 |
|
|
|
Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources | HOME PAGE Health Club 101 DIRECT Natural Supplements | HGH Energizer | Eazol Natural Pain Relief | Revitol Cellulite Solution IBS Irritable Bowel Syndrome | Menopause Symptoms Relief | Insomnia Sleeping Aid Articles & Information Medicine | Nutrition | Exercise | Fitness Equipment | Pregnancy Bodybuilding Supplements | Weight Loss | Breast Cancer | Diabetes Category Site Map |
 |
7 Part Plan To Beating Childhood Obesity
Everyone from politicians to parents is talking about fighting the war against childhood flab. It is odd that in a relatively wealthy countries such as the US and Australia improving children's health, weight and fitness should be a problem but it appears to be a sticking point with many. Childhood obesity in a developed country like Australia and the United States is essentially a lifestyle issue. Children are overweight because they eat inappropriate amounts and types of food and they don't exercise enough. To put it simply many children are stacking on the weight because calorie intake is higher than calories burned. Children's lifestyles are generally a reflection of those who raise them so parents need to figure heavily in any strategies put forward to improve the health and wellbeing of the next generation. The trouble is many parents have grown accustomed to outsourcing those hard to deal with issues such as sexuality and drug education to schools and other agencies. Children' health and well-being is an issue that parents should take prime responsibility for. Parents can beat childhood obesity rather than leave it up to schools to fix or politicians to meddle with. Here is a simple, fool-proof lifestyle plan that parents can adopt to ensure their children grow up healthy and fit rather than overweight and unhealthy: 1. Limit the amount of children's television, computer and electronic games usage to a maximum of two hours a day. Very little physical exertion is needed to watch TV or use other electronic equipment so for the sake of fitness their use of these needs to be limited. Send children outside, suggest they walk or ride to a friend's house or even suggest they have a friend or four over to play. One third of Australian children would prefer to play computer games than play outside so parents may have to be assertive and, at times, over-zealous but so be it. 2. Children walk or ride a bike to school each day. Recent Roy Morgan research revealed that 60 per cent of Australian 6 - 13 year olds would like to walk to school but only 30 per cent actually do. Most children would get their required minimum two hours of exercise a week by walking or riding their bikes to school. This may mean that parents may have to walk to school with younger children or ensure they are adequately supervised. Bike riding is not safe for every child but more bike tracks in the vicinity of schools would be a great start. 3. Keep unhealthy food out of the trolley and include more fruit. This may be stating the bleeding obvious but as keepers of the family purse parents have the main stake in what food goes in and what stays out of the shopping trolley. It seems that parents are on the right track as more Australian children eat fruit after school than sweet biscuits but even so the number of fruit eaters can do with a boost. Only 43 per cent of Australian children eat fruit after school so more fruit could be a good place to start. 4. Serve healthy meals at the table on a regular basis. The humble ritual that sees adults and children who are related to each other breaking bread together on a daily or at least regular basis has a lot going for it. Far from being a refuelling stop mealtime is an opportunity for everyone to catch up and to share good healthy, well-prepared food. True, busyness of life get in the way of this healthy ritual but it is about getting our priorities right. 5. Parents play with their children or join them in a physical activity. The family that plays together stays thin together could well be the motto of our times. It should be easy for adults to sell their children on the virtues of playing physical games outside as play comes before work in most children's dictionaries. Fathers tend to be the kings of play but work and other lifestyle factors can get in the way. 6. Encourage children to be involved in at least one organised physical activity each week. Some parents may need to be insistent but 88 per cent of Australian children say they enjoy sport so getting children motivated for physical activity shouldn't be hard. There is no shortage of options for children these days as there are activities and sports that cater of a diverse range of interests, abilities and body types. 7. Parents model a healthy lifestyle. Do as I do not as I say is the idea here. It is little use parents telling their kids to go out and play as they tuck into their second wine or they slump into the couch. Modelling is the most important tool in the armoury if we want children to develop sustained healthy eating and exercise habits. For the record, a healthy lifestyle is one where people talk to each other (ideal for emotional well-being), one where food and alcohol intake occurs in moderation and physical activity is a natural part of the day. This plan has a great deal going for it. It is cost-free, easy to use and places the responsibility where it lay - with parents. It also has the added bonus of promoting healthy relationships as if they follow this plan parents and kids should spend more time together which can't be a bad thing. For further ideas to help you raise happy children and resilient teenagers visit www.parentingideas.com.au . While you are there subscribe to Happy Kids newsletter and receive a free report - Seven ways to beat sibling rivalry. Michael Grose is Australia's leading parenting educator. He is the author of six books and gives over 100 presentations a year and appears regularly on television, radio and in print. For further ideas to help you raise happy children and resilient teenagers visit http://www.parentingideas.com.au. While you are there subscribe to Happy Kids newsletter and receive a free report Seven ways to beat sibling rivalry.
