The reason so many are overweight may have nothing to do with food
I received samples of products that I included in this post.
I look around and I see so many kids that are overweight. Now before you accuse me of fat-shaming, this is not the purpose of this post. This post is more of why a child could be overweight and why it may not be their fault. It saddens me to see childhood obesity effects on kids and I just want to share this info in hopes of helping someone, especially our younger generation. I also want to share tips on how to help your child develop healthy habits as it is about health and not weight. I wrote about loving your body and not the number on the scale HERE. I am not going to shame anyone for their size but I want to share info that may help someone on their journey to have a healthy body so they can feel better.
Obesity is one of the biggest health problems in the world
I read somewhere that our life expectancy is falling as there is an increase in health problems. Health problems like heart disease, diabetes, depression(suicide), and drug overdoses. My main concern is seeing kids at my son's school who are caring extra pounds that leaves them unable to walk a mile in gym class without being out of breath. These kids do not enjoy gym class as to them it is a time of torture. When did gym class become torture instead of a fun enjoyable time? My boys love gym class and enjoy playing sports. They love being outside instead of playing video games and watching TV. Some might say that video games and TV are the causes of kids are overweight but it is so much more and I think it is time that we do something about this before it is too late. It saddens me to see young kids so overweight that they are waddling and having trouble with exercise. It is not fair to a child to be out of breath when they are walking upstairs. It may not be kids' fault why they have extra pounds on their body, it may be the parent's responsibility. There may also be hormonal causes of childhood obesity but this article is going to focus on reasons that we parents can control.
My son likes to tell me it is the kid's fault
I point out to my son that that child sometimes has no choice in their size. I was a fat child and I don't blame my mom as she was dealing with some awful things when I was growing up but I can look back at my childhood and see things that led me to be the fat chubby kid. I remember how difficult it was to find clothes that fit me as my mom had to select from the pretty plus section. I remember being made fun of because of my size. I remember being sick and not being able to do things that other kids could do because of my size.
I tell my son that the fat child has no control over the food he eats and he may not have someone setting a good example of good nutrition. The child may have a medical reason for being an overweight child. The parent may not even know about good nutrition and exercise for a healthy body so how are they supposed to set a good example for the child? So I want to encourage parents to make changes in their life which then can help their kids. I listed some reasons why I think kids are unhealthy today to help you start making changes.
Lack of exercise
I think one of the big reasons kids are chubby is simply put, the lack of exercise. There are many reasons kids are not getting exercise. It may because we are too busy or we are afraid to let our kids play outside. It may be that kids have too much screen time on devices like phones and computers. It may be that schools have cut back on recess or gym. It may be that we drive everywhere when kids could walk to school. A fun scooter could help kids be motivated to exercise more or even start walking to school.
Overuse of cars
I think we rely on our cars more than we need to. We as parents drive our kids everywhere when they could be walking. When I was a kid, my family only had one car so if I wanted to go somewhere I walked or biked. So rethink hopping into the car when the destination is less than 1-2 miles away. I like to think of these small walking times as a great way to get some healthy exercise and to spend quality time with my kids. If your kids are older like mine, they can walk or bike to places by themselves, instead of you driving them by car. It will help them become more independent.
Kids are inside too much
There can be many reasons why kids are inside instead of playing outside. We parents are working and the kids are home alone or parents are too busy to get outside with their kids. I am guilty of the later and need to spend more time outside with my boys. We worry about their safety or things like video games are getting a kid's attention. So I think we need to make a point to have kids get outside more. That outside time could be playing in the yard, going for a walk, park time, or simply outside playing with outdoor toys like bikes and jump ropes.
No time to prepare meals so we eat fast food too much
Our busy lives lead to us eating out too much and that is not good for our health. Feeding kids happy meals is a cause for this weight problem. Rethink how you do meals. That time in the drive-thru could be enough time to cook a simple meal at home like pasta. Add up all the money you spend on eating meals out of the home and you will discover that it may be cheaper to get healthy meals delivered to your home.
We are too busy
We as a society are too busy or we just don't manage our time well. We tend to over-schedule our day and have no time for exercise or preparing healthy food. Both parents may have to work but do our kids really need so many activities? Sure we can justify that the kids are participating in sports but how much of that time involves them moving? Then having all these activities can lead to us ordering a pizza instead of cooking a meal at home.
