 e have all heard the prognosis: overweight and obesity leads to a future of ill health, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. Yet, it seems the consequences of childhood obesity are not a theoretical possibility should these kids reach adulthood: research announced at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress
in October 2010, shows that the blood vessels of obese 13-year-olds are as stiff as those of much older adults with cardiovascular disease. Heart disease isn’t just likely, it’s already there.
How did we get here?
Technology definitely takes some of the blame: in 1971, kids didn’t start watching television until they were four years old. Now babies five months of age are stuck in front of the TV. And while you would think children are active by nature, according to one study, 89% of children’s time in daycare settings is sedentary time. Obviously, we can’t rely on toddlers and young children to spontaneously be active: they must be taught to move and active play must be programmed into their days.
Our busy, modern lifestyles also share in the burden of blame. Nearly 70% of adults agree that take-out and delivery meals make life easier, and nearly 80% believe it’s a better use of their leisure time than cooking. Over 20% of us eat in a fast food restaurant every day, and we spend about half of our food dollars on meals outside the home. Unfortunately, restaurant and fast food meals have larger portions and are higher in calories and fat than the meals prepared at home. The frozen dinners and boxed instant meals served at home to quench hunger pangs are also high in calories. And even though prepared at home, they can still be deemed ‘fast food’.
All in the family
Just as parents teach their kids to walk and talk or to learn the difference between right and wrong, parents also model health behaviours for their children. Not surprisingly, a 2011 study found that the most important factor affecting the BMI score of children was the nutrition and activity present in the family environment. Young children do not buy groceries or prepare meals: these tasks fall to the parents. In order for kids to improve their food intake and activity
levels, the adults in the family have to take charge.
Food focus
Preparing healthy food doesn’t have to take a lot of time and for budget-conscious families, it’s much less expensive than a drive-thru dinner. With a small investment in a slow cooker and a few minutes in the morning, a hot, nutritious meal will be ready when you come in the door at night. Enjoy roast chicken or beef with potatoes and vegetables, soups, chili, and other soon-to-be family favourites.
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Use weekends to make and freeze nutrient-rich pasta sauces, combining grated carrot, chopped celery and mushroom with your tomato base. On pasta night, simply heat and add to whole wheat or gluten-free rice pasta. Forget the chips and sweet snacks; stock your kitchen with fresh fruit, yogourt and whole grain cereals. Over time, with mom’s and dad’s enthusiastic support of the family’s new menu, children’s taste buds will evolve to crave healthier foods.
Regain portion control
Many have lost sight of reasonable food portions and can no longer sense when we’ve had enough to eat. As a family, focus on relearning satiety clues. In the meantime, scoop out small servings of food, taking time to chew every mouthful. Give yourself 15-20 minutes to eat, as it takes this long for your brain to register fullness. Then, if you’re still hungry, take
another small serving of food. Teach kids that their meat portion of food should be about the size of their palm; starchy carbohydrates like potatoes or rice should be about the size of their fist. Encourage kids to fill the rest of their plates with vegetables, roughly equivalent to the size of their hands with fingers outstretched. Food should be piled no higher than an inch (2.5 cm). Teach kids that food is for nourishment and is not a source of comfort. If you or your kids use food as a coping mechanism, talk to your health care provider about services that can help.
Move it and lose it
Encourage your child to participate in lunch hour or after school sports activities or teams. Retire as school chauffeur. Set the example and walk your child to school or allow older children to walk with a buddy. Send the kids to the backyard or allow them to play at a local park a few times per week.
Model an active lifestyle: park farther from the mall or get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way. Leave the car at home when you need to dash out to the corner store. Institute a family walk after dinner.
And while technology has played a role in kids getting fat, it can also be used as a tool to help them get and stay fit. Interactive fitness games or ‘exergames’ have become increasingly popular, and are a great way for the family to play together – or simply to get exercise on a rainy day. Put your television and game console to good use, and enjoy tennis, wake-boarding or dance classes in your living room!
Healthy self-esteem
In the spirit of trying to preserve our kids’ feelings, we often share the message that they must love themselves as they are, no matter their shape or size. So true. Positive change will only come about when we start from a place of gratitude for our bodies. Unfortunately, too often the message stops here. Instead, along with preserving healthy self-esteem, kids must also be encouraged to create a healthy body. And in the process of regaining their healthy body, they will learn the benefits of working toward a goal; they will learn the power they possess; and they will learn the thrill of overcoming challenges. Ah yes, then their self-esteem will really get a boost, will it not? H&L
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