Working to prevent obesity in today’s children
How to get kids to eat healthy snacks and improve diet:
While it doesn’t take much to convince kids to head out on the playground for their daily dose of physical activity, navigating nutritious food options can be easier said than done. Here are some tips and tricks that adults can consider.
Cut down on junk food, don’t cut it out.
Sugary and high-fat snacks tend to be popular with young children, so it can be tricky to ditch them entirely. However, reducing the amount of junk food kids eat can keep them happy while freeing up room for healthier options like fruit slices, yogurt, veggie sticks, and nuts.
Established standard snack times.
Another great way to keep kids on a beneficial diet plan is to set up regular snack times so kids aren’t always trying to steal a cookie or candy bar at odd hours. By allowing children to have a short snack at the end of the school day or mid-morning, you will help stave off hunger pangs without ruining their appetite. A nutritious snack can also keep a child’s metabolism strong and active, an important factor in combating obesity.
Trick them into eating healthy food
Children can be picky about what foods they want to eat and when, so having flexible healthy snack options can help them eat well. For example, offering a delicious cup of yogurt with fruit will help them get the calcium and vitamins they need. Similarly, a fruit smoothie can be a nutritious alternative to chocolate milk or a can of soda. By disguising healthy foods as snacks, you can encourage kids to improve their diet in a fun and easy way.
Three preventive tips for childhood obesity:
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last three decades. In 1980, only 7 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 11 were classified as obese. In 2008, that percentage jumped to nearly 20 percent. As for children aged 12 to 19 years, obesity increased from 5 to 18 percent during the same period. For the sake of clarity, there is a difference between being characterized as obese and overweight. The CDC defines overweight as being overweight for a particular height due to fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these parts. Rather, obesity refers solely to having too much body fat. Both conditions present as a caloric imbalance, with not enough calories being burned through physical activity to make up for the calories consumed.
So what can you do to help prevent the spread of childhood obesity? Here are some tips to keep in mind when trying to get kids up and moving!
go out and play
First, it’s important for children to burn off the excess calories they consume during daily meals and snacks. However, emphasizing that just one obese child needs more physical activity can be alienating and discouraging, so it’s best to encourage all children, whether in a church group, family, or classroom, to spend more time running outside, participating in organized sports, or just playing on a playground.
Maintain weight through healthy eating.
While it is vital to reduce the consumption of greasy fast food and fatty snacks from obese children’s diets, the focus should be on good health and not losing weight, notes the New York Department of Health. Maintaining their current weight will allow children to reach a healthy weight as they grow. Encouraging diets filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and healthy whole grains can put children on the right track.
cut sedentary time
Time spent in sedentary activities like surfing the Internet, watching TV, playing video games or just lounging indoors should be kept to a minimum to encourage kids to exercise, the CDC notes. Ideally, kids should get at least a half hour to an hour of physical activity four to five times a week, and limiting indoor fun will encourage kids to play on the playground equipment or start a ball game outside.
Teaching children dietary tips and tricks for a healthy life:
It’s not just up to parents to control their children’s eating habits: children need to be involved in the conversation, too. So, in addition to allowing little ones to spend plenty of time on the playground equipment, here are some tips and tricks to teach kids to improve their eating habits.
Learning the importance of hydration
It’s no big secret that drinking plenty of water is important to living a healthy life, especially with children at peak development. But staying well hydrated is also important from a dietary standpoint. For starters, drinking water helps the body’s metabolism work effectively, so kids can burn calories from food throughout the day. A glass of water can also combat hunger pangs that can occur around meals. Encourage children to drink several glasses of water each day to keep their digestion in check.
Doing snack time right
Many schools have a snack time for hungry children. While this may seem like a bad idea from a nutritional standpoint, especially if the snacks consist of junk food and candy, it can actually be done in a way that benefits kids. First, replacing cookies and chips with nutritious options like fruit slices, yogurt, and nuts can help kids get the nutrients they need. In addition, eating a small snack between meals can stimulate children’s metabolism,
resting enough
You may not think that sleep has anything to do with a healthy diet, but you would be wrong. Getting a full eight hours of sleep every night is important for a strong digestive system. Beyond that, being well-rested reduces overall stress and anxiety levels, which can severely affect your body’s ability to burn calories and convert food into energy.
