30% of kids are overweight and plagued with childhood illnesses. What can be done about this growing epidemic?
- Throw away the TV – okay maybe not that extreme but at least limit it to no more than one hour per day. Kids are spending 4-5 hours of screen time per day.
- Kick ‘em out of the house – not literally of course. Encourage your kids to get outside by playing in the yard or swimming at the local pool. You can even jump on board too, and take a family walk together.
- Limit the junk. With the media honing in on our impressionable children, it’s hard to say no. Keep in mind the long term effects of obesity to motivate you to not give in. How to get around it? Don’t keep it in the house.
- Be strong in the face of your kids. It’s very easy for me to sit here on my couch and give advice, but I also understand how tough it can be to break some of these habits. Ideally, you would want them never to have started, but if they have, then you want to be resolute in your new rules. Set a good example for them and stand strong to implement them. Get help from your partner or friends to help you stay resolute in your new requirements.
You are making these changes to improve the health of your child. It’s our responsibility as parents to teach our children healthy habits so that they can improve the health status of our country. Stand strong and trust yourself.
