Salt Sugar and Sitting Around: The Perfect Trio to Shorten Kids Lives

“Because of the increasing rates of obesity, unhealthy eating habits and physical inactivity, we may see the first generation that will be less healthy and have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.” – Former Surgeon General Richard Carmona

It’s hard not to be shocked by this news. 70% of all teens have one or more of these conditions: high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high triglycerides, low levels of HDL cholesterol and a LOT of extra pounds. Not to mention that there are also psychological effects. Obese children and teens are more prone to low self-esteem, negative body image, depression and anxiety.

Today about one in three American kids are classified as overweight. There is also an 80% chance that if a child is obese they will be obese as an adult. A child that is fed a steady stream of junk food and sugar will likely have a difficult time changing those eating patterns as a teen and young adult when they begin to have more freedom and are out on their own. Take a look at these facts:

These are the statistics in black and white, but with the busy times we live in sometimes the shock of the statistics can escape us. Our families have work, activities, school and homework – we speed through the drive through to grab some “chicken” nuggets and fries for dinner and many times ordering pizza after a long day just seems easier.

Start now with small changes

and you’ll have a greater chance of guiding your kids

to make healthier choices as adults.

Consider these ideas that will help you and your kids live a healthier lifestyle:

Reducing caloric intake is the easiest change. Restrictive diets that exclude favorite foods are very likely to fail … big time. Restricting favorite foods should be only limited to rare situations where the child must lose weight quickly for doctor prescribed reasons.

• Never let a child know they are on a diet, call it a “healthy choices” or “lifestyle changes.”
• Never discuss your child’s weight with them, make negative comments or tease.
• Gently introduce more vegetables into the diet by disguising them into sauces for spaghetti, chili, lasagna and pizza.
• Learn to say “no”, it’s OK not to give them everything they want. It’s OK to set food boundaries and guidelines for your home.
• Consider having sweet treats only one time per week outside of the home so there are no leftovers.
• Start cooking at home. You’ll save calories, sugar, salt and a ton of fat!
• Pack your child’s lunch and you’ll save them about 2,500 calories per week.

Becoming more active is a MUST

Increasing your child’s activity level is common in successful weight reduction. Be creative to generate a desire of activity for your children.

• Enroll your child in sports or a fitness class that they will enjoy.
• If you plan to take your child on a walk, jog or bike ride, go at their pace and not yours.
• This summer, remember that kids don’t have as many sweat glands as adults and can become overheated quickly. Have them drink plenty of water and take breaks often if necessary.
• Look for activities that the whole family will enjoy. Pick things that don’t seem like exercise: rock climbing, roller skating, bowling, swimming, shooting hoops, etc.

Parents involvement in behavior modification is vital. Modeling healthy living for your kids speaks volumes. Parents who are willing to lead out in exercise and balanced eating can effect their child’s health in a very positive way.

• You have to be the agent for lifestyle change by researching what will work best for your family – then implement it.
• Speak positive words over yourself and your body in front of your kids.
• Remember that you have influence over where, when, what and how much your child eats.
• Parent weight loss usually predicts child weight loss.

Model the 5 step action for your child

The more you care for yourself, you will become a better parent. You will be healthier, happier and have less stress, depression and anxiety when you are eating well and exercising.

• Set a small goal to lose 5 pounds.
• Be active 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes
• Eat 5 times a day. Three balanced meals and 2 healthy snacks.
• Eat at least 3 servings of veggies and 2 servings of fruit per day.
• 85% of all health problems are rooted in stress. Take time to breath deep and relax each day.

Proverbs 22:6 says, Train up a child in the way he should go and when he’s old he will not depart from it. My daughter Haley was 7 when I started putting many of these practices into place. It makes my heart smile to watch her now at 20 years old, off at college, feeding herself well and exercising. She has watch me eat and move over the last 13 years and now she is doing what I modeled for her. I never pushed healthy eating on her, but always guided her to it and always offered veggies for lunch and dinner. It’s silly, but I get excited when I see her put kale in her shake or eat a plate full of brussel sprouts just because she loves them! I have a younger daughter that I’m still working with and although at 12 she hasn’t fully mastered healthy eating and is prone to wander towards junk food and sweets, through trial and error, she is beginning to understand that she feels crummy when she consumes too much sugar and fatty foods.

It is important for adults who are pursuing a healthier diet to remember that children in the household need guidance to make healthy choices and training  to build lifelong healthy routines. This blog post is one of six articles featured in One Diet Week To Diet Weak. Read all of them and share them with your friends and family.

Don’t get discouraged. Keep working with your children and try new ideas often. Let them be involved in shopping and picking new veggies and fruits to try. They are more likely to enjoy the process if they have the ability to make some choices concerning the healthy foods and exercise you all try as a family.

Prayer:

Dear Lord, Please give me the strength to be an example to my child for the sake of their future. I want to do all that I can to help encourage them to take care of the body that You gave them. I want to humble myself and sacrifice my fleshly desires so that I can be a good example for my precious kids. I ask for your strength and your wisdom as I implement new healthy practices into my home. I rejoice that you are going to help me step onto a path of wellness that will impact the generations that will come after me and my children, In Jesus’ name, Amen.