How to Eliminate Childhood Obesity

My personal experience with obesity, healthy nutrition, and an active lifestyle is directly linked to each person's awareness of themselves. If you don't realize that YOU are the only who can help your body get back to its normal healthy state would you put an effort into doing something about it? Create a challenge for yourself and make yourself feel better. Remember: if your body can't function you won't be able to fulfill what you want to do with your life. You NEED your body for that to happen! When children are involved that creates an extra responsibility because now you not only have yourself to take care of, but another person to teach. Another little lady/man to raise and help them fulfill their dreams.

Children need an all inclusive hour of physical activity in 24 hours. Children require more than adults because of their growing bodies. Adults only need to maintain, loose and sometimes gain. Be creative. it doesn't need to be all at once, but the benefits of physical activity should be enough to inspire children and parents to both get moving!!! Children are more likely to have the following 'side effects' when implementing an active lifestyle:

lower stress levels
healthier self esteem
increased their ability to learn
maintain a healthy weight
build and a strong body
fewer personality/emotional disorders
improve their sleep

Simply walking is a great way to get started. Plan fun, physically active activities throughout the day. It's easier to maintain a lifestyle change when involving other close friends so consider the following options: join your favourite sport team; baseball, softball, tennis, or Fris-bee in the park. Join fitness classes for kids (available at any community center) like swimming, martial arts for children. Check your resources and community events and activities.

Nutrition is the vitamins, minerals, proteins, carbohydrates, and fibre our bodies need to maintain their health. These nutrients come from the foods we eat, but not just any food. That's where the nutritional servings and facts come in handy on every package of food you purchase. To maintain your health so your body can keep you going you need to feed it the right kind of food as well as portion sizes. A good way to find out portion size is to look at the palm of your hand excluding your fingers. Don't skimp, or over-indulge. Eat six snacks or 3 meals and 3 small snacks a day. Fruits and vegetables are two kinds of food that have the most nutrition. If you don't like fruit and vegetables consider this method of getting your nutrition. It works great from my personal experience as I've struggled the last 10 years in finding a method to maintain my nutrition without compromising needed nutrients, portion sizes, types of food eaten. I prefer something that tastes great, doesn't fill me up, but doesn't make me feel like I over-ate and has all the nutrients without having to eat lots of stuff to get all the nutrition my body needs.

Have fun with fruit and vegetables. Try a new kind. Try preparing it a different way. Find different kinds of recipes to use. Experiment with the portion sizes on the back of food packages. The quickest snack is an apple. I like to use a slicer that slices and cores the apple all at once. I don't mind the peel so this works great for me. For example; there are over 7,499 varieties of apples in this world. Explore the world of apples and their flavours. Experiment with other fruits: make a fruit salad with watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, or oranges, grapefruit, apple. You can also try strawberry, peach, apple, and mandarin orange. Try making a sauce by thickening orange juice with a little cornstarch. The cornstarch box will have the right liquid to cornstarch ratio. Don't use more than 1c. orange juice to 2tsp cornstarch. Remember this is a sauce, not a gravy. Try different fruits on sale at your supermarket. Find which ones you like, which ones you do. Broaden your taste horizon.

A few tips to get more fruit in your lifestyle:

When the body has to much sugar it turns to fat. that's a worse fat than the normal fat. Use fruit juices with no sugar added. Check labels for sugar and sodium (salt) content. The lower the better off your body is. Use cereals with a higher fibre content. Add strawberries, bananas, saskatoons, blueberries, or raspberries.

A few creative ways to get more vegetables in your diet:

Make lettuce salad: tomatoes, cucumbers. Use a light, balanced, or fat-free dressing of your choice. Broccoli salad: cauliflower, sunflower seeds, cheese, raisins, onion, and bacon (grill the bacon). Use light, balanced, or fat-free mayo to create your dressing. Spinach salads: add bacon, grilled or bits, and boiled eggs. Have snacks readily available like baby carrots and celery sticks with a low-fat or fat-free dip of choice. Other vegetables for snacks or salads are: kale, sweet potatoes (bake your own fries), any color pepper, or sugar snap peas depending on the season. Experiment and share! Order veggie pizzas with toppings like mushrooms, green peppers and onions-ask for extra veggies. Try mixing vegetables into other food favourites as well. Pack school lunches with cut-up veggies for an afternoon snack-try red pepper carrots or cucumber slices.

Protein.

Protein is what feeds your muscles. Muscles are like verbs. They act by burning the fat in your body. How fast or slow your body burns your fat is what your metabolism is. Your metabolism may be fast or slow depending on genetics. A general idea of what protein is: meat, fish, eggs, cheese, nuts, and milk. Be careful with fat content, but don't eliminate it as the good fat is needed to 'lubricate' your whole system in an effort to keep it working. Your body is like a car. You need to keep oil in the engine so it doesn't create friction and blow up. Grease helps all the other little parts to work together without wearing each other down and creating a break down.

