Make Healthy Eating a Family Affair this New Year

It can be challenging to be the only one in your family who is taking on the task of eating healthier and losing weight. Many Moms (and Dads, too!) find themselves creating separate meals and eating differently from the rest of the family. But there is good evidence to support the idea that eating healthier earlier in life is the best way to prevent the chronic disease conditions we associate with aging. Kids are not immune to the disastrous health effects of a standard American diet, in fact, they are the most innocent of victims. So rather than going it alone this new year - make eating healthy a family affair!

Here are the facts:

• Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past thirty years.
• In 2008, more than one-third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.
• Overweight youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, joint problems, social stigmatization and self-esteem issues.

And this just in from a prominent neurosurgeon at Children’s Hospital in Boston who specializes in treating children who suffer from strokes:

“One of the newer conditions, unfortunately, that we think is becoming increasingly a cause for stroke in kids is the same cause that affects adults - obesity.”

It seems that poor dietary choices put our children at risk for the very same debilitating diseases once reserved for old age.

A glance at the New York City school lunch menu offers a dismal reality check. Mondays are “Golden Crispy” featuring fried mozzarella sticks, Tuesdays are “Burger Bash,” Wednesdays feature Beef Burritos, Thursdays deliver Chicken Nuggets and every Friday there’s a Pizza Party. These menus likely train our young people to make unhealthy choices throughout their lives. Is it any wonder we grow up craving these high-fat, high-calorie foods that cause us to gain weight?

Here’s the bottom line: If it’s not good for you to eat - it’s not good for the kids, either. If you have identified soda, chips, pizza, wings, ice cream and burgers as the very foods that helped you gain weight - take them off the kids’ menu, too.

The good news is that kids like all kinds of foods. And given a chance, many actually prefer fruits and veggies. The foods that make you healthier, will make them healthier, too and earlier is better when it comes to healthy habits!

Engage the whole family in your efforts to build a healthier lifestyle. Have more fruits and veggies ready to go for every meal and snack. Put a white board in the kitchen and have everyone check off the number of servings they eat each day. If every member of the family hits 35 servings in a week (5/day), plan an outing to go bowling or see a movie. Invite the kids to help chop and prep veggies and fruit – they will likely be more interested in food they help prepare.

Transitions can be challenging, so have patience. Eventually your whole family will reap the rewards of the extra effort up front. Make healthy eating fun by trying new recipes and arranging foods in artful ways. When it comes to a healthy lifestyle, if you all do it together, you all do better! Make healthy eating a family affair this New Year - you will be so glad you did!
 

by luv2run on 01/02/2013 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: motivation, kids, nutrition