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preventing obesity in children
is your child
overweight? When it comes to obesity, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Medical experts now view obesity as a chronic condition that is remarkably resistant to treatment. Obesity rates in American adults and children continue to climb, with no reversal of this trend in sight. Researchers believe high obesity rates may be attributed to a sedentary lifestyle and too much snacking. How can I get my children to be more active? Every parent knows that children are creatures of habit. We try to set up routines to keep their lives (as well as ours) running smoothly. The good news is that once routines, such as no television after school, are established, they tend to run themselves. The bad news is that old routines, like turning on the television whenever boredom strikes, take some energy to change. |
Table
of contents: Encourage your children to ne more active. What to do if your children are bored. Help your children to become physically active. Prevent obesity. Eat less.
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Limiting television watching is a good first step in obesity prevention.
Many families restrict television watching to only favorite shows, and use
videos as special treats. Several studies have found a strong link between
television viewing time and obesity. This association is easily explained in
terms of energy balance. First, kids burn fewer calories watching television
than they do just sitting still! It is as though television puts them into a
hypometabolic trance. Second, commercials for food products urge viewers to
eat, and we all know people love to snack in front of the tube. And third,
children and teens who spend a lot of time in front of the television may
not be developing the games and sports skills and love of physical movement
that make physical activity enjoyable.
What
do I do when my children complain about being bored? |
How can I help my children
become more physically active?
Be active yourself! And get out with your kids. Play soccer, run races, go
sledding and skating, bicycle, play games, go swimming. Take family walks
and hikes. Plan ways to incorporate some active and enjoyable family
adventures into your life. Most important is to help your child find
activities that are fun.
To prevent obesity, shouldn't we try to get our
kids to eat less, too?
Modeling healthful eating habits is very important; admonishing children to
eat less can backfire, however. Offer a variety of healthful foods at home,
and limit empty calorie snacks. Food restriction does not appear to offer a
long-term solution to obesity, but can create an unhealthy focus on dieting
and body image, and can even lead to eating disorders.
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The new exercise presented by the Surgeon General emphasizes the amount, rather than the intensity, of physical activity, aiming to broaden the types of activities that are considered healthful.