If you have recently found yourself fretting over your child's waistline, you are not alone. The youth of today are fatter than ever before, and parents are starting to panic. Why are our kids so big, and what should we do about it?
Childhood obesity has been described as an epidemic. It puts our children's health at risk, making them more susceptible to problems involving their cardiovascular systems, endocrine systems, and even their mental health. Type 2 diabetes mellitus, depression, and low self-esteem are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the problems looming over the heads of our overweight children.
It is ironic that both the problem and the solution to this heavy problem boil down to one simple equation. Energy In vs. Energy Out. When more energy is consumed than is utilized, the result is fat storage. In short, our kids eat too much and do too little.
Energy In
The Problem: Parents today are busier than ever before, navigating through hectic schedules with convenient fast food restaurants lurking on every corner. Our kids are eating more fried, processed, and sugary foods than we did as children due mainly to the convenience factor. These foods are laden with excessive calories that result in weight gain.
The Solution: Take time to evaluate your children's diet. Do they eat three balanced meals a day? Do they eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day? Are they limited in their servings of fried, processed, and sugary foods? Avoid buying sugar-filled snacks while grocery shopping, fill your cart with fresh, healthy snacks instead. Make time to plan family meals so that you don't find yourself in another drive thru.
Energy Out
The Problem: Computers, video games, and satellite T.V. are our children's latest and greatest toys. Who has time to play outside when you are about to beat the hardest level, or your favorite show is about to start? Our kids participate in less physical activity and are more sedentary than any generation before.
The Solution: Limit the time your children spend on sedentary activities, such as T.V and video games. Sign your kids up on a local sports team so that they can run and be active with other kids. Take the whole family to the park on a weekend instead of gathering in front of the T.V.
As a parent, it is your unique responsibility to teach your children the healthy habits that lead to good health. Children who are obese have a greater chance of remaining obese into adulthood, thus greatly increasing the likelihood of serious health problems. Talk to your children about their eating habits, and activity levels, informing them of good choices versus bad choices. Make it a family effort to start eating healthier and increase physical activities, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results!
Diana Keuilian, author, ACE certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of HitechTrainer.com offers online personal training and nutrition programs that fit your budget and schedule. Whether your goal is to lose weight, firm and tone, or to build muscle, HitechTrainer.com will build a custom designed program just for you.
Visit: http://www.hitechtrainer.com/ and begin meeting your fitness goals today!
apartment cleaning near Highland Park ..Losing Weight quickly and easily has become one of the... Read More
Your Can Turn Fat into Muscle......Fact or Fiction???Completely False!!!!First of... Read More
Diet tips for losing weight abound. Some are good, some... Read More
Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight... Read More
Many people have asked me what foods they should eat... Read More
A bad day or even a bad week is not... Read More
How was it for you? Did you get through the... Read More
How would you like Julia Roberts to coach you on... Read More
Let's take a look at how your attitudes and perceptions... Read More
A startling fact is that carbohydrates are not responsible for... Read More
Dieting doesn't have to be a chore. Actually, you can... Read More
You are not a kid any more and becoming a... Read More
Weight loss is an issue that affects men and women... Read More
It's the travel time, meaning hours spent sedentary. It prepares... Read More
Do you know this year Florida will go through a... Read More
If you are losing, trying to lose, or think you... Read More
It comes as a surprise to many consumers that the... Read More
Are you one of the 90 million Americans who are... Read More
The South Beach Diet was not created by your typical... Read More
If anyone knows anything about fitness, it's that a low... Read More
Staying Toned After Weight Loss ---------------------------------------- Following significant weight loss,... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
It seems everyone is looking for that magic bullet -... Read More
Low carb diets, though popular, have met with much controversy.... Read More
cleaning lady near Arlington Heights ..With weight loss comes a lot of dedication and change... Read More
Maybe you losing weight comes down to the simple question,... Read More
Any dietary plan on the market has some portion of... Read More
You won't believe what happened to me today!I was getting... Read More
Fat Burners refer to the hundreds of products on the... Read More
The chemistry sounds very straightforward. Human body fat is a... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
Recently, I was reading about a diet plan where you... Read More
Whole grains and weight loss have a definite, scientific, and... Read More
Although it is obviously not possible to turn the clock... Read More
As much as many of us who are over-weight do... Read More
Chant the following each day, several times. They are mantras... Read More
Even if you're not overweight, you still could have a... Read More
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy... Read More
As a woman, your body is very complex. Throughout every... Read More
Cellulite happens to us for many reasons. Some reasons-- like... Read More
Your Can Turn Fat into Muscle......Fact or Fiction???Completely False!!!!First of... Read More
I'm sure you have pondered this question, for it is... Read More
Let me ask you a personal question. As you read... Read More
"I never saw it coming, how did I get so... Read More
A state of emergency has been recently put on European... Read More
It's common to respond to stress by distracting yourself with... Read More
I know a lot of people out there would like... Read More
In the early nineties I had the opportunity to work... Read More
Weight Loss |