The Childhood Obesity Dilemma

It’s all over the news – the escalating weight problems of our youth. Medical communities, the federal government, and the First Lady are all talking about what is causing childhood obesity and what we need to do about it.

To answer these questions, we need to look at our modern society: in our schools, physical education and recess have been cut in an effort to improve students’ test scores and safe play spaces are minimal or non-existent. Schools are also blamed for serving lunches of poor quality, processed foods and offering few sources of healthy foods. And at home, with increasingly busy schedules, a forgotten tradition is structured dinner time, where everyone eats together and shares stories of their day. The bottom line is that the childhood obesity problem has contributing factors across all sectors of society.

What we do know is that added sugars and fats in our diet contribute to a significant excess of calories for kids as well as adults. We also know that few families have the 5 servings of vegetables and fruits needed each day for healthy growth and development. Role models for healthy living and activity are also few and far between. Combating these trends takes a long-term commitment and a focus on helping children develop healthy habits early in life.

So how can families and communities work together to turn this bad news around and work to prevent it from getting worse? There are some great web resources available for families who want to find ways to bring healthier habits into their daily lives: decreasing screen time (television and computer), assistance with picky eaters, grocery shopping tips for value and finding meals that provide wholesome nutrition.

Here are some of my favorites:

The First Lady’s initiative includes contests which involve kids and communities: http://www.letsmove.gov/

CDC’s Body and Mind site (BAM): http://www.bam.gov/

From IFIC Foundation, resources for parents and educators of younger children with information about how the body works: http://kidnetic.com

Kids Eat Right shares age-appropriate information, from feeding your baby all the way into the teen-age years, plus ideas for shopping and cooking: http://www.eatright.org/kids/

There are also beacons of hope in communities that have come together to say “we can make a difference.” In Maine, the Let’s Go! program has been adopted by multiple communities. Let’s Go! reaches children and families where they live, learn, work and play with a consistent message that promotes four healthy behaviors: 1) Five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, 2) Two hours or less of screen and TV time every day, 3) One hour of daily activity and, 4) Zero sugar sweetened beverages: http://www.letsgo.org/

Participating communities are integrating this health message into the primary school curriculum, office visits with pediatricians, and local activity centers, where families are offered places to play and have fun.

The enthusiasm from kids involved in these healthy initiatives is infectious and creates the basis for lifelong healthy habits.

Has your family and/or community adopted any healthy lifestyle initiatives?
 

by ChristineWeithman on 01/18/2012 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, motivation, mood, kids, nutrition