MORE RESOURCES:
Men's Health
|
Women's
Health |
Children's
Health |
Elder
Health
Medicine - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Weight Loss the Easy Way! With weight loss comes a lot of dedication and change of lifestyle. We can start with exercise, which is vital to all weight loss programs. The Health Effects of Being Overweight Both men and women around the world are becoming fatter and it's partly because of our modern lifestyle, too much fatty food and too little exercise. Some people say, 'Why should it matter if I'm overweight as long as I feel okay?' But being overweight does matter because it increases the risk of health problems such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and some cancers. How I Lost 51 Pounds In 4 Months Using The Simplest Diet Plan In The World Like many people I've been on dozens of diet plans over the years ranging from Atkins to South Beach to Weightwatchers to Jenny Craig and lots more besides. In fact, I've eaten enough cabbage soup to satisfy a small country! I'm 5 feet 10 and I used to weigh 230 pounds and needed to lose a good 50 pounds to get myself in some short of shape. Fad Diets, And Why Theyre Bad For Your Weight Loss And Long Term Health If you're serious about losing weight and getting fit, you probably can't go a week without hearing about the latest fad diet, and why you should drop what you're doing to buy the book. Each new diet gives us proof that fad diets aren't all that they're cracked up to be. Dumping Syndrome: The Dirty Secret Gastric Bypass Patients Keep Dumping syndrome is an effective result of the gastric bypass system which alerts the body of inappropriate eating. Dumping syndrome is described as a shock-like state when small, easily absorbed food particles rapidly dump into the digestive system. Empowerment and Self-Control - What it Really Takes to get Control of your Weight Chant the following each day, several times. They are mantras that will save your life -- The choice to do nothing is still a choice and yields nothing. Weight Loss Tip - The Importance of Lowering Your Body-Fat! When you hear a doctor or a personal trainer say, "Your body fat is too high, or you are borderline obese, what do you think? Does it matter to you? Does it motivate you to lose weight? Or are the numbers on the scale more important?Most people will always have a love - hate relationship with the scale in their bathroom. However, with the dramatic increase in diabetes and obesity cases in America the importance of keeping your overall body fat down becomes the most important issue to ones health. Heading Off Winter Weight Gain Before it Gets Started Must We Gain Weight Every WinterIt's that time of year we all start thinking about putting on a healthy layer of fat, just like the hibernating bears. From a nip in the air to a massive snow and ice storm, there is a palpable difference in the air. The Effect Of A Low Carb Diet On Your Insulin Level The underlying principles of low carb diets are based on the role of insulin in our body. There are three basic units the body uses for energy: Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates. Personalized Weight Loss Plans -- Breaking the Yo-Yo Cycle of Failed Diets Dieting will continue to fail most dieters, unless personalized weight loss plans become more available. A diet designed for a mass market will fail because the diet assumes everything is constant or the same between dieters. Weight Loss Surgery: A Last Resort Thinking about weight loss surgery? You're not alone. Over two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese. Mexican Living: Too Dang Fat! I thought I could avoid this when we moved to Mexico. I thought being here would effect a permanent change. Not One Ounce -- Candy At Your House Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always hung Hershey's Kisses on the tree. Diet Fads: Supermarket Sheep Eighteen or twenty years ago, I was into high protein, high fat, low carbohydrate diets, courtesy of the original Atkins Diet Revolution and, to an even greater extent, Stillman's Quick Weight Loss Diet (which I must admit I still prefer to Atkins but that's merely personal taste). At the time, every aisle was loaded with labels proclaiming Low Fat or Reduced Fat. Mamma Said: Keep Your Fingers Out Of Your Mouth Watching television exercises our eyes but nothing else. Unfortunately, it doesn't require us to do anything with our hands which leaves them free to grab something to eat. How To Find Your Ideal Body Weight A calorie is the unit used to measure the energy value of food and the energy used by the body to maintain normal functions. When the calories from food intake equal the calories of energy the body uses, weight remains constant. Go for Scientific Weight Loss Considering the US Center for Disease Control's advice is a very good idea. Fat, although systematically proven useful to the human body, is not only a waste of food. How the Protein Diet Works Protein is an essential nutrient necessary for maintaining good health. In its basic form protein consists of amino acid chains. Top 10 Diet Tips From Diet Winners Use these tips to turbo charge your weight loss program.Take it one pound at a time:Don't get overwhelmed by how much weight you need to lose. Weight Gain = Poor Quality of Life Gaining up to 20 pounds over four years can significantly decrease quality of life, according to a study in the Dec. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
|
|
home | site map Men's Health | Women's Health | Children's Health | Elder Health Holistic Health | Healthy Heart | Cancer | Weight Loss Exercise & Fitness | Healthy Resources |
|
|
