Have you looked around you lately? It is all around on us. It is mentioned on the media on a daily basis and we see it but are we aware of it? What am I talking about? It is childhood obesity, and epidemic that is growing and the statistics are grim. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention, the rate of obesity in children ages 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 25 years. That is from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 17 percent in 2006. The rate of obesity among adolescents ages 12 to 19 has more than tripled, increasing from 5 to 17.6 percent.
Many may think that going to your family physician and asking for medication is the answer, but it is not. Not all children are predisposed to high cholesterol as some would think because of obesity, it can all be monitored with changes to lifestyles. According to Jennifer Li, a pediatric cardiologist at Duke University Medical Center, there are ways to help your kids improve their heart health and avoid the harm of high cholesterol. She suggests the following:
- Exercise as a family – Kids need motivation to exercise so as parents we can do just that. Take out your sneakers and start playing catch, kicking the soccer ball or just go for a brisk walk.
- Don’t eat and run – Try to avoid fast food restaurants and drive-throughs, eat as a family as much as possible. Have healthy snacks available such as fruits and vegetable for the midday hunger pangs, if they see you eating healthy snacks, they will do the same.
- Shop and cook healthy – Throw out junk food and sweetened beverages. Add more fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean sources of protein such as chicken and fish.
- Limit TV time – Did you know that a child watches an average of 6 hours of television a day? They are literally staring at a screen for 6 hours and probably eating unhealthy snacks while doing it. Video games and TV time should be a reward for eating right and exercising and not a daily ritual.
- Do you know your numbers? – Not just any numbers, your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. The entire family should be tested periodically. Knowing your numbers will help you handle situations before they become larger problems.
- Get organized – If you have a child who is overweight or obese, consider getting them into a formal weight management program. Nutritional counseling and supervised exercise sessions can give a child the support and motivation needed to lose weight.
Dr. Daisy (aka Dr. Mommy) is a Doctor of Chiropractic by profession, wife to a loving and supporting husband and home school mom to 5 beautiful children. She is a speaker, blogger and freelance writer that devotes her time to educate the public on the importance of nutrition and their health.
For more insight on her love of health and nutrition you can visit her Healthy Nutrition Hints Blog. http://healthynutritionhints.com
More From Dr. Daisy
Only $12
Let's Get Healthy Together!
Bringing Back Your Childhood Favorites
Menu Planning Saves TIme & Money
Meet & Greet