between the ages of 10 and 15 were obese adults at 25.

and

depression. This is not a problem your child is going to grow out of; it is more likely to be a problem they will grow

Dr. Shoham says that parents already have the solution to the childhood obesity problem – the real question is how they will make that solution fi t into their lives.

your family time in the kitchen? Why not, the kitchen is a great place for just that. Kids love to cook and what you might now view as a chore could just become some of you and your children’s most cherished memories.

Try and eat out less and if you do have to eat out, don’t use it as an excuse to order whatever you want. Many fast food restaurants have menus with nutritional information on it. So just because you have to eat out doesn’t mean you have to order fried chicken or French fries. You don’t have to pile on the salad dressing or fi nish every last bite. And most importantly, never, no matter how good the deal, “supersize” it.

building healthier communities 31

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healthy tip

Dessert should be a treat

rather than a fi xture!

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