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Whether you live on the west coast or the east coast, the silent killer called obesity is aggressively moving through our communities. More than likely, if you are not directly affected, the chances are that you have friends or family members who are loosing control of their weight. In all honesty, we can not totally place the blame for this on the individuals themselves. Several studies have shown that for a number of people, their chemical and genetic makeup aide in their body's ability to process certain fats. Sure being 100 plus pounds over weight might have been good in the Ice Age but today this is simply not the case. We must not allow our children to become victims of an over active appetite. If you pay close attention to the dietary counselors, you'll discover that a slightly overweight child soon becomes an overweight teen. As you may have already guessed, this teen now becomes an obese adult. Unfortunately, abnormal weight gain is the least of the problem. The major issues center around the many diseases associated with childhood obesity, including asthma, diabetes and some cancers. At the ages of 12 - 16 is when most young girls and boys are self conscious about their bodies. Even "normal looking" kids get teased. If we allow our children to continue down a slippery slope toward obesity, we are setting them up for a very difficult childhood. Parents must be told that healthy eating habits and not Slimfast diet shakes or Medifast meals are the key to weight loss and a nutritious lifestyle. On the positive side of things, I want to let you know that there is hope. There is an easy way to solve this downward trend. Think back to when you were a kid. If there were video game consoles, they were things like the Atari 2600. Your friends came over in person, and you ran around outside and played in the park, running around with the excess energy that all children have. If you felt tired or felt dehydrated, you immediately reached for a glass of water or milk. Sweets were a treat for good behavior rather than your main course. Snacks did not come prepackaged but rather apples, oranges and bananas were your choice. Contrary to the popular belief, it is possible to training children to eat healthy foods. Caffeine laced drinks are a prime example. Researchers have uncovered an alarming link between drinking diet sodas and consuming high fat luncheon meets with cases of certain brain cancers. If you gain nothing else from this article, at least follow this one tip, please, do not allow your kids to drink soft drinks. Remember, water first before any juices or milks. When they have snacks, give them fruits and vegetables, or baked goods that are also low in sugar. Make sure that you have a dedicated family meal every evening, where everyone talks about what they did during the day - these reinforce that meal times are an important social occasion, not a pit stop between bouts with the Game Cube or Wii. Staying physically active is an absolute necessity. Children are usually mirror images of their parents. If you as a parent live a sedentary life, the chances of your child duplicating your example are very high. If you have little league teams in your town, encourage your children to participate. Not all kids are athletic but all kids need to be active. In addition, set aside at least one day in the week where the entire family is physically active together. It could be a walk in the park or playing tag in the backyard. The key to providing life long health for your kids is inculcating these habits early in life, so they become habits. Explain why you're doing it when they ask, but don't preach. Your kids will adopt the behaviors they see you doing - you're their parent, their role model, and these are the habits they'll stick with as they get older.
Article Source: http://www.just-article.com
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