We eat too much convenience food
The average person is buying too much processed unhealthy food and that is not good for our kid's health. Those frozen meals and processed snacks are loaded with unhealthy nutrition. Preparing healthy food may take more time but it is what we need for healthy bodies. Check out some easy to make healthy snacks that kids will eat. Start serving your children more healthy snacks that include fruit or veggies. My boys love apple slices with creamy tahini, pretzels, and chocolate chips.
Unhealthy habits are being passed down
People like to say that certain health problems and diseases are hereditary but instead, it may be unhealthy habits that are being passed down. I think to some extent type 2 diabetes may be hereditary but it really can be the unhealthy eating habits and unhealthy exercise habits that are being passed down. So break the cycle and start passing down healthy habits to your children. We parents are the best example kids have so if we make healthy food and exercise a priority so will our kids. Even moms can find time to exercise with these exercise tips for stay at home moms.
13 Simple Ways To Sneak In A Workout
We have become lazy
All this new technology has made us lazy and it may be affecting our health. We no longer have to move as we can answer the door from our chair, use a remote to change the channel or heat setting. We can even order fast food to our house instead of getting in the car to go pick it up. We no longer walk into a grocery store and get a small amount of exercise as we can pick up our groceries in the drive-thru lane.
We are afraid
We are afraid to let our kids play outside or walk to school so we drive them everywhere. I think the internet has made us more aware of the dangers that were always present when we were kids so we stay inside instead of getting outdoors. Take back these fears and teach kids how to be safe. Then allow kids to play outside or even walk to school with friends.
Lack of nutrition information
So many people don't even know about nutrition so how can they eat food that is good for their bodies. Then there are the folks who jump from one diet plan to another in hope for a quick fix solution to get their body in shape. It is not about a special diet that we follow for a month but rather a lifestyle change that needs to happen to take charge of our health. As parents, we need to make that change so our kids can learn about what they need to do to have a healthy body.
We make excuses or blame things
We can make all the excuses or blame about why we don't eat healthily or exercise but that will do us no good. I remember posting a while back on Facebook about how I make food and exercise my medicine and somebody got very angry. They made the comment that their husband drives a truck all day and does not have time for exercise. To that person, I say her husband can make the time. He can park his truck and walk laps around his truck for 30 minutes. You can make time for exercise as I did the other day at the airport. I had an hour before my flight was leaving so I walked laps at the airport. I was amazed that three other people started doing the same thing. I even make time for exercise when I am traveling as it makes me feel good. I find that 20 minutes in the hotel gym gives me energy and also helps my body avoid travel problems like constipation. I also bring my Regular Girl with me when I travel as it is a great way to get my daily probiotics along with some prebiotic fiber. There is no right way to get exercise as it is about moving and getting your heart rate up. Here are some ideas for ways to get some exercise.
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What can we do
I think the first thing we can do to help our kids become healthy is to realize that we need to make changes. Then we can look at our life and our kid's life and see where we can make some healthy changes. Start with one thing at a time so we don't overwhelm our kids or ourselves. Have grace on yourself and don't feel guilty but rather feel good that you are making changes for the better. Take one day at a time and wake up each day with good intentions to make a change in something whether it is having your child play outside or eat an apple. If things don't go as you planned, just realize that you can keep trying. Reach one goal before starting the next and before you know you will have made some healthy changes for the better.
Don't focus on weight
When you start making changes in your child's diet and behaviors, don't focus on their weight or that only the child has to make changes. Instead, set the example and make the whole family participate. Start adding healthy food into your diet and slowly take away food that is not nutritious. It can be something as simple as adding spinach to eggs or apple slices to their lunch. Include the kids help when shopping and let them choose a new healthy food that they would like to try. Give the kid's choices when selecting the new foods, for example, they can have apple slices or grab-and-go TahiniBars® that taste so delicious. Make exercise fun and a family thing like going for a family bike ride. These habits will not happen overnight and it may take a while to become a new norm.
