Helping Your Child Become Active
Healthy lifestyle formula-activity, nutrition, education and fun.
Mar 16, 2007
When contemplating your healthy lifestyle, don’t forget your children, 15% of American children are overweight. Compared to children with healthy weights, overweight children run a serious risk of the heart diseases, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Type 2 diabetes, once considered an adult disease is occurring in children at escalating rates. Overweight children have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults. Another serious consequence overweight children face is perceived discrimination which can lead to lower self-esteem and depression. There are however steps we as parents can implement to help diminish these alarming numbers. Start by being a role model, lead by example, healthy eating habits and physical activity are good for the entire family.
- Turn the television off.
- Learn about nutrition together.
- Plan activities together.
- If your child is overweight emphasize their good qualities and let them know how much you love them.
- Remember any weight-loss program should be supervised by a physician.
- Use the food pyramid when planning meals (there are numerous sources available on the net).
- Eat breakfast each day, even if it’s only toast and a glass of juice, breakfast is the most important meal of the day.
- Make chooses that limit fat intake when choosing meats, dairy and other foods.
- Make sure your child drinks 6 to 8 cup of water per day.
- Try games like "fruit hurt", for younger children, (from Easter egg hurting) to make eating fruit more fun.
- Freeze different fruit for delicious frozen treats.
- Choose brown rice, whole wheat or rice pastas over enriched versions.
- Keep plenty of health snacks at home such as: fruit, yogurt, nuts, whole wheat crackers and peanut butter, bit size veggies, microwavable popcorn, raisins, pretzels, 100% juices and frozen smoothies.
- Get involved with your children’s activities, designate an activity hour each day (1 hour 5 times per week) and participate in these activies with your child.
- Keep toys and games around the home that children can do together or alone, indoors or outdoors, items such as: roller skates, jump ropes, hula-hoops, balls, racket games, glider planes, Frisbees, music for dancing and aerobics, mats for yoga and calisthenics or any items you feel will keep your child active.
- Again, don’t forget to hug your children and tell them how much you love them no matter what their weight.
These are suggestions I believe will get you started in an effort to help abate the obesity crisis in our country. If you have additional suggestions you’d like to share please contact me through the discussion forum or email me.
"Children have never been very good at listening to their elders, but they have never failed to imitate them." -James Baldwin-
