How to Avoid Child Obesity

Children of any age do not feed themselves; they don't go to the supermarket and buy their food. They do not decide on the weekly menu. They do not buy sodas or artificial snacks; they eat what you, as a parent, give them to eat. We all know that school meals lack a lot in nutrition and are abundant on carbohydrates. As parents we also know that many times it has been easier to buy fast food on the way home after a tough day than it is to cook something nutritious and healthy. We are responsible for our children's well-being; it is our hands to prevent our child from becoming a diabetic at an early age.

There are things you can do before it is too late, now is the time to do them. There isn't much you can do about the school menu, but you can speak with the person in charge of the cafeteria to keep your child away from the mashed potatoes and fried food. Ask this person to help you by giving your child salad, fruit and food which has little or no fat and carbohydrates. If this does not work, pack him a lunch to take to school. A little sacrifice on your part will go a long way for your child's health.

Plan your dinner menus ahead of time. Keep the carbohydrates down and add more fresh products like salad and less pasta and fatty foods. We know you are tired after a long day at work so program to do part of the week's cooking on Saturday or Sunday, put it in the fridge so all you have to do is warm it up and serve. This will save you preparation time and will be easier on your tired feet and brain. Avoid second servings for the children and taking their dinner to their rooms. Dinner at the table allows for family time and it also permits you to control food intake.

If your kids do not like sports, it is fine too. Take them for a walk in the park, or cruise the mall with them for half an hour to one hour. Believe it or not, walking is a great exercise and calorie burner. Keep a tight control over games, computers and television sets, assign your children shores in the garden and pay them a little something when these shores are done. The exercise, the sun, the job and payment will do wonders for their spirits and bodies too. You have to be creative to keep them on the move, hibernating or hanging out on a cushion or bed is bad for them. Plan trips to the local museum or amusement park, or swimming pool; make them walk, make them move around, exercise is the key to health.

Sweets, junk food and sodas are your greatest enemies. Do not keep them at home, this does not mean you will never eat or drink them; sure you can, but do it occasionally and not as a routine. Kids do not need dessert every night, leave it for special occasions. They do not need sodas, sodas do not even quench your thirst, help them to get used to drinking water, lots of water every day. The same thing goes for junk food; leave it for the times you are out of the house, at the mall, or the movies anywhere but inside your house. Teach your kids to eat well and they will live well.

Go the extra mile today and your children will get used to good food and drink. They will grow stronger and feel better when they exercise and spend time outdoors. They will learn to manage their time better and will become better students and will communicate better with you and between themselves when they lose that horrible addiction to video games and television. Restraining their gaming and television watching time will help them to learn communication and interaction skills they do not need now because they communicate with machines, not people.

It is not easy and we know that the younger generations have fallen into a lethal trap. They have lost their ability to express feelings and to communicate thoughts. If this goes on for too long it is possible that they will not speak or think anymore. They themselves will become machines. Some of horrible episodes we see today on the news have started with a lonely kid who is locked within himself and his mind; a kid who hates himself because he is fat or different from his peers. This is the age of communication, it is true, but we should be communicating between us not with machines. We should use all these contraptions to improve human communication not loneliness.

Are We Responsible for Our Children’s Lack of Growth?

Children find themselves in precarious situation as society is fast adapting to reminiscent changes. Relationships and lifestyles are amended to fit in a new trend. It is the time when society’s old trends are paving way to newer ones. Eating habits too have drastically taken a makeover. We hardly see people having proper food. Instead they crave on what is popularly known as the JUNK FOOD. Junk food is anything that is tongue-twister, tasty, easy to make and in accordance with the latest trend. Every age group is in the grip of junk food and the latest to be mesmerised by its aura are new age children. Burgers, pizzas, chips and aerated drinks are suddenly the need of life. For instance, a child returning home from an arduous session at school suddenly pops in a bagful of chips and lay in front of the television. Don’t be shocked. It’s a common trend these days. Suddenly children have stepped into a whole new world of eateries that our ancestors wouldn’t have thought of.

The growing age for boys and girls vary. However, 6-12 years is considered to be steady time of growth. Top priority should be given to nutrition at this time. Children must understand what they eat is directly proportional to their behaviour, growth and over all development. Our society is revolutionised to such extend that it needs children to be educated upon the benefits of healthy eating. They need to be told how a balanced diet is essential for survival. Most of the working mothers are so much occupied with their corporate responsibilities that they tend to neglect the fact that their children actually need love and support. Conventional and more reliant food skills are not passed on automatically from parent to child. Most people just mug up food greatly undermining its nutritional effect. Since children are often glued to television sets, commercials and advertisements laced with promotional offers are the biggest culprits. We should be focusing more on structuring an atmosphere that pulls back our children from the claws of junk food.

Children who are unaware that consumption of junk food can lead to heart ailments, cancer, high BP or diabetes should not thrive on them knowingly. Studies have shown that clogging of arteries begin as early as 30 years and lay the foundation for future heart ailments. What children consume at early age affects their chances of prostate and breast cancer. Hypertension and Osteoporosis are other disorders that lay their roots in early childhood when lifelong eating habits are being shaped. Poor diets can affect growth, decompose new teeth, endorse obesity and sow the seeds of health issues that ultimately lead to non-treatable diseases.     

Most of the junk food is filled with artificial colours which are often unpalatable, carcinogenic and damaging to the body. These foods and their colouring can seriously damage digestive system, hamper immunity, the effects of which are seen when the children start to age. Results of surveys have proven that artificial colouring in junk food leads to hyperactivity and descending of attentiveness in children. Children distressing from learning disabilities are often counselled not to intake food with artificial colouring. Aerated drinks, chocolates, wafers all are laced with artificial colouring. 

Unsurprisingly, junk food not only has physical consequences but also mental ones- affecting a child’s psyche and personality. Smartly attending their dietary needs boosts their morale and exhilarates further unearthing. School days pose plenty of educational challenges requiring high level of concentrations and stamina. Poor eating habits can virtually sap children from participating in school events, indulging in games, interacting with family members or feeling confident about themselves.

Shamelessly, the traditional Indian diet that consists chapattis, pulses, rice, vegetables, upma have been replaced by pizzas, burgers, chowmein, spring rolls etc. Instead of having regular food, we are consuming what is considered by many dietitians as dangerous to the health. The comfort level you get after having a complete meal is predictably absent when we intake junk food. The question now arises who is to blame? Is it the society or we the parents who are pushing our children to adversity? The answer is both. Society trends have changed when it comes to choice of food. But in the end, it is our responsibility to educate our children on what is the right kind of food for them. We have to ensure that first; we have to set the trend so that they can carry the same to many more generations to come.