Childhood Obesity

Children in the United States are becoming increasingly overweight! This is scary. These children are at a high risk for illness in their adult lives. Parents need to understand that it is up to us to educate ourselves to learn how to nourish our own bodies. It is only then that we can pass this knowledge down to our children. The first important lesson we need to know is that food is not the enemy! The food we eat is a source of energy for our bodies to function at optimal levels. Our society tells us to go on diets and eliminate foods that we love. This almost always will backfire and create a stronger craving for that food. Putting children on a diet can be detrimental. Not only will it take the enjoyment out of eating but it can cause self esteem issues and a lifetime of negative associations with food. We need to reverse the trend that we are seeing and help our children see food in a different light. Like I said, this starts with us, the parents. Children learn what they are exposed to. We can start with baby steps. If the family feels like cheeseburgers for dinner, go to the grocery store and buy the ingredients. Make them at home. This will eliminate the trans fat that you would get from a restaurant like McDonald's. Use cheese that is not processed. Quality meat and green lettuce increase the nutrient density. Let children help wash and dry the lettuce. When children help prepare meals it increases the chance that they will eat or at least try a new food. We have to take the TIME needed to change the way we eat and make it a priority. Fast food is convenient but it also decreases our lifespan!