making+kids+more+active+and+eating+right

When it comes to reducing childhood obesity, parents play an important role. It is up to parents to take charge of what their children eat and to guide them in making healthy food choices. Kids should be eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, low-fat dairy products, and whole-wheat grain products. It is important that parents read labels when buying their groceries and that they learn about what is healthy and what is not so they could pass that information to their kids. Parents need to be a role model for their kids when it comes to having a healthy diet. If parents spoil themselves with junk and fast food, then their kids see nothing wrong with eating those kinds of things. Actions speak louder than words, so if parents eat healthy, then their kids will be more likely to follow. Parents need to teach their kids to make a habit out of eating healthy. To do this, they can prepare and eat together as a family. Parents often order take out or fast food because they are too busy to make a home-cooked meal. That’s understandable, but they need to make time for a family dinner.

Parents need to limit fast food and take out, because too much of that stuff can add a lot of calories. Parents also need to limit soda drinks for their kids, because they contain high amounts of sugar. A can of coke contains about 40 grams (around 9 teaspoons) of sugar (Onecanofsoda.com). Unfortunately, kids would rather reach for a can of coke than a bottle of water when they are thirsty. Also, parents need to make sure they are buying real fruit juice and should avoid “drinks” such as “fruit drink” or “grape drink” because these kinds of juice actually contain little or no real fruit and are composed of sugar and artificial flavors and coloring. When it comes to salt, you can substitute that with other herbs and spices to add flavor. Children love to eat “grab and go” snacks, but unfortunately, the snacks they choose are junk foods such as chips or cookies. These kinds of food need to be treated as “treats” that can be eaten every now and then, but not all the time. They can be replaced with healthy and still tasty snacks like vegetables and dip, homemade popsicles, granola bars, or trail mix. Healthy food doesn’t have to be a “bad” thing for kids. It could be tasty and something to enjoy, rather than forced. Also, studies by the American Journal of Epidemiology have shown that people who eat breakfast have lower rates of obesity. Children who don’t eat a healthy breakfast at home, will often end up buying food once they get to school which may be unhealthy for them.

Eating right is only the first step to fighting obesity. Children also need to remain active. According to the American Heart Association, Children and teens should have partake in at least 60 minutes of physical activity a day (Heart.org). These 60 minutes don’t have to be continuous, they can be done in parts throughout the day. In order to get children to do physical activity, they must first get off the couch. Parents should limit the amount of time their kids spend on tv, video games, and the computer down to 2-3 hours a day. If your children are competitive, they can join their school sports teams or other organized sports leagues. However, some children might be overwhelmed with organized sports and would rather enjoy time with free play with family and friends. Whatever they are doing, it is important that they enjoy it because if they enjoy it, they will want to continue doing it. Parents should also spend time playing with their children. They can go for a family walk, bike ride, hiking, skating, etc. Most equipment required for sports are not very expensive either. A ball, jump rope, and Frisbee, are all very cheap. With the latest video gaming technology, such as the Nintendo Wii, Playstation Move, and Xbox kinect, children are now able to work out while playing video games.

[] [] [] []