Article: Child Obesity…The Next Epidemic

In all developed countries, child obesity has risen alarmingly until it has now reached epidemic proportions. Severely overweight children can suffer heart attacks and diabetes, among other illnesses, way before their time. Those who make it through childhood without becoming ill are nevertheless on the road to sickness and a shorter life span. Some scientists believe obesity may soon become the leading cause of death in children.

Of course, there are also the social problems overweight kids face. They're teased in school, usually have low self-esteem, and often have difficulties with dating.

What has caused this epidemic in modern life? The primary cause is junk food, which is packed with processed ingredients, saturated fat, excess salt and refined sugar. This includes popular soft drinks, such as soda and fruit juice drinks. All of these foods not only cause an increase in weight, but they're responsible for inhibiting the proper function of the body's systems. So, it's not just about the number of calories consumed. It's also about the quality of the food.

Besides diet issues, more children are sitting idle in front of the computer, television, and video game machines for longer periods of time. Many kids don't get any exercise at all.

So, what can a parent do to prevent this frightening problem? How can you keep your child healthy and happy?

First of all, it's important to change your entire family's habits. As difficult as this may sound, it's generally the only way to keep obesity at bay or fix a problem that has already begun. The good news is that eating healthy and exercising will benefit everyone in the family. This means that parents must also eat well and exercise since children model themselves after their parents.

Second of all, keep junk food out of the house. You may not be able to control everything a child eats when not in your care, but obesity is primarily a result of the food at home. Look at the ingredients in the foods you purchase and avoid those with trans and saturated fats, high salt content, and sugar or high fructose corn syrup. The item will contain the most of the first ingredient on the list, so if the first ingredient is anything that ends in "ose," you know the item contains more sugar than anything else. Stop purchasing soda pop, which is high in sugar, salt, and phosphorus, a substance that leeches calcium from the body. Cut down on breads, and stop frying foods.

While it may take some planning, everyone will benefit from it. Learn to cook vegetables in a way that's appetizing for the whole family. Add unsweetened apple juice to carrots, garlic and olive oil to broccoli, and licorice-flavored tarragon to asparagus. Bake or roast chicken. Once you get the hang of healthier cooking, it won't be nearly as time-consuming as you fear.

Prepare for snack time by keeping baby carrots and other vegetables ready to eat in the refrigerator. Find low fat, no-sugar dips to help your child make the transition from potato chips to veggies. Make lunches for school, and give your child things to say to any friends who tease her about her healthier foods. Tell her to smile in the face of any teasing and say she's happy to be eating healthy.

If your child insists on fast food, make it a very occasional event, no more than a couple of times per month. This will teach your child the importance of balance and moderation. Never use food to reward or punish a child, however, as this sets up a negative psychological relationship with food. Think of food as fuel, not a reward.

If your children eat while watching television, help them find something else to do with their hands – embroidery, building a model car – anything to replace the habit of eating in front of the set. Limit television watching or computer use, and help your child find a form of exercise that he or she enjoys. Look into dance, martial arts, gymnastics, skating, or sports programs. Plan family hikes or football games in the park to get everyone moving.

If your child is already overweight, the first exercise program will need to be low impact. If he's reluctant to begin a program, start by exercising with him using an exercise DVD. Find something fun with hip hop music, perhaps, and make it a special time for the two of you together. Laugh at how difficult some of the moves can be, and gently encourage each other to improve.

Make sure your child gets plenty of sleep. If she's tired, she'll be hungrier. Additionally, proper sleep is simply another aspect of a healthy lifestyle. It's just as important as diet and exercise.

During regular doctor visits, ask your pediatrician to let you know if your child's weight is in the normal range. If you have any questions, ask the doctor to do a body mass index.

Be sure to try changing your child's habits with a gentle hand. If your little one is already overweight, she will surely run to food as a crutch if she feels her weight is causing you stress. You need to emphasize the importance of eating right without giving your child self-esteem issues. It's a fine balance that you can meet easily if you keep your cool and continue to express unconditional love to your child.

If your child is school age, and vending machines on school premises are a problem, canvas your school to change the contents in the machines to better foods. Get other parents in your area to back you, and go to the school district authorities, if necessary.

As difficult as it may sound to change bad eating and exercise habits, they are probably the most important habits in life to change. If not, you're setting your child up for a great deal of pain in the future and perhaps even a shorter life. Studies have shown that arterial plaque can begin to form as early as age two. And, of course, early good habits will help your child to take better care of himself throughout adulthood, leading a long, healthy, happy life.

Tip of the Week:

When your child has no playmates nearby for outdoor games, treat your little one to the games you played as a child, such as hide and go seek, tag, hopscotch, and scavenger hunt. Put up a basketball or volleyball net in the backyard, if possible, and get your child moving!

I hope you enjoyed this article.