Overweight Kids: Who's To Blame?

By Nicki Anderson
Special for eDiets

September 1, 2005

Every day new reports dominate the news about the rising obesity rate among children. What's happened? Why are children as young as 10 years old showing signs of adult diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure ? Who is responsible for letting our children down by creating a lifestyle that perpetuates inactivity and poor nutrition?

Alabama weighed in as the heaviest state in 2003 while Colorado boasted the smallest percent of obese kids, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mississippi and West Virginia placed second and third with obesity rates closing in at 28 percent. Not good -- and these numbers continue to grow each year.

Government agencies are doing what they can to get programs in place to fight this epidemic. Unfortunately, it's going to take a lot more than government changes to scratch the surface of this growing concern. Why? If the truth be told, the fundamentals of healthy living begin at home.

With many households having both parents in the workforce, fast food and a sedentary lifestyle have taken the place of home cooked meals and family activity.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 76 percent of mothers with children over the age of five are in the workforce. This generally results in kids being less active and having more access to less-nutritious foods.

Now don't send me letters about how your kids are not falling victim to this, this information is directed toward everyone so we can get a clear picture of what is happening in our country. Remember, I'm a fulltime working mom, so I get it.

We have read stories in the news about individuals suing fast-food companies because the food contributed to their ailing health. I'm amazed that this accusation would have even made it into the court system. Excuse me, who is responsible? I have a sneaking suspicion the fast food restaurant didn't round up that person, handcuff him and force feed him fast food.

Something is very wrong here, and the only way we can begin to improve is by taking responsibility and making changes at home.

It is our job as parents to teach our kids solid values -- with that comes personal responsibility. We place an emphasis on children behaving well and getting good grades, but what about teaching them the value of good health? I surmise \ it is tough to teach what you don't know, and for many parents they really don't know where to begin when it comes to teaching children healthy habits. ---

It really is OUR responsibility, collectively as teachers, parents, relatives and friends, to teach children how to maintain a dedication to healthy living. If we don't, their future does not look bright.

We do everything we can for our kids to give them a leg up in life, all too often health education is not part of the leg up. It should be.

If your kids are healthy, it will flow into everything else they do. If your children eat well and exercise daily, they will be better prepared mentally and physically to meet life head on and excel.

Below are some ways you can begin to build a healthy future for your children. And who knows, you might just find yourself getting healthier too!

Minimize fast food -- I know that this is not news to you, but it can't be reinforced enough. Stay away from fast food. I find it interesting when a parent says to me, "We just don't have an alternative, and we're always running here and there."

Well to me, there are a couple of things going on here. One, if your schedule is so crammed that you're compromising your health, maybe you need to re-evaluate. Second, if you truly believe you can't throw a few sandwiches in a bag along with some cut-up fruit for your son or daughter, there's a problem. It takes two minutes to put a sandwich together. The result? Less fat, less sodium, fewer chemicals, less money and better for them. How can you argue with that?

Keep in-house junk foods to a minimum -- With all of the commercials on TV touting the latest and greatest in snacks, it's pretty hard for your kids not to want what they see. Limiting TV time has dual benefits, not only does it create an opportunity for your child to do something active, it also limits the junk-food commercials he or she may see.

Stay away from processed food as much as you can. Eliminate any fried foods in your home. And, most importantly, keep sugar to a minimum, especially by restricting soda-pop consumption.

Again, it is the responsibility of parents to create an environment that supports a healthy lifestyle . If you're allowing mass quantities of junk food, you are contributing to the decline of your child's health. You DO have choices, so make healthy food a choice in your home.

Focus on health, not weight -- Part of the problem with our society is that everyone has placed such an emphasis on weight that, in the process, the importance of health has been lost. A byproduct of healthy living is an appropriate weight. Period.

I often tell my clients that if they have to starve themselves or exercise every day for hours on end, they are shooting for an unreasonable goal. If most of the time you're choosing to eat well and exercise most days of the week, you'll be fine. ---

Don't compare yourself or allow your kids to compare themselves to others. Each body is unique and to try and achieve a body just like so-and-so, is a set-up for failure. Teach your children to focus on being healthy and making healthy choices , both in food and activity levels.

