Dr. Christine Wood, M.D, a practicing pediatrician in Encinitas, California, is the author of How to Get Kids to Eat Great & Love It!, offers some sound advice about developing healthy eating lifestyles for your family.
Here's what Dr. Wood has to say. Today almost one out of three children in the United States is either overweight or borderline overweight and is likely to develop type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, Dr. Wood warns that these obese children may not live longer than their parents ? a depressing thought!
What's causing this trend? Simply stated, Dr. Wood suggested too many calories and too little activity, although it is more complex than that. The mainstream media is marketing fast food and sedentary activities to our children. Consequently, here are some of their unhealthy options:
* Easy access to fast food for stressed out parents.
* Schools offer sodas and candies in their vending machines.
* Children are increasingly exposed to inexpensive, processed food choices.
* Since the introduction of cable TV and remote controls, Game Boy, home personal computers, among other things, more sedentary options are available than ever before.
* Food companies are taking advantage of the time children spend in front by marketing directly to them.
The bottomline, obviously, is that our children are not getting the nutrition and exercise they need. So, what are parents to do? Dr. Wood offers the following suggestions:
* Examine the foods that are brought into the home for their nutritional value.
* Understand how to read nutrition labels.
* Set limits on media and sedentary activities. Encourage family interaction: Does your child really need to have a TV and/or PC in his room?
* Decide, as a family project, the healthy menus and healthy choices of restaurant to frequent.
* Become actively informed in your child's school so that the PTA and School Board may learn about your concerns regarding food choices.
If we don't make some changes, the trends of today predict that our young children will be at high risk for obesity and obesity-related health risks like heart attacks, strokes, asthma, high blood pressure, diabetes, and certain types of cancer.
Encouraging good eating habits and physical lifestyle in our children starts with us, the parents. This includes introducing a quality nutritional supplement program with vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids that are necessary protection for our children as they face more nutritional and environmental challenges than ever before.
Remember: When you are maximizing your family's health potential, we everyone wins. When you don't, we all lose.
? Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW
PERMISSION TO REPUBLISH: This article may be republished in newsletters and on web sites provided attribution is provided to the author, and it appears with the included copyright, resource box and live web site link. Email notice of intent to publish is appreciated but not required. Email: eagibbs@ureach.com.
Etienne A. Gibbs, MSW, Management Consultant and Trainer, conducts seminars, lectures, and writes articles on his theme: "... helping you maximize your potential." For more information and a free health assessment, go to eagibbs@ureach.com.
recurring maid service Wilmette ..THE RISKNo doubt you've heard of the increasingly popular "raw... Read More
Have you ever watched someone who appears thin and healthy... Read More
Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More
Mango is my favorite fruit next to pineapples. They're sweet,... Read More
Meal sizes and frequency are very important. Over the years... Read More
You can trust me that I make sure to take... Read More
I'm 40-something years old, and for 40-something years breakfast has... Read More
Water is the single most important element for human existence,... Read More
The word cholesterol has become synonymous with poor health. Indeed,... Read More
Your fiber intake is a critical factor in weight loss... Read More
If you are like most people, you don't enjoy the... Read More
PROTEIN DEFICIENT? CHANCES ARE YOU ARE!Did you know that 9... Read More
You say you don't know what glyconutrients are? You are... Read More
Sprouts not only taste good, but they are also a... Read More
Constipation is the passing of dry, hard faeces fewer than... Read More
I'm willing to bet you probably haven't heard the word... Read More
Many of us sprinkle oregano on our pizza and stews... Read More
What is health? Everyone wants this thing called health, and... Read More
One of the most common questions I am asked is... Read More
Carbohydrates have gotten a lot of bad press in the... Read More
Today we're shifting our focus from wealth to health. First... Read More
Mannatech's patent-pending glyconutrients complex, Ambrotose, is perhaps the greatest wellness... Read More
One of the biggest mistakes many new bodybuilders make is... Read More
There are a lot of very good reasons to eat... Read More
Are you sick and tired of the confusion about our... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..We all need fat in our diet on a daily... Read More
What if you could actually slow your rate of aging,... Read More
Whenever possible, we should try to get our antioxidants and... Read More
The Human Body is in a constant flux with the... Read More
Bye Bye HolidaysHoping everyone had a fun, fantastic, exciting and... Read More
The field of nutrition is awash with charts, tables, diagrams,... Read More
Heart disease results when plaque builds up inside the arterial... Read More
Fad diets have been around for more than 50 years... Read More
What is nutrition? We hear so many reports today on... Read More
With so much 'diet advice' around today it is little... Read More
Soy, and most soy-based products, are nutritional powerhouses. Soybeans are... Read More
Milk is highly underrated. Experts say, America finds itself in... Read More
You can start today - right now, even - on... Read More
In parts 1-4 of this series of articles titled "Take... Read More
Okay, before we start, let me explain the purpose of... Read More
There are a number of common food mistakes that costs... Read More
Mineral nutritionSearching for mineral nutrition information is much easier today... Read More
Omega-3 appear to reduce the risk of heart attack. A... Read More
"It's not what you eat, it's what's eating you that... Read More
Recently I found the book : "Eating and health according... Read More
During the Second World War, the Germans used fluoride as... Read More
(Part 1 of a Special 5 Part Series on Body... Read More
The makers of Bumble Bee Tuna generated some buzz today... Read More
After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in... Read More
"What exercises can I do to ?? As fitness professional... Read More
Nutrition |