Focus on fun
Instead of focusing on exercise as a chore, make exercise a fun time. Buy your kids and yourself a fun toy that encourages exercise. Most kids love to jump rope or jump on a pogo stick. Kids even find jumping on a trampoline fun, I know I do. I just received a fun jump rope that makes skipping rope a fun workout for adults. This Crossrope is weighted so you can get an effective full-body workout. This unique jump rope comes in different sizes to fit adults. The jump rope also has ergonomic handle grips that give you a smooth jumping experience every time. This Crossrope is different as it has interchangeable handles so you change between light and heavy ropes for a more versatile workout. So now you have no excuse to not be able to work out just because you have kids. Buy your kids a jump rope and then buy yourself a Crossrope so you can have fun playing outside. Head over HERE to learn more about the Crossrope and also see the Crossrope in action.
What is one thing that you are going to change to help your kids become healthy?
It can be as simple as adding spinach and Regular Girl to your eggs.
24 comments:
These are some interesting points. I do agree that children seem to spend too much time inside.
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Keeping your kids active and engaged to outdoor activity will keep them healthy. Aside from providing a healthy meal everyday.
There are tons of reasons why kids today are overweight, but I think one thing remains constant. They need people in their lives to encourage them to be healthier.
I can't agree more and I agree with you, we as parents need to take this issue very very seriously.
I am so glad my kids are not overweight. I only became overweight after I had kids and I am actively changing. It is my job as a parent to encourage good eating habits with my 3.
As you point out, there are so many complex reasons for kids to struggle with their weight... it's a difficult problem.
I can completely agree with this. I think exercise is such an important part. Now days it seems kids are always on electronics. I make sure my kids get enough exercise daily.
This is a good start in looking at some of the reasons that kids are overweight. It is a very complex issue.
Having overweight kids is not easy. There is so much anxiety and issues to deal with. Even though I encoraged good eating habits, she chose another route.
Yes I am so glad we are talking about this. I think in the body positive movement health and weight get overlooked too often. I know my problem is eating for convenience.
There are so many factors that contribute to obesity. Both my son and I are overweight. We definitely need to get more active.
Very true. By now childhood obesity is becoming a dangerous scourge, but just a few precautions like a more balanced diet and more time away from home to have fun and move!
I totally agree! Trying to be healthy should be fun than stressful. I think it's really important to not focus on numbers, instead enjoy the healthy habits with the kids.
I think when it comes to our kids and their weight we need to be very careful. There is a thin line between wanting them to be healthy and inducing disordered thoughts around food. Of course it's impossible to completely avoid all disordered thoughts, they're everywhere we look after all, but in my experience it's very difficult to alert your child to the fact that they maybe need to cut down on certain foods and get more exercise without out right telling them certain foods are bad and certain ones are good.
This is so true! We are too lazy, we eat too much fast food and we focus too much on our weight!
Going back to basics and sticking to whole foods and regular exercise are definitely key. So sad this has become an epidemic :(
When I was a kid I was never inside. I was always out running around somewhere. Things have sure changed. Thanks so much for sharing this with all of us!
That is a great post! Everything is so well thought. Being overweight is an issue for many people and it is important to take care of it the best way. Kids nowadays are too steady often, they spend way less time outside so they move less. also in my country kid's sport is becoming something more of a pro-way, less and less kids do that for fun not to become a sportsperson now.
I do think lack of exercise is one of the biggest things when it comes to obesity. I think with so many things keeping our kids occupied indoors we don't have them get out often enough.
Definitely lack of exercises and fast food make kids overweight. Sometimes I see whole families in McDonals and kids are really big and its not a problem for parent to buy thdm another burger
My grandson is the opposite. I wish he'd gain some more weight. He loves playing outdoors which is good in a way. As long as he is not sickly, I am good with that. I will share this post with my friends so they can do some lifestyle changes and avoid getting their kids overweight.
This article is so timely and on point. I think it's a successive problem many kids are experiencing. This is quite an eye opener as well.
Overweight is a serious medical issue. It's so sad that sometimes this topic is taken lightly. Like you say it's not the kid's fault, they need guidance. Having them involved in sports and outdoors activities is always a good idea.
I love that you mentioned making it about fun. This is so important. If losing weight or being healthy becomes a chore for your kids, they are less likely to want to do it, which can make it even harder when the get older.
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