Drink lots of water.

They say drink 8-8oz cups of water a day. I say don't bloat yourself, but pick the right choice. If you're thirsty pick water. Be careful with sports drinks and sugary soda because of the sugar content It depends on your body size. Obese people can handle more water as they have more body mass. Here are some suggestions on better beverage choices to maintain your health:

1% or skim milk
choose water (even at meal time)
drink 100% fruit or veggie juice without added sugar
add a slice of lemon to a glass of water
having soda for a treat? choose a small size
Turn off the TV and video games

Limit the children's time playing video games and watching TV. Teach them how by doing it yourself. These activities that are the major cause for the obesity epidemic in our country for the ONLY reason that is does not include parental guidance. Help your children learn to surf the web and play a game and use time management to show them how. Half hour outdoors playing fris-bee and half hour surfing the web. The key is to keep them moving. Find methods to motivate them using their favourite activities, games because kids need to run and play everyday. Show them how by doing it yourself.

Help with the family dinner.

Work together. Teamwork: divide the work and multiply the success. Shop together. Cook Together. Plan the menu together. Be creative. Imaginative. Find new recipes. By following these suggestions you and your child/children will thank you as they grow up to be healthy and active adults that will have the privilege and pleasure not only gaining their goals, but living their dreams along with the wonderful chance to help another person and broaden their horizons more, making more friends. Expanding their borders.

Remember that everything takes time. It takes a body four weeks to actually understand that you're making a change. Make it a good one! Think twice about your actions because they create consequences and that becomes your future.

You are who you think you are. Nothing is impossible if you make up your mind and believe it can be done.

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Exercise and Nutrition Tips for Kids

With childhood obesity rates on the rise, most parents are eager to promote exercise and nutrition for their children. In fact, childhood obesity is the number one health concern among American parents. Healthcare professionals recommend that kids get at least sixty minutes of exercise every day. That can be one of the first challenges to helping your kids stay healthy. Of course, nutrition must not be overlooked, even if your kids are very active.

Exercise - To make sure that your kids get exercise, you can follow a few very simple tips. Encourage your kids to join a sports team or athletic club. Even as toddlers, your children can get involved in organized sports and activities. In addition to exercise, these programs also help kids to develop confidence and social skills. The key is finding a sport or activity that your kids enjoy. Whether it's soccer, baseball, football, gymnastics or Frisbee you can get your kids out on the field and getting their exercise.

Engage your kids by exercising with them. Most areas have a number of family friendly parks or hikes along flat, paved trails perfect for kids, and even suitable for babies in strollers. If your kids enjoy bicycling or skating get involved with them. By participating in exercise with your children you increase the amount of time that you spend bonding with them and make sure that you take a break from your hectic work schedule as well.

Cut down on the amount of time that your kids are sedentary by limiting the amount of time that they can spend in front of the computer or TV. Today's children often spend hours at a time with their eyes glued to the screen. Research has shown this to be a leading cause of childhood obesity. Getting your kids to go out and be active will help ensure that they keep their minds active and their hearts healthy. Make sure they have plenty of outdoor toys - from pedal cars and swingsets to soccer balls and basketball hoops - to occupy their attention outdoors.

Nutrition - Nutrition is another challenge of raising children, but it doesn't have to be. It is your duty as a parent to ensure that even your picky eater gets enough fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods. Fruit is a great replacement for sugary candy and junk food, and fresh fruit juices and water are great alternatives to colas. Yogurt and granola bars offer healthy snack choices for after school. Avoid buying fast food for dinner, and pack your child's lunch to avoid relying on greasy pizza and other options they can purchase at school. Remember, what's good for you is also good for your kids. Planning nutritious meals is a great way to keep the whole family healthy.

Nutrition and exercise may seem simple enough, but they get overlooked far too often. Though with today's busy lifestyles it's easy to forget the basics, rising childhood obesity rates are reminding parents that starting their children's lives off right, with healthy food and plenty of movement, is absolutely critical.

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Simple Steps to Prevent Childhood Obesity

There are simple factors in every parent's control that can reduce the chance of childhood obesity. In society today, approximately one in five children will be labeled as obese. Obesity is defined as an excess amount of body fat, measured as a percentage of total body weight. A child is considered obese when their body weight is 20% higher than the average weight of children of the same age. It is imperative that parents realize how their choices impact the chances of their children developing obesity.

The main contributing factors to childhood obesity are lack of physical activity and high calorie intake, as well as the variety of foods consumed. The recent emphasis on technology as well as convenience, high calorie meals have had a detrimental effect on child health. Furthermore, one of the worst physical effects of childhood obesity is the susceptibility to diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and early onset of heart disease.

