From Your Health Journal…..”The Huffington Post has some amazing writers, and I did enjoy Debbie Gisonni’s post recently about how parents can take responsibility for childhood obesity. This has always been a very touchy area. I have seen the media come down pretty hard on parents with obese children, almost claiming it is a form of child abuse. On the other hand, I have also seen other forms of media take a different approach in an effort to give support and information to parents. The author of this article makes many valid points, I feel, in an educated manner. She also states, “There’s a reason why children live with parents until they become adults. They aren’t capable of taking care of themselves. Their brains aren’t even fully developed until their mid-20s, so up until then, good judgment is compromised.” A child’s environment has changed over the last 25 years, and we cannot raise children the same way our parents did – meaning adjustments must be made to a child’s lifestyle to help them lead a healthy lifestyle, starting with the parents. Do I think having an overweight child is a form of child abuse. Absolutely not! Do I think a parent can help a child lead a healthier lifestyle. Absolutely yes! But, it is a team effort from everyone in a child’s life.”
From the article…..
The Biggest Loser weight loss reality show kicked off 2013 with a kid’s edition to help end childhood obesity. First lady Michelle Obama has been traveling the country educating kids and communities on nutrition and exercise. Numerous health and state organizations have followed suit with similar programs and campaigns.
While it’s encouraging to see so many community leaders (yes, reality shows do influence the public) taking the issue of childhood obesity to heart, ultimately, this is a parent’s responsibility. As a parent or guardian, you have a choice — to be a contributor to child obesity or be a role model for healthy living. There’s a reason why children live with parents until they become adults. They aren’t capable of taking care of themselves. Their brains aren’t even fully developed until their mid-20s, so up until then, good judgment is compromised.
Only a generation ago, family dinners were eaten together, school lunches were homemade and pre-packaged or fast food was the exception rather than the rule for meals. Kids actually played (meaning they moved their body in some way) outside every day. So, it’s easy to blame child obesity on changing times. Today’s dual income, tech-centric, over-scheduled families who consume highly processed meals without any form of regular exercise makes living a healthy lifestyle difficult at best. But then again, even my generation of kids had temptations. We could have sat in front of the TV eating TV dinners all day, but we didn’t. We didn’t because it wasn’t allowed. There were rules and boundaries set by our parents that prohibited laziness and bad eating. I wasn’t even allowed to get a snack out of the kitchen without permission from my mother!
If you want your children to be healthy and fit kids and adults, you need to set boundaries and be the best role model you can.
Here are 10 ways you can take responsibility for your child’s health and well-being:
To read the full article…..Click here