Childhood Obesity: A Parent’s How-to on Combat

“Childhood Obesity: A Parent’s How-to on Combat”

By: Stephanie Clinton

            Many new statistics from the Center for Disease Control have come out, proclaiming that childhood obesity is on the rise, and the projected age limit for the coming generations, is far less than that of their parents. As a concerned parent, how do you fight such statistics, and make sure that your child will grow up healthy, and live to be a ripe old age? Regular diet, exercise, and love are all you need.

            Growing children do need a lot to eat, that’s true, but no thirteen year old boy needs a Big Mac Super-Sized Combo, even if he did just come from basketball practice. Instead, trying feeding him colors; bananas, oranges, apples; these will give his body back the nutrients he lost in sweat, and aide in muscle growth, so the next time he practices he will not wear out as quickly. This should be the same for all children and teens though. Feeding them the basic food groups, along with lots of different colors at every meal will help contribute to a long, healthy, happy life for your son or daughter.

            Another important aspect to fighting obesity is regular exercise. Most elementary and middle schools have a required fitness program, but this drops off in high schools. In order to combat this, try writing your school board, or town senate, asking them to make physical education required all four years in high school. If you don’t believe this will work, and your child is not involved in sports, try to make a family outing of it. Once a month go hiking together, or simply get a treadmill and set up a nice place for it away from where it will become an oversized coat hanger, then get your kid interested in it by using it yourself every day. Remember, children learn best by example.

            The last, and most important, step is to love. Why? Many teenagers have developed mental issues because they believed they were obese, when really they were only moderately overweight, or sometimes not at all overweight. These kids can develop these disorders from many different sources, but it’s important as a parent not to become one. Show your child you love them no matter what the scale says. Tell them that the models and movie stars they see are unrealistic and unhealthy. By staying loving and involved, your teen will be less at risk to combat “obesity” with kamikazes.

            Childhood obesity is a very important issue. As a parent, you need to stay involved in your child’s life and make sure they are getting the nutrition, exercise, and love that they need. If everyone looked positively towards a brighter future for their children, obesity would not even be an issue.