Friday, August 7, 2020

How to solve the issue of childhood obesity

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Food food food! 

When we are born, we are only exposed to only one type of food.  Milk. Whether we were breastfed, or we drank milk from a tin, that was our only source of food. Breastmilk is good for us because it contains everything that we need.  It helps us grow and gives us the necessary vitamins, proteins, and fats that we need to grow strong.  

Later on, we are exposed to many types of food textures and we learned how to eat more solid food. This is where the problem comes in. We also learn to make choices and we choose what we want to eat. It is natural that we eat more of certain types of food that we enjoy more because it tastes so good. Toddlers can be even more difficult to feed because they will most likely only eat what they like. This can easily turn into a habit.   

The unhealthier we eat, the unhealthier we become.  Overweight children often become overweight adults. It turns into a vicious cycle and the problem is getting bigger and bigger every day.  Pun intended! 

In today’s life where everything is such a race for time, it is easier to grab a take-away just to feed the family than to spend a lot of time behind the stove. We work hard, and then when we get home, we are just too tired to cook.  Once a week might do the trick but for some people eating take-aways is the most natural thing in the world.  With home deliveries we don’t even have to drive to go and fetch the food, it is delivered to our doorstep. 

The fact is we are exposed to fast food all around us.  On television, we watch advertisements for wonderful delicious types of food, and that stimulates our brains to think in the wrong direction. We are deceived on a daily basis by things we see and believe. Easy peasy we pick up the phone and have a burger or a pizza delivered!  

Kids are left at home in the afternoons while their parents work, and it is so much easier to have food delivered than to prepare something healthy for them to eat when they arrive home from school. 

STOP STOP STOP!

Lazy adults have lazy children.  Yip, that is the truth. Children usually follow examples and they learn most of what they know from their parents or the internet.  

We as parents need to slam on the brakes and teach our children how to eat correctly. How do we do that? By actually lifting our butts and showing them how it is done!

Children don’t buy the food in the house, and my grandmother always said if you are really hungry you will eat anything. 

If children do not have access to or at least limited access to fast food, they can’t eat it!  There are limits to everything and perhaps change Friday’s into a pizza day or choose a day over the weekend where you break the rules and eat something naughty, but then go back to eating healthy for the rest of the week. 

Drink water instead of cool drinks, and show children that water is actually good for them. It is better for their teeth and might save you some money on your medical bills. 

Kids are not just eating wrong; they move around less due to technology these days. They sit and play games for hours and the less active they are, the less active they become.  

In the olden days, we could play outside for hours, and our parents had to beg us to come inside, nowadays, it is the exact opposite. Parents beg their kids just to go outside a little bit to get some much-needed vitamin D, but they sit around moping with their cell phones in their hands.  

What Is Childhood Obesity?

Childhood obesity is a very serious health threat to children. Overweight kids are at risk of developing diabetes and could have early exposure to heart disease.  Overweight kids can also develop very low self-esteem and that can obviously lead to mental health issues.   

What causes childhood obesity? 

The main causes are obviously eating the wrong foods and exercising too little.  There are however certain diseases that can cause this but that is a different topic. Drinking too little water and drinking too many carbonated drinks with sugar can cause easy weight gain. Sugar is a silent killer and perhaps one of the most addictive substances. Literally everything has sugar in it today.  

How can we start to solve this serious threat of childhood obesity?

• Motivate kids to be more active and give them less screen time.  

• Exercise with them!

• Cook healthy meals and teach them to make healthier choices.

• Do not buy carbonated drinks. 

• Do not buy fast food regularly

• Drink more water.

• Be an example to kids!

• Focus on healthier meals during the day and try not to snack in between meals.

• Keep healthy fruit and vegetables available for snacks. 

It is never too late to start eating a healthy diet. If you are part of the problem, and you have a weight problem, be an example and start doing something about it immediately.  Remember that moderation is the key to success. Do not overdo anything. Too much of anything is bad for you!   

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Originally posted here: https://hive.blog/hive-114105/@giantbear/how-to-solve-the-issue-of-childhood-obesity

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