Prevent Childhood Obesity by Making Changes Now

Prevent Childhood Obesity

Avoid Childhood Obesity by Helping Your Child Stay Active and Healthy

Can you really teach your child to become active and healthy?  Yes, you can. And no, it doesn’t have to be a struggle.  The secret is to get your child moving and eating right.

We all know that Americans are becoming heavier. Unfortunately, this growing trend isn’t bypassing our children. Obesity in children has tripled over the last couple of decades leading to previously unheard of childhood diseases such as high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. And overweight kids have a tendency to become overweight teens leading to overweight adults. It’s a vicious cycle.

So, what can you do?

September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

September is National Childhood Obesity Month

by Gordon Echtenkamp

Over the past few decades, childhood obesity rates in the United States have skyrocketed, increasing more than fourfold among those ages 6 to 11. More than 23 million children and teenagers in the United States ages 2 to 19 are obese or overweight putting them at early risk for Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and even stroke. If America’s trend continues at its current pace, all 50 states could have obesity rates above 44 percent by 2030, according to a new report from Trust for America’s Health and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and according to the same report, at the current rate of weight gain, by 2030, 57.2 percent of Texans will be obese. The good news is we can do something about it.

Make it a family effort. Setting a good example is the best way to reinforce the importance of exercise to your child. For instance, you could take the whole family on a weekend day trip to a state or national park and go hiking. If you don’t feel like going that far, get creative – transform your backyard or a nearby park into an obstacle course and compete in Family Olympics. When your child sees you participating in and enjoying regular exercise, they’ll be more likely to pick up the habit.