Breaking the cycle

             When it comes to childhood obesity everyone has to become aware of bad eating habits and lack of exercise.  I think sometimes we forget how impressionable children are at such a young age.  Everyday our children learn new things just from seeing someone else do them.  It is a battle we not only have to fight in school but at home and in daycare as well. 

             It’s a hard thing to imagine your child being overweight especially with younger children but “in one survey, 49 percent of parents whose kids were overweight thought they were average size” (Childhood, n. d.).  Studies show the more weight a child gains before age 2 the heavier they will likely be as an adult and if one or both parents our overweight the greater risk their child will become obese (Childhood, n. d.).   Eating and exercise learned in childhood tend to last a lifetime (Childhood, n. d.).

           Some “food rules” for parents to teach healthy habits to children our only give your child 100% real juice, let your child decide when they are full, serve whole grains, non-fat  and low fat dairy, reduce empty calorie intake and eat healthy yourself (Childhood, n. d.).  I agree children should be able to enjoy fast food or ice cream every now and again but it seems to be a common occurrence to eat these foods on a regular basis for some families and it really is having lasting effects on our children’s health.

          Exercise and an active lifestyle is also something we as parents need to focus on.  Some exercise “rules to live by” are  let your children see you being active, be creative and find activities you can do inside as well as outside, let the games grow with your child, encourage your child to show off his or her moving skills, and get in to the action and play with your children (Childhood, n. d.).  All of these things are great for keeping your children active and also yourself.  Take some time out of your busy hectic lifestyle and take a walk with your children.  It will be things your children remember and the exercise will just become a part of their life as they grow older.

              I myself know how difficult it can be to find the time to cook healthy meals and exercise with my family especially during the work week but sometimes it doesn’t take much time.  I find ways to exercise with my children by playing a game of basketball after dinner or by just taking a walk when the weather is nice.  We also play follow the leader inside and work out by playing games on the wii.   I try to encourage my children to eat healthy by making cooking fun and letting them make choices as to which vegetable we eat that night.  I also try to treat my kids with cantaloupe or watermelon instead of sugary cookies or ice cream.  Not to say they don’t get the occasional treat. 
         We can all make a difference in our children’s life by making some small but significant changes.  We need to model good behavior for our children to follow and to be sure we ourselves are leading healthy lifestyles. Overall everyone can make a difference and children can still have the occasional treat but with a little exercise to follow. 

                       

Childhood obesity. (n. d.)Parenting Magazine . Retrieved April 30, 2011, from: http://www.parenting.com/article/childhood-obesity.