Childhood Obesity – The Modern Health Dilemma

Childhood Obesity is a modern health dilemma for today’s children, who are struggling with weight as never before. It is a difficult problem to combat, given the fact that you want to make sure that your children are receiving sufficient amounts of nutrients in their diets.

While some children may outgrow this childhood obesity, others carry it with them into their adult lives. Childhood Obesity can result in feelings of fatigue, worthlessness, hopelessness, diabetes and heart disease.

The parents of these children may not realize how detrimental childhood obesity is to their children’s emotional health. They may consider the childhood obesity just a passing phase and they may not understand the psychological devastation that childhood obesity can cause.

Causes of Childhood Obesity

The causes of childhood obesity can be complex. However, there do appear to be a few identifiable triggers. For instance, many families now eat on the run because of their many commitments.

Parents may not think they have time to prepare nutritious meals for their children, so they rely on fast food and sugary snacks to fill in the gaps, which in turn offers little nutritional value. As a result, children end up eating a diet that’s rich in fat and sugar but which offers little in the way of nutritional value.

Inactivity

Another key problem of childhood obesity is inactivity. Children are spending their leisure time in watching TV and computers rather than on playing outside as much as children of generations past.

Also, many children may feel as if they cannot participate in sports because of their weight. Feeling defeated before they even start, they pass up opportunities to engage in physical activities.

It has been shown that children tend to be heavily influenced by advertising. Unfortunately, many commercials tout foods that can be best classified as unhealthy. Children crave what they see on TV and in movie theaters and they may not realize what these foods will do to their bodies.

Tips to Overcome Chilldhood Obesity

Luckily, childhood obesity can be successfully conquered. Here are a few tips to overcome a childhood obesity problem:

• Encourage your child to take part in sports or dance. If your son or daughter is self-conscious about being a part of a team, exercise with him or her.
• Take out a ball and shoot a few hoops or turn on the stereo and begin to dance. You may be surprised that, with just a little encouragement, your child will get up and start moving.
• Consider limiting TV time. Research clearly shows that TV time is unproductive time for children and teens. If your children spend less time watching TV, they may spend more time exercising.
• Ban junk food from your home. With a little push, children will become accustomed to eating healthy snacks such as fruit and vegetables.
• Check with your child’s pediatrician to see if he or she can recommend some specific weight control strategies.
• Childhood obesity is a problem, but it is not insurmountable. The greater the interest you show in your child’s diet and exercise regimen, the more influence you will have over your child. In time, your child can learn the strategies necessary for a healthy life.

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