If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's waistline, you are not alone. The youth of today are fatter than ever before, and parents are starting to panic. Why are our kids so big, and what should we do about it?
Childhood obesity has been described as an epidemic. It puts our children's health at risk, making them more susceptible to problems involving their cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems, and even their mental health. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, depression, and low self-esteem are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems looming over the heads of our overweight children.
It is ironic that both the problem and the solution to this heavy problem boil down to one simple equation. Energy In vs. Energy Out. When more energy is consumed than is utilized, the result is fat storage. In short, our kids eat too much and do too little.
Energy In
The Problem: Parents today are busier than ever before, navigating through hectic schedules with convenient fast food restaurants lurking on every corner. Our kids are eating more fried, processed, and sugary foods than we did as children due mainly to the convenience factor. These foods are laden with excessive calories that result in weight gain.
The Solution: Take time to evaluate your children's diet. Do they eat three balanced meals a day? Do they eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? Are they limited in their servings of fried, processed, and sugary foods? Avoid buying sugar-filled snacks while grocery shopping, fill your cart with fresh, healthy snacks instead. Make time to plan family meals so that you don't find yourself in another drive thru.
Energy Out
The Problem: Computers, video games, and satellite T.V. are our children's latest and greatest toys. Who has time to play outside when you are about to beat the hardest level, or your favorite show is about to start? Our kids participate in less physical activity and are more sedentary than any generation before.
The Solution: Limit the time your children spend on sedentary activities, such as T.V and video games. Sign your kids up on a local sports team so that they can run and be active with other kids. Take the whole family to the park on a weekend instead of gathering in front of the T.V.
As a parent, it is your unique responsibility to teach your children the healthy habits that lead to good health. Children who are obese have a greater chance of remaining obese into adulthood, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of serious health problems. Talk to your children about their eating habits, and activity levels, informing them of good choices versus bad choices. Make it a family effort to start eating healthier and increase physical activities, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!
Diana Keuilian, author, ACE certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of HitechTrainer.com offers online personal training and nutrition programs that fit your budget and schedule. Whether your goal is to lose weight, firm and tone, or to build muscle, HitechTrainer.com will build a custom designed program just for you.
Visit: http://www.hitechtrainer.com/ and begin meeting your fitness goals today!
trusted cleaning company Lake Forest ..Your Non-Conscious Mind is 98% of your full power.Your Inner... Read More
The underlying principles of low carb diets are based on... Read More
"Polyols" or sugar alcohols are a number of different carbohydrates... Read More
We are bombarded with advertisements pushing delicious looking, fat filled,... Read More
In a gastric bypass the connection between he stomach pouch... Read More
Is Zone Diet a Fad?How do you recognize a fad... Read More
Lets face it, most of us live pretty busy lives... Read More
Obesity acceptance, also known as fat acceptance, has a simple,... Read More
Many gastric bypass patients report frequent spells of dizziness. In... Read More
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
When people hear the term Unified Theory, some times called... Read More
The huge companies stealing your money by promising impossible results... Read More
Cellulite - Reduce The Appearance --------------------------------- Sallie Elizabeth has always... Read More
Have you heard about it lately? Everywhere you look, women... Read More
If you are fighting the battle of the bulge (overweight... Read More
A "normal-tummy" looks at the food pyramid from the bottom... Read More
MYTH: Fad diets work for permanent weight loss.FACT: Fad diets... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
To say that dieting rarely leads to sustainable weight loss... Read More
Now that the holiday season is here, holiday foods and... Read More
We are a large people. 65% of us are overweight,... Read More
Changing habits is one of the most difficult challanges we... Read More
Negative calorie foods are said to use more calories to... Read More
There are many books and internet articles written about weight... Read More
pet-friendly home cleaners Lincolnshire ..Changing our eating behaviour is one of the critical lifestyle... Read More
Obesity is now assuming epidemic proportions. Worldwide there are over... Read More
Being over weight is usually being 20 percent or more... Read More
Did you know that less than 2% of dieters lose... Read More
You have heard enough about losing weight with various means... Read More
Experts say obesity will overtake smoking as the biggest health... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
"Help, none of this mainstream stuff works!"There is a specific... Read More
Saboteurs are people and thoughts that are going to sabotage... Read More
When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say,... Read More
Are you frustrated with your weight problem and don't know... Read More
Weight loss is a hot topic among college students today,... Read More
Do you know the name of that one disease which... Read More
Yes, there is more to the Mediterranean than sun, beach... Read More
I am somebody who has had an ongoing battle with... Read More
*Do you truly believe that not eating or cutting back... Read More
Are you a hopeless carbohydrate addict? Let's conquer these cravings... Read More
Your success in sticking with an exercise and weight loss... Read More
As parents who've had gastric bypass we face many challenges... Read More
Frankly, I'm puzzled whenever I hear this from somebody who's... Read More
IntroductionObesity is the most common health problem facing children today.... Read More
Yep, it is that time of year again! Time to... Read More
I have tried many "diets" here in the USA and... Read More
I want to talk to you about cows and what... Read More
While it would be ideal to make all of our... Read More
Weight Loss |