Monday, January 9, 2012

What are you feeding your kids?

Yesterday was a day of REST for both Joshua and I. We spent the day relaxing, reading and then to dreaded Sam's Club & Wal-Mart because we were out of the essentials. I say dreaded because it seems like almost everyone there is so overweight and don't even give a crap! Hold on, I take some of that statement back, I'm sure they do care but just don't know what to do. However, I can promise you that filling your oversize Sam's Club cart with frozen pizza, donuts, cake, chips, beer, frozen egg rolls, little Debbie's and juice are not going to make that scale go in a direction that you will be pleased with.

Source

I guess what really upsets Joshua and I is when we see very overweight parents with small overweight children. As a parent one of your jobs is to give your children the best possible life you can but if your making them overweight at such a young age and not teaching them anything about healthy eating and staying active what kind of life are you really setting them up for? Please don't rely on the schools to teach your child about proper health and nutrition because believe me they know nothing about it or maybe they do know but just don't care enough .... Schools feed kids such crap food and wonder why they can't pay attention in class. A few simple changes at home and kids could make a better decision about what they choose to eat when choices are limited.

Here are just a few facts that I found on the CDC website. If you want to learn more just click here.

Childhood Obesity Facts


Health Effects of Childhood Obesity


Childhood obesity has both immediate and long-term effects on health and well-being.
Immediate health effects:
  • Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, 70% of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.7
  • Obese adolescents are more likely to have prediabetes, a condition in which blood glucose levels indicate a high risk for development of diabetes.8,9
  • Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.5,6,10
Long-term health effects:
  • Children and adolescents who are obese are likely to be obese as adults11-14 and are therefore more at risk for adult health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.6  One study showed that children who became obese as early as age 2 were more likely to be obese as adults.12
  • Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.15

Prevention

  • Healthy lifestyle habits, including healthy eating and physical activity, can lower the risk of becoming obese and developing related diseases.6
  • The dietary and physical activity behaviors of children and adolescents are influenced by many sectors of society, including families, communities, schools, child care settings, medical care providers, faith-based institutions, government agencies, the media, and the food and beverage industries and entertainment industries.
  • Schools play a particularly critical role by establishing a safe and supportive environment with policies and practices that support healthy behaviors. Schools also provide opportunities for students to learn about and practice healthy eating and physical activity behaviors.



Some simple changes at home that would help the whole family:

Limit Processed Foods and Snacks
-If your the person doing most of the grocery shopping then create a weekly meal plan and make a list of everything you need before you even step foot in the store.
-Ask everyone to choose one fresh food they would want for the week. i.e. cucumbers, carrots, apples, bananas. This way everyone doesn't have to eat foods they really don't like but there's a variety to choose from.
-Buy one "treat snack" that everyone likes but make sure to let everyone know this is a treat not a substitution for a meal.

at  Family Dinner
-Use turkey instead of ground beef. It has less fat and is far better for the whole family.
-Make sure there is at least one "green" vegetable on your plates. i.e. broccoli, salad, spinach, collard greens...

Monitor food intake. 
Don't sit on the couch and eat a whole bag of popcorn in front of your kids and then get mad at them for coming home from school and eating a bag of cookies. Set the example and provide healthy after school snacks.

-Apple slices and peanut butter
-Carrots and low fat cheese
-Half a turkey sandwich
Source
The possibilities are endless. 


Have a fit day! 

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