Mandatory Gym Classes not the Solution to Childhood Obesity Problem

According to a new study recently released, compulsory gym class and mandatory daily doses of physical activity in school do little to reduce childhood obesity. Already the 搉aysayers?are up in arms and pointing fingers searching for a suitable scapegoat.

But before we place the blame on anyone let us ask ourselves this question ?Where would the child be without this activity? Childhood obesity has risen to epidemic proportions in this country and will continue to do so if left unchecked. In the past 40 years, childhood obesity rates have quadrupled and now stand at about 30 per cent. Obesity could, in fact, lead to the first generation of children having a reduced life expectancy as a result of weight-related diseases.

Our schools therefore should not shoulder all of the blame. They are doing their part, to the best of their ability, in teaching proper nutrition and conducting daily physical activity classes to help the child. Parents also have to step up and start to play an active role in developing a healthy lifestyle for their children. This begins in the home. It is often too late to wait for your child to decide on their own that they must lose weight and much more difficult and emotionally traumatic on him or her.

Providing healthy foods for your family is not hard work but it requires a completely different change in thinking from your present lifestyle. It all should start with the groceries that you buy. Eliminate all the junk foods that you now use for snacks and replace them with a heathier substitute -fruits, nuts, energy bars, fresh vegetables, low calorie dips, diet sodas, sugar free candies should now be in your cupboards and refrigerator in place of chips, cakes,cookies and candy bars. Read the food labels and learn what each of the terms mean. Don't pay more for some food items just because they have the words healthy or organic on the labels.

Fast foods are both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because of their convenience in these time challenged days, especially if both parents have to work, and a curse because in most cases what you have bought in the past is not good for you or your family. Again read the labels. There are plenty of fast food healthy alternatives available.

Schedule your meals for the same time each day and stick to it. Eating late and then going to bed is not a good idea and should only occur at the rarest of times. Your child needs an eating routine. This is suppertime, this is snack time etc. Snacks before bedtime should be eliminated .

Physical activity for your child should not end the moment he or she is let out of school each day. Sitting all night or all weekend or all vacation in front of a TV or computer screen or playing video games should not be allowed. Encourage your child to go outside to play, search for an activity that all family members can share together (bowling night out ) or plan an outing where there is some kind of physical activity involved (going to the zoo, museum,or park) ?bring your own non-fattening snacks with you though. My solution was starting a family garden with each family member getting their own special section and making a little contest out of it, to see who could grow the largest veggie (physical activity and healthy food all at the same time)

Exercise and proper diet should go hand in hand in providing a healthier lifestyle for your child. You and your school have to work together in order for it to be successful. The ancient Greeks were not wrong ?A healthy mind in a healthy body.

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