5 Strategies for Getting
Our Kids Into Shape -– and Living Their Best Lives
-
By Eric Harr, Exclusively for Sharkies, Inc.
They
are our most precious asset. And, they are in dire straits.
Our
children are exercising less and eating more -– and it is exacting a terrible
toll on them.
The
epidemic of childhood obesity is fast creating a national health crisis.
According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, roughly 15% of
American children, or nearly 8 million youngsters, are overweight; that has more
than doubled since the early 1970’s.
To say
nothing of the mental torment it inflicts on kids, being overweight can lead to
a host of serious health problems from diabetes and sleep apnea to joint
problems and gallbladder disease. Here’s something even more chilling: some
experts content that this might be the first generation of kids to have a
shorter life expectancy than their parents.
We hear
statistics like this on such a regular basis that we run the risk of being
desensitized to them. It’s time to pull back and look at this issue with fresh
eyes. After all, these are our kids we’re talking about.
First, it
may be helpful to understand the mechanisms behind the rising rates of
childhood obesity so that we can make more informed choices in helping our own
kids.
A study in
the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that the increase in
overweight children is linked to growing social prosperity, which had led to
children eating more and exercising less. Kids are immersed in playing
increasingly compelling video games on increasingly wider-screen TV’s -- while
munching on increasingly fatter foods.
It’s
easier than you may think to help your kids live healthier lives. Here are five
strategies to do just that:
Set a
Better Example
While 15% of
kids are overweight, that number pales in comparison to adults: a whopping 60%
of whom are overweight or obese. A recent survey by the American Dietetic
Association Foundation found that, more than anyone else, parents have
the most potential to influence their children’s behavior, including their
eating habits. Parents were chosen by kids as their most important role model,
outshining “rock stars” and “celebrities.”
This
survey confirms what we’ve long known: Kids watch what their parents do and
they follow much of that behavior. That certainly includes eating and exercise.
Research has found strong links between the food mothers eat and the choices
made by their children.
We cannot
slunk into the couch and cavalierly command our kids to “go play, go get some
exercise.” Part of helping your child commit to better fitness is becoming a
positive role model by making your own exercise a priority and by
playing with your child more often.
Exercising
with your children is a great way to spend quality time with them, improve
their health and make your own exercise more rewarding. Staying fit can improve
your child's self-esteem and decrease their risk of developing serious
illnesses, such as heart disease or Type II diabetes.
You can
also set a good example by eating better. Improving your diet needn’t be
unpleasant or unpalatable either. Health food isn’t what it used be. There are
more sumptuous options out there than ever before; it’s just a matter of taking
the time to find them.
Mahatma
Ghandi once said: "You must be
the change you wish to see in the world.”
Limit Tube Time
The
average American child gets less than one hour of exercise per week, but
watches more than 30 hours of television. Thirty hours. The mind verily
boggles! A University of Buffalo study found that a child’s risk of
obesity doubles for every hour of TV he or she watches each week; for
many kids, that’s a whole lot of doubling going on. You may consider striking a
deal with your children: for every two hours of TV viewing, they must engage in
one hour of fun physical activity. The operative word there is “fun.”
Make it
Fun (Really Fun)
According
to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, 75% of high
school students do not attend physical education classes. Much of that has to
do with the fact that it isn’t fun. If it were, more kids would attend.
Parents, coaches and teachers need to band together and commit to keeping
sports fun and challenging for kids. If kids who are overweight are having fun,
weight loss comes as a natural consequence of the activity, rather than the
focus. Make having fun the singular focus of your child’s relationship with
physical activity.
“Kids who
enjoy sports and exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. And
staying fit can help improve your child's self-esteem and decrease the risk of
serious illnesses (such as heart disease and stroke) later in life,” says Steven Dowshen, MD, Chief Medical
Editor for KidsHealth.com.
Expose
kids to new activities that they truly enjoy – and that they excel in. I was an
overweight, gangly mouth-breather in grade school. I hated sports. That is,
until I played my first game of soccer. My parents took the time to help me
discover my bliss, and once I did I couldn’t be stopped! I was even known to
sleep with my soccer ball.
Never
before have there been more sports available to kids: ballet, lacrosse, water
polo, soccer, golf, tennis. Keep trying new activities until you find the one
that clicks with your kid.
Strike
a Junk Food Deal
Each year,
the average American child partakes of 28 pounds of French fries and consumes
868 cans of soda a year. (Yes, you read that right). You may want to consider
this approach: no junk food during the week, but on weekends, allow your kids
to slack off and have the bad stuff. That way, they’re consuming less overall
junk food, and you haven’t made it as taboo, which only increases their desire
to have it. Another related strategy to help kids eat better is not to deny the
“bad foods,” but merely to insist that they have the “good stuff” first. The
idea is that after eating the good, they will have less room for the bad.
That’s not a bad suggestion for parents, either!
Spend More Time Eating Together
In our
culture, we tend to view food as a tool rather than as nourishment. We often
eat on the run and give little or no thought to what we’re putting into our
bodies, or how we’re doing that. We need to give more reverence to food -- and
to mealtimes. Establish daily meal and snack times, and eat together as frequently
as possible. Some research has shown that kids who sit down to eat with their
families develop healthier dietary habits. This is a tip that can benefit
parents as well.
Parents,
it’s a now-or-never proposition to keep our children healthy and fit; their
lives depend on it. Exercising with your children is a great way to spend
quality time with them, improve their health and make your own exercise more
rewarding. Staying fit can improve your child's self-esteem and decrease their
risk of developing serious illnesses, such as heart disease or Type II
diabetes.
We cannot
blame this problem on video games, TV commercials, Tony the Tiger -- or the
“resistance” put up by our children. That merely disempowers us. The
solution to the problem of childhood obesity in this country – resulting from
too little exercise and poor nutrition -- rests squarely on the shoulders of
parents.
Let’s all
take the concerted and consistent action necessary to improve the health and
fitness of our children. After all, they are our most precious asset.