Things Parents Can Do To Curb Childhood Obesity
As a society, we can only move forward if our children and adolescents stay healthy and fit. However, in today’s time, not just adults but children and adolescents are also being affected by obesity. You will be surprised to know that according to Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, one out of every five children in the US is obese. Increasing obesity rates is a concern because excessive amount of body fat can lead to health problems such as asthma, heart disease, sleep apnea, and Type 2 diabetes in children.
In order to keep our younger population healthy and free of all the aforesaid health problems, the month of September is being observed as the National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. Parents can play a pivotal role in controlling the increasing obesity rates in children. That is why we have listed some changes that every family with children and adolescents should make in their homes. If you make these changes at home, you will surely be able to curb childhood obesity.
Make Sure Your Family Eats Together
Several studies have revealed that families that eat dinner together, their kids are less likely to be obese. Also, those kids’ eating habits are more likely to be healthier. Disordered eating habits are also a major cause of obesity in children, which can be avoided if you just make it compulsory for every member of your family to eat dinner together.
Give Your Kids Healthy Food Options
For proper growth and development, children and adolescents need to consume a balanced diet that comprises of all food groups. Give them fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole grains, low-fat diary, etc. If your kids have been eating unhealthy foods items for a long time, it is obvious that they might react unfavorably when the aforesaid food options are put before them. We will advise you to not give up and continue offering only healthy food options to your kids. Before you know it, your kids will develop a habit of consuming healthier food items.
Make Sure They Stay Physically Active
It is essential for kids to engage in physical activities for at least 60 minutes most days of the week. Of course, they can stay physically active for longer as that will keep them even more healthy and fit. Get then involved in the sport of their liking. Sports camps are a fantastic place where kids can socialize and stay physically active.
Apart from these, make sure you are a good role model for your kid. If the parents eat healthy food items and live a healthy lifestyle, it is very likely that the kids of those parents will also live a healthy lifestyle. If you make the changes mentioned above, you will surely see a change in your kid’s body weight and fitness levels. In addition to introducing these changes, make sure you keep tabs on your kid’s health by monitoring his/her heart activity. This is essential because obese children are more likely to have high blood pressure and high cholesterol, both of which can lead to heart problems.
You can book an appointment with a heart specialist, who might recommend an ECG test to gauge your kid’s electrical activity of the heart. If the doctor is not satisfied with the results of that test, he might prescribe Holter EKG monitoring to get a complete picture of heart activity.
Author’s Bio: The author is a blogger. This article is about how parents can help their obese kids lose excessive weight and live a healthier lifestyle.
