Fighting Childhood Obesity Starts at Home

Did you know that as many as 1 in 3 American children are considered obese (KidsHealth.org)? When one considers the detrimental effects of obesity – increased chance of illness, increased chance of disease, diabetes, respiratory issues, fertility problems, cancer, premature death (and more) – it is obvious to see that obesity is becoming Americas number one epidemic.

In several cases, obesity is not something that one needs to live with. Obesity for both adults and children can be overcome without any pills or surgeries or any sort of medical intervention. You can fight obesity from your very home.

Start with Healthy Food

Start with changing your child’s diet TODAY. The older a child is, the harder any poor eating habits may be to break – but it can be done. Throw out any tempting and health-hazardous snacks that are in your cupboards and fill your home with nutritious alternatives. Fresh fruits and veggies are a must, but you can also include natural peanut butter, whole wheat crackers, whole wheat pita bread, yogurt, humus, various nuts, seeds, and dried fruit. Remind yourself that both you and your child may actually go through a period of “detox” as your body cleanses itself from the toxins that processed and packaged foods fill our bodies with. You may feel crummy for a couple of days because of this process, but it WILL come to an end.

Get with Exercise

Next is to break out of the sedentary lifestyle that we all tend to lead these days. Get away from the television and computer screens (yes, even the one you’re reading this information off of) and move the fun outside. Bikes, roller blades, street hockey, tennis – no matter how inactive a child may seem to be, there are at least two “active” activities that they will enjoy. Even if it is turning on the radio and making up a dance routine, it’s still getting your child moving and acknowledging how good physical exercise feels.

Lastly, it is important to acknowledge that you do not want your child to eat right and exercise more to merely “look better”. If your child is obese and already in school, there is a good chance that he or she has already been teased or heard comments about their weight coming from their peers. Assure them that you love them no matter what they look like and that “skinny” doesn’t necessarily mean “healthy” either. You are making these positive changes together to stay happy, healthy and alive for as long as possible.

photo by Kriss Szkurlatowski