Childhood Obesity: A Preventable Epidemic

By Dona Frazee, R.N., Vice President, Visiting Nurses of Albany, Saratoga, Rensselaer

HEALTHY BITES

The next time you pass a park or playground, just listen. You're waiting to hear the sounds of children laughing, playing and running around. But it's a lot quieter than you expected, right? Where are the kids of today? Chances are they are in front of a television or computer. Chances are they are snacking. Chances are they are gaining weight at an unprecedented rate.

Government statistics show a tripling in obesity rates of children and adolescents in the past 20 years. Nearly one in five American children is overweight. A variety of risk factors for cardiovascular disease go along with obesity including high cholesterol, high blood sugar and high blood pressure. This epidemic paints a grim picture for the health of our children.

What can we do? The answer is multifaceted but much of it comes down to common sense; activity, nutrition, along with parental example and support are the key components to a successful strategy.

Limiting sedentary activities to two hours per day is a good place to start. This includes television, video games and computer. Your child can choose between Sponge Bob or sending instant messages on the computer to friends but you need to remind them when their two hour limit is reached. Encourage 30 minutes of sustained physical activity each day. One way to assure this is to make exercise a family affair. You don't need to join a health club or have expensive equipment. Biking, walking or running can all be a family activity. On a rainy day you can go to the mall, with the understanding that you'll be doing some serious walking before window shopping. Plan weekend activities that can include friends, such as hiking, swimming, skating or canoeing. Set positive goals your child is interested in reaching, such as being able to keep up with their friend while biking uphill.

Keeping healthy foods in the house is the choice of the family member who does the grocery shopping, most often one of the parents. If you bring home apples for a snack, your child will have an apple. If you bring home fudge cookies for a snack, your child will have fudge cookies. Choosing a diet that has ample fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low fat dairy and lean meats is a good choice in general, whether you are overweight or not. Portion control is a consideration. It may be surprising that the little nutritional panel on a box of pasta considers a "portion" as a half cup of pasta. How many times have you served up a "portion" of pasta that was only half a cup?

Fast food and "junk" foods should are just that: junk. It doesn't have to be "never," but it should never be everyday. If you go to the drive through on Wednesday, go to the stove on Thursday and cook up a healthier meal.

Sometimes with children it's not about losing weight. They simply need to stop gaining and "grow into" their weight as their height increases. Don't allow your child to go on a fad diet or starvation diet. In fact, if you think your child needs to lose weight, talk to your child's doctor. Instead of a diet, chances are all they need is some healthy eating and exercise.

The best way to help your children is to be a parent. Help your children to understand their choices, help them set goals and help them stay focused. Your example will set the stage for your child's success. If you're concerned about what your child has for lunch when you're not there, pack a lunch together the night before. If your child sees you choosing the turkey sandwich and banana over the bacon cheeseburger and brownie, they'll start to make the same choices. Make sure to set aside time for the family dinner. It will allow you to connect with your child and find out how their day was and you'll have the opportunity to monitor their food intake. Let the kids become involved in meal planning and preparation. These are skills you want them to have for a healthy life.

Children are fragile things. If your child is overweight, chances are he's already heard about it on the playground long before you brought it up. While your children are on the way to becoming more fit, they need to know they have your unconditional love and support whatever their weight is. Criticism won't motivate. The more positive your approach to tackling this problem, the more positive the results will be. Your acceptance and encouragement play a crucial role on the way to this worthwhile lifestyle change.