Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in America. A child that is obese has, most of the time, learned bad eating habits that will be carried into adulthood and that can lead to a plethora of diseases. More people die of heart disease than lung cancer and both are self-inflicted wounds (genetic predispositions aside). One of the things I noticed as an adult is that bad food is addictive. It has been argued that refined sugar is the most addictive substance on the planet. Fast foods have chemicals in them that the body begins to crave; these can be hard habits to break on a chemical level. That is why it is imperative to train the body to enjoy healthy eating habits.

The causes of childhood obesity are easily defined: low activity levels, poor nutrition and a lax attitude towards what is being eaten. Perhaps the saddest part of this epidemic is that the families being affected are actually malnourished and spending more money than need be. Eating healthy can be affordable; you do not have to spend hundreds of dollars at a health food store to eat right. So how do we stop this problem? This article at helpguide.org gives you some easy tips to follow that have been listed below.

• Get the whole family involved - This the number one rule in childhood development, do as YOU say and they will, in turn, do as YOU do
• Encourage healthy eating habits
• Be smart about snacks and sweets - These are a reward that should be given only for special and significant reasons.
• Watch portion sizes
• Get your kid moving
• Reduce screen time
• Get involved

I would encourage you to read the entire article as it goes into greater detail and provides specific examples of how to improve eating habits. If you are skeptical, as I was, that this is a problem I would encourage you to go here and read a scholarly article about the growing problem.