Obesity and overweight rates continue to soar among American kids, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The number of obese children and adolescents has tripled since 1980. This decline in health is attributed to a lifestyle based around junk food and lack of exercise. Fast-food restaurants are more common than ever, and parents with busy lives often rely on junk food for their kids. The advent of computer games and home entertainment means regular exercise among children is rarer nowadays. Obesity leads to heart disease and many other health concerns, so you must change your kids' lifestyles.
Lifestyle
You may need to overhaul the way your family lives in general to help your kids tone up and lose weight. Parents who purchase junk food that is high in calories and take children to fast-food restaurants are far more likely to place the kids at risk of obesity, explains MayoClinic.com. Fast-food restaurants are hard to avoid in the United States, which has about 85,000 of them. In 1970, Americans spent just $6 billion on fast food, but by 2000 this rose to $110 billion, and it continues to rise every year. Avoid fast food and buy fresh produce from supermarkets. Take time to cook for your kids, and enjoy family meals together. Encourage them to exercise daily and involve the whole family in fun activities. Kids mimic adults, according to the Weight-control Information Network, so you must set a good example.
Diet
A healthy, balanced diet for people of all ages should consist of 54 percent carbohydrates, 28 percent fats and 18 percent protein. The carbohydrates you give your kids should come from fruits and vegetables, and whole grains like wild rice, whole-wheat pasta and oats. The protein should come from lean meats like chicken and turkey, fish like salmon, and from beans, peas and lentils. The fats should come from olive oil, oily fish, avocados, nuts, seeds and olives. Avoid fatty cuts of meat, chips, fries, donuts, and chocolate. Give your children water instead of soda.
Exercise
Kids are full of energy and need to be encouraged to exercise. This will help them tremendously to tone up and shed excess body fat. Kids should take a minimum of one hour of moderate-to-vigorous exercise each day, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Muscle-building activities to help your kids tone up include climbing and swimming. Combine these with aerobic exercises such as running to help them lose weight. If your kids are obese, start them with simple exercises like hopscotch and walking before building up to running and team sports.
Benefits
Keeping your kids slim and toned with a nutritious balanced diet and regular exercise means they should be protected against obesity as well as heart disease, cancer, diabetes and hundreds of other diseases and conditions. They will have more energy and be less likely to suffer from stress and depression.
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; NCHS Health E-Stat; Cynthia Ogden, Ph.D., and Margaret Carroll, M.S.P.H.; June 2010
- MayoClinic.com; Childhood Obesity; October 2010
- Ecosalon; The Standard American Diet in Pictures and Numbers; Sarah Irani; January 2008
- Weight-control Information Network; Helping Your Overweight Child; January 2008
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005; July 2008
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans; October 2008
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