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By: Tom Haye
Experts tell us that amount of overweight or obese children have reached epidemic proportions. The current figures show that over 65% of Americans are obese with almost 30% falling into the clinically obese range. This trend spills over into the statistics for children with around 15% to 20% thought to be overweight and almost 30% of those are clinically obese. Research has shown that children who are born to parents who are seriously overweight are likely to become obese themselves. Many obese children have behavior and learning problems These children are more susceptible to pediatric hypertension, type II diabetes, increased risk of heart disease, the extra weight on their joints and lastly social problems with their peers. If you are worried that your child might be overweight, your physician can measure your child's height and weight and tell you if your child is within the healthy range for his or her age. This is the easiest way to determine if your child’s excess weight is just part of a growth pattern that they will outgrow or is something that needs to be addressed. Children must be provided with foods that are nutritionally sound and foods that they actually will eat. Provide your child with a support system by removing the usual suspects of potato chips, pop, sweets and other damaging foods from the home. It is so important to move away from all those ready-to-eat processed foods which contain almost no nutritional value and develop new habits of eating fresh and healthy foods. Provide carrot sticks or bananas instead of chips as a snack. The average child spends a lot of time watching television or playing computer games. These activities provide no exercise and often take away a child’s time when playing sports would be a more healthier choice. A major social concern is that children's health is being put at risk by the marketing of junk food through television. Some of your lifestyle habits may need to change during this process. Promote physical activity by suggesting an activity they can do, or better yet, go outside with them and join in. One of the great regrets of our modern age is the lack of activity of our children. As the child reaches school age, physical activity should be around 30 minutes to an hour daily. As a parent you can take an active role in helping your child and making sure that your whole family learns healthy eating and physical activity habits that can last for a lifetime. Try to model healthy and positive attitudes toward food and physical activity without focusing on body weight. Take any changes gradually as healthy lifestyles develop slowly over time. Remember that children learn from the example you set.
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To learn more about Obese Children, visit Tom Haye's website eChildHoodObesity.com to receive a free guide about developing healthy habits in children.
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