Obesity has negative effects on emotional health as well. Society today labels those that are obese as lazy or unmotivated. These stigmas contribute to the increasing onset of depression, anxiety, and low self esteem in children. These factors then affect the social health of children as well, as there can be a lack in the development of relationships and acceptance from their peers.

In this technological age, it is easy for children to develop a lack of physical activity. Both computer usages as well as the increase in video gaming systems are the major technological factors in childhood obesity. It is easy for parents to use these as ways to keep their children busy. While there have been recent advancements in gaming that involve total body interaction, the comparison of these games to actual physical activity such as sports or dancing shows a minimal amount of calories burned. The largest impact that parents can have on these factors is managing the amount of time spent on all screens within the home, forcing children to find alternative methods of entertainment.

Parents do have control over several factors that contribute to obesity. The eating habits of children can be controlled, as parents need to resist the urge to provide the quick, convenience meals such as fast food and high-calorie, low nutritional snacks. A higher consumption of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, and whole grains may reduce the risk of obesity in children. Parents should provide healthy beverages to their children as well, such as reduced sugar juices, skim milk, and water, as opposed to high sugar liquids such as carbonated soda pops and sugar-based beverage mixes.

Parents can also provide a variety of physical activities for youngsters. A creative mind can create unique activities that require participation and motion. Some examples of such activities are outdoor play, such as games like tag or hide and seeks, and indoor play such as fort-building, balloon play, or dancing to upbeat music.

A parents control over meal choices, activities, and daily routine may be the solution to the widespread childhood obesity seen within society today.

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Childhood Obesity - Causes and Prevention

Today, childhood obesity is considered a serious and widespread struggle faced by many children around the world. In fact, childhood obesity has become an epidemic that has tripled or quadrupled in the last 40 to 50 years affecting almost 1 in 5 children. Children who are overweight are at a higher risk of suffering from hypertension, gastrointestinal problems, heart diseases and type II diabetes. Of course, on top of these health issues, obese children may further suffer from the emotional distress. Simply being labeled as fat, obese children can easily suffer from low self-esteem and depression.

When it comes to childhood obesity, parents in particular are required to take full responsibility for controlling their child's weight and must not settle with the idea that their child will later outgrow this. A great misconception among parents is that an obese child is healthier the more robust they are. This is typical amongst parents who are in denial regarding their child's weight management issues. Usually, these parents only admit that problem does exist once their child's health issues surface.

There are many factors that contribute to childhood obesity, from dietary habits to sedentary behavior to emotional problems to genetic predisposition. But even though these factors exist, there are many ways to help prevent childhood obesity.

It is apparent that a person who consumes more calories than his or her body burns can lead to obesity over time. Usually, a diet composed of sugary, processed foods with a high-calorie and low-nutrient content contributes largely to the risk of childhood obesity. In fact, children nowadays have no regular eating pattern; they eat even when they are not hungry or while watching TV and then tend ignore foods that are healthy for them.

Another contributing factor to obesity is inactivity. Children today are engaged in less physical activity than ever before. They are found playing computer and video games instead of committing to exercise. How your children spend their time and the kinds of activities they engage in plays a vital role in overcoming childhood obesity.

Still, some children undergoing emotional distress may resort to comfort eating. Normally, stressful life situations such death, abuse or even an ordinary upsets in everyday life may result to emotional eating for a child. Here, the child eats not out of hunger but primarily because they are unaware or unsuccessful in handling these emotions.

Furthermore, some studies have shown that obesity is genetic. An obese child could have an obese parent or other obese siblings. These children are more likely to gain excess fat due to their genetic make up. But of course, genetic predisposition does not guarantee childhood obesity. With proper nutrition and contributing lifestyle factors, there is very little reason why a child must be obese.

Be mindful that if an obese child develops diabetes during childhood, he or she is more likely to live a shorter life span as compared to those without diabetes. This is because diabetes is likely to build up kidney failure or heart disease or other associated effects of diabetes such as blindness.

As you can see, it would be wise to try and prevent childhood obesity. You can do so by following these recommendations. Seek medical attention before making any drastic change to an obese child's lifestyle.

Begin slowly by setting realistic goals for your child. One simple way is to start reducing the amount of refined sugar intake in your child's diet. Encourage them to drink plenty of water and to engage in daily exercise, at the same time prohibit snacking between meals. You can even go further by seeking advice from a dietitian who can help develop an appropriate weight management program for your child.

Childhood obesity is a very real problem in our society. But we can take charge and help the youth of today learn to live a healthier life. It is up to us to help encourage health and fitness in today's youth.

Piper is a freelance writer who enjoys fitness and the outdoors. She loves to use a Greenstar juicer to make great, healthy juice. She enjoys nature, reading and fitness. Check out her website, www.juicemaker.org to learn all about getting the best juicer so you can make great homemade juice too!

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