3 Basic Ways to Help Prevent Obesity in Children

Obesity in today’s world is a rapidly growing health concern that must be addressed in order to improve the health of the general population. Not only has obesity become a serious issue in the lives of hundreds or more of American adults but this problem is quickly spreading to our younger generations as well. As a result there are many children who are not only faced with the mounting pressures of growing into young adults but the added strain of the effects of obesity as well.
In the past decade the number of children affected by obesity has risen dramatically leaving many people wondering how this problem got to be so far out of control. As a result many parents get the blame for this occurrence and while parents do play a large part in this they are not necessarily to blame for all obesity issues of their children.

There are several steps that a parent can employ in an effort to prevent their children from being plagued by the stress that is created when obesity is a factor. It is important to remember that not every case of childhood obesity can be stopped and sometimes there are other issues behind this condition. Below are some general guidelines to help prevent children from becoming obese when the causes are simple issues such as those relating to lack of physical activity and over indulgence of unhealthy foods.

1.Limit the amount of time your child watches television or participates in other non physical forms of entertainment. By decreasing the amount of time your child is allowed to participate in these types of activities you are hereby improving the chances that your child will choose to partake in other activities that require a little more exercise which will prevent large amounts of weight gain.

2.Limit the availability of junk food and other unhealthy food options. Since children do a large amount of snacking after school and before bed make the primary options available healthy food choices such as fruits and vegetables and other foods that are less likely to lead to obesity. If the junk food is not available they are less likely to struggle with obesity. This is not to say that sweet treats should be avoided altogether, some of these foods are okay if consumed in moderation.

3.Exercise with your children. Studies show that families who exercise together are much less likely to have issues with obesity. This is because there is a conscious effort on the parent’s part to show their children their health is important to them and when this practice is started at a young age the children often continue it into adulthood.

Although these suggestions will not prevent every child from becoming obese it may surprise you how many children it will help. By being more aware of and involved in what are children are doing in their free time we therefore are more able to have a bigger influence on their lives.