If your children take a lunch to school, make sure it's balanced -- We hear it all the time from teachers that kids end up throwing out half or most of their lunches. Due to limited time for lunch, kids end up talking their way through lunch versus actually eating. What happens is the meal you so lovingly packed for them in the morning has found its way to the garbage bin, rather than their tummy.

The best thing you can do is ask your child to help you pack his or her lunch. They have a much better idea about what they will have time to eat in addition to what they WANT to eat.

I encourage parents to stay away from the pre-packaged lunches -- they are usually laden with sodium, fat and calories with minimal nutritional benefits. I know your kids love them, but let me ask you this, do you let your child play with matches? Of course not, because they're dangerous. It's no different when you're making food choices for your kids.

Choose foods that will enhance the quality of their lives. Talk to other parents about some healthy ideas, and, again, stay away from processed foods. Not only are they nutritionally deficient, they can be expensive.

Push exercise at every opportunity -- I don't know about your family, but we don't watch very much television in our home. When our kids were little, I really didn't want them to get in the habit, so our TV time was pretty limited. One of the best outcomes of limiting sedentary activity is they are forced to do something different, and hopefully it will encourage them to move their bodies.

A number of studies over the last 20 years have shown a direct correlation between obesity in children and too much TV. In fact, it's been said 60 percent of childhood obesity is tied directly to too much television.

Remember, if parents are active and exercise regularly, they are setting a precedent for their child's behavior.

I'm sure there are many things you do to be a good role model for your children: respect other people, volunteer, provide a warm environment, etc. Why not add exercise to that list of values? Even if you don't exercise now, by starting an exercise program you are telling your child you care about your health and theirs. That's a wonderful message to send to your children.

Don't use food as a reward -- OK, I must confess, when I was potty-training my now 19-year-old son, I used M&Ms as a tool. Probably not the best idea, especially because once he got the idea, every 10 minutes he wanted to go to the bathroom so he could get M&Ms! Live and learn, right? ---

We often will use food as a way of rewarding ourselves or comforting ourselves, and it is something we pass on to our children. I can't tell you the number of times my mom would offer me food when I was having a tough day. "Here honey, let me make you a bowl of ice cream, you'll feel better." Where did that come

from? I think if you were to take a poll, you'd be amazed at how many people use food as reward.

You can start now by teaching your children alternative ways to reward themselves. You can celebrate by buying a new book. If the event being celebrated was exercise related, get a new pair of sneakers or exercise gear. If it was related to a great performance by your child at school, get tickets to a movie and go as a family.

Food is often the main focus when it comes to celebrating. Food can be an option, but don't make it the ONLY option. Teaching your child how to celebrate with something other than food is just one more step toward teaching them to make healthy choices.

Be a role model -- Again, the best thing you can do in the battle of obesity is be a great role model. As I mentioned earlier, as parents we do everything we can to see that our kids excel and have a supportive environment. That's fine. But if your kids see you neglecting your health, it's a mixed message. It is just as important for you to take care of your health as it is your child's.

Our kids become involved in everything by the time they reach first grade. By the time they get out of high school, unless their scholarship is sports related, any activity they had during their school years comes to a screeching halt.

There's a phenomenon known as the "College 15" -- children go from active grade-school years to college, when physical activity often ends. That causes students to gain weight, like 15 pounds of weight.

By exercising as an adult, you teach your child you can be active without being in an organized sport. Further, eating well, getting plenty of rest, keeping alcohol consumption to a minimum and avoiding tobacco sends a strong message to your children as well.

Some day they will no longer be under your guidance and if you can teach them at a young age how to preserve their health, you will be doing your part to give them an opportunity for a healthy future.

If you can start making great choices when your kids are young and teach them to place healthy living up there with good grades and strong character, you will be playing a very large role in reducing the obesity risk in your family.

If we as parents can come together and learn as much as we can about healthy living, we, in turn, can teach others. There's no greater feeling than knowing you made a difference, so why not start with your children, they'll thank you later!

Nicki Anderson is the owner of Reality Fitness, Inc., in Naperville, IL, and the founder of Nicki Anderson's Real Life Weight Loss. She is also a frequent contributor to eDiets.com, health and fitness columnist for the Daily Herald in suburban Chicago, and author of "Reality Fitness; Inspiration for Your Health and Well-being" (New World Library).