Parents: Lead by example in fight against childhood obesity

Last week we had the opportunity to attend the NYS Fair. Love the Fair! I grew up not far from the Fairgrounds and attended every chance I had.

One of my favorites things to do at the Fair is people-watch. But sadly, one thing I really took notice of this year was the number of obese children in attendance.

While childhood obesity may be due to genetic or hormonal issues, often the culprit is poor eating habits and inactivity.

What can we do to fix this problem?

I am sure you are aware this is a significant public health problem in the United States.

The number of overweight adolescents has tripled since 1980, and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled.

According to the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 16% of children ages 6–19 are overweight.

Not only have those rates increased, but also the heaviest children in a recent NHANES survey were markedly heavier than those in previous surveys.

Why are our kids gaining so much weight?

It’s fairly obvious that it’s a combination of video games, computers, a bazillion channels on TV, lack of activity, convenience foods, etc.

It’s true that most kids go through a chubby stage before they hit puberty, and once they have a growth spurt they generally slim right down.

However, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t encourage your child to be active and make healthier food choices.

Don’t forget that as parents you need to be good role models. Some studies have shown that families who eat at least three meals together per week have 12% lower odds of being overweight.

It was also found that children were 20% less likely to eat junk food, 35% less likely to have eating problems like skipping meals or bingeing, and 24% more likely to eat vegetables and other healthy foods.

Granted, this information came from 17 studies that were based on observations, not actual experiments.

They don’t prove that shared meals trim waistlines, but it makes the association that families who sit down together could be healthier to begin with.

Again, we need to be role models to our kids. If we don’t exhibit healthy behaviors, why should they?

Michelle Obama has put together a comprehensive initiative called Let’s Move! that is dedicated to solving the challenge of childhood obesity.

Combining comprehensive strategies with common sense, Let’s Move! is about putting children on the path to a healthy future during their earliest months and years.

The program fosters environments that support healthy choices, healthier foods in our schools, and encourages kids to become more physically active.

Check out the website at: www.letsmove.gov and maybe you’ll find some strategies that you can incorporate into your own lives.

And even if your child does not have weight issues, would it hurt to introduce them to healthier habits?

Start with small changes. Add an extra fruit or vegetable (which can be found farm-fresh at the Old Forge Farmers’ Market on Fridays from 2 to 6 p.m.) to your daily meal plan.

Serve more whole grains, and sit down together for meals or plan a family activity every week.

Every couple of weeks add another healthy habit.

Before you know it your entire family will be enjoying the benefits of a healthy lifestyle.

As a single parent of teenagers, trust me.

I know it’s not always easy, but your child’s and your own health is worth the effort!