ROLE MODELS

I've been wanting to post about this subject for such a long time and finally had the chance to sit down and do some research to support this topic. Childhood obesity is definitely on the rise and you see it everywhere you go from the schools to the supermarkets it's an epidemic. I'd like to start with a few statistics from the CDC (center for disease control). To understand the problem you have to understand the core of the problem and the meaning of the term obese.


*Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Approximately 12.5 million children from ages 2-19 are obese.

*Overweight is defined as having excess body weight for a particular height from fat, muscle, bone, water, or a combination of these factors.³ Obesity is defined as having excess body fat.⁴

*Overweight and obesity are the result of “caloric imbalance”—too few calories expended for the amount of calories consumed—and are affected by various genetic, behavioral, and environmental factors.^5,6

These are all very scary statistics and most people are not aware of the amount of children that are facing this disease. There are some changes that we can make for our children whether they are yours or nieces/nephews or someone you babysit. Being a positive role model for children is something that can change their lives. I remember being you and you had that one "grown up" that you always looked up to and wanted to be like. So I'm asking you to take this challenge and change the life of a youth that you know not only by being that "cool" grown up but by helping them live a healthy and happy lifestyle. Below I've listed some of the things that I've found on the website called letsmove.gov set up by the first lady to get youth involved in healthy eating and lifestyle changes.

Fruits & Vegetables

• Kids should eat five fruits and vegetables a day
• Serve fresh, frozen, and canned fruits and vegetables; they all count
• Provide fruit or carrot sticks as great snacks
• Offer 100% juice, with no added sugar
• Mix vegetables into dishes, like adding peas to rice, or cucumbers to a sandwich

Healthy Choices to Reduce Fat and Sugar

• Switch to low or non-fat milk, yogurt and cheese
• Choose lean cuts of meat like skinless chicken or extra lean ground beef for hamburgers or pasta sauces
• Bake or grill instead of fry
• Substitute olive or vegetable oil for butter
• Substitute water or low-fat milk for sodas or sweetened beverages
• Drink less soda or sugar-sweetened drinks
• Switch to lower sugar breakfast cereals
• Switch desserts like ice cream and cake for fruit based desserts

Snacks

• Reduce the number of snacks served each day
• Leave a bowl of fruit or carrot sticks on the kitchen table
• Differentiate between snacks that require permission (cookies), versus snacks that kids can take freely (fresh or dried fruit)
• Have kids drink water at snack time
• Save "treats" for special occasions

Portion Size

• Kids are smaller than adults and should eat smaller portions
• Use smaller plates for kids
• Don't force kids to clean their plates if they are full
• Portions should be about the size of the back of a fist—a child’s fist for a child’s portion
• Start with a small portion. Children can have seconds if they are still hungry

Eat Together

• Family meals focus on eating and enjoying food and each other
• Eating together is a chance to model good behavior
• Regularly scheduled meal and snack times help kids learn structure for eating

and here are some more tips from the same website about getting started and getting active....

Give children toys that encourage physical activity like balls, kites, and jump ropes.

Encourage children to join a sports team or try a new physical activity.

Limit TV time and keep the TV out of a child’s bedroom.

Facilitate a safe walk to and from school a few times a week.

Take the stairs instead of the elevator.

Walk around the block after a meal.

Make a new house rule: no sitting still during television commercials.

Find time to spend together doing a fun activity: family park day, swim day or bike day.

Issue a family challenge to see who can be the first to achieve a Presidential Active Lifestyle Award by committing to physical activity five days a week, for six weeks. Adults and children can both receive the award!

Talk to your children’s principal or write a letter to your district superintendent to incorporate more physical education in schools.

Encourage schools to hold recess prior to lunch to increase physical activity before mealtime.

Volunteer to help with afterschool physical activity programs or sports teams.

Be sure that children get the sleep they need. Most children under age five need to sleep for 11 hours or more per day, children age five to 10 need 10 hours of sleep or more per day, and children over age 10 need at least nine hours per day.

Learn how engaging in outside activities can be fun and affordable for families through Let’s Move Outside, which promotes a range of healthy outdoor activities for children and families across the country.

My goal is to encourage and educate as many people as I can about health and nutrition and help the make the lifestyle changes needed to be around for a long time. This is a very tough subject for me to talk about being that it is close to my heart and I only hope to be a positive aspect in the changes of the people I come in contact with. 

I'll leave you with this quote that I found to be so appropriate for this blog 

"In the final analysis it is not what you do for your children but
what you have taught them to do for themselves
that will make them successful human beings."

XOXOOXOX