Warning...SLOW Children

It's no secret that our country as a whole is overweight, out of shape, and unhealthy. The ratio of the energy we burn compared to the amount of food we shovel in our mouths is in extreme disproportion. But perhaps the most disturbing thing to me are the stats on childhood obesity. In the past few weeks I've seen several stories from various media outlets on this subject.  Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in our country, triple the number from a generation ago (CDC), and 1 out of 3 children are overweight. Obese children are more likely to have a myriad of health issues ranging from asthma & high blood pressure, to diabetes & coronary heart disease. They are also much more likely to be obese adults. 

Why is this epidemic occurring?  I hear various reasons all the time.  Yes, sugary cereals are marketed towards kids. Yes, happy meals and similar products make our little ones squeal with delight. Yes, it's easier to stop for donuts on the way to school instead of cooking breakfast. But we are raising a generation of fat kids that will create a workforce of fat adults, continuously driving up healthcare costs and adversely affecting productivity in all aspects of life. Our children could be the first generation to have life expectancy DECREASE from the previous generation. Worst of all its almost completely preventable.

It's my opinion that if you have an obese child (not slightly overweight, I'm talking unhealthy & obese) then it's YOUR fault, and your duty to do something about it. If you found out your 10 year old was smoking, wouldn't you do everything in your power to stop that behavior?? Allowing your child to pump themselves full of high sugar, high saturated fat, nutrient void food is no different. Unless your child has a job, and does the grocery shopping and cooking in your household, it's your responsibility to feed your children appropriately. Stop worrying about your kid liking you, stop using your busy schedule as an excuse, and give your child what they NEED, not always what they want. 

So where you do you start?  You start by taking action.  Here are a few simple steps that can apply to anyone with children, obese or not, in helping our little ones lead a healthy, fulfilling lifestyle.

• Set the example.  Eat healthy, and DO NOT complain about it or say how incredibly difficult it is.  It’s seriously not that hard.
• Trade sedentary minutes for active minutes.  If they want to watch tv or play video games, let them.  But for every minute they spend doing sedentary activities like that, make them spend an equal amount of time being active.  Shooting hoops, bike riding, playing catch etc.  And while they’re doing that, JOIN THEM!
• Clean out your pantry.  If it’s in the house, someone is going to eat it.  I love brownies.  Correction, I’m IN LOVE with brownies.  But I save them for my cheat day and don’t keep them around otherwise.  If I do, I’ll eat them...I’ve seen me do it.  Get the crap OUT!!  
• Plan ahead.  Most of us know our children’s schedule, as well as our own, for the entire week.  If you know time will be tight on certain days, plan accordingly.  Have food ready to go, pack healthy snacks, but don’t use “oh we were pressed for time” as an excuse.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.  
• Finally (well, not really finally but it’s the last point I’ll make here), EDUCATE your children.  It’s not the responsibility of the school system, the government, McDonald’s, or anyone else besides YOU to teach your children about the true importance of taking care of their physical being.  

Not sure if it comes across well in print sometimes, but I’m just a little passionate about this subject;-)  I would love to hear your feedback on this topic.  Feel free to leave a comment below.  

THE Fitness Ninja...Changing the world one pushup at a time.