Who’s responsibility is it?
The childhood obesity epidemic is being tackled from a variety of angles from the individual level all the way to public policy. There are educational programs targeted at parents and children, state governments have implemented guidelines for canteens to follow regarding what food and beverages are sold in the canteen, food companies are trying to scale back their advertising to children and some food companies are even reformulating products to make them healthier.
Schools are introducing gardening and cooking programs to increase food literacy in children and urban planners are trying to redesign cities to make them easier to walk and cycle in. Although these things are all good, more is needed to bring down the childhood obesity levels and ensure a healthy future for our children.
There are many things that you can do to help with this issue. If you are a caregiver, you can:
* Model healthy eating yourself. Children are far more likely to eat what they see the adults in their lives eating.
* Limit extra foods such as confectionary and soft drink.
* Choose a variety of foods from the main food groups: vegetables and legumes, fruit, dairy food, lean protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs and nuts, and wholegrains from breads, cereals, rice and pasta.
* Be physically active with your family. Go for walks, play outside, turn off the TV.
* Limit your child’s screen time. Don’t allow your child to have a TV in his or her bedroom.
* Get children involved in the kitchen. Children are far more likely to eat what they have helped to prepare. Plus, by teaching them how to prepare food, you will give them the skills they will use for their whole lives.
* Provide an array of healthy snack options that are easily accessible to your children.
* Encourage your children to try new foods, including fruits and vegetables.
* Don’t pressure your children to finish what is on their plates. Most children will stop when they are satistfied.
* Avoid using food as a reward for good behaviour and don’t restrict certain foods when giving punishment. This can develop feelings around food that can later cause unhealthy habits.
There are numerous other ways to get involved in preventing childhood obesity:
* Advocate to your local representative to fund programs that assist parents, schools and your community to create a healthy environment for children.
* Support organisations such as Healthy Kids Association that are doing something to help fight childhood obesity and diet-related diseases in children.
* Get involved in the canteen in your local school. Help to prepare healthy menu options for students.
* Contact your local council to encourage them to keep green spaces green and limit development on them so that children have safe spaces to play.
Conclusion
In the end, we want our children to have fullness of life and good health far into adulthood. They will be robbed of this unless more is done to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.
The childhood obesity epidemic is being tackled from a variety of angles from the individual level all the way to public policy. There are educational programs targeted at parents and children, state governments have implemented guidelines for canteens to follow regarding what food and beverages are sold in the canteen, food companies are trying to scale back their advertising to children and some food companies are even reformulating products to make them healthier.
Schools are introducing gardening and cooking programs to increase food literacy in children and urban planners are trying to redesign cities to make them easier to walk and cycle in. Although these things are all good, more is needed to bring down the childhood obesity levels and ensure a healthy future for our children.
There are many things that you can do to help with this issue. If you are a caregiver, you can:
* Model healthy eating yourself. Children are far more likely to eat what they see the adults in their lives eating.
* Limit extra foods such as confectionary and soft drink.
* Choose a variety of foods from the main food groups: vegetables and legumes, fruit, dairy food, lean protein from meat, poultry, fish, eggs and nuts, and wholegrains from breads, cereals, rice and pasta.
* Be physically active with your family. Go for walks, play outside, turn off the TV.
* Limit your child’s screen time. Don’t allow your child to have a TV in his or her bedroom.
* Get children involved in the kitchen. Children are far more likely to eat what they have helped to prepare. Plus, by teaching them how to prepare food, you will give them the skills they will use for their whole lives.
* Provide an array of healthy snack options that are easily accessible to your children.
* Encourage your children to try new foods, including fruits and vegetables.
* Don’t pressure your children to finish what is on their plates. Most children will stop when they are satistfied.
* Avoid using food as a reward for good behaviour and don’t restrict certain foods when giving punishment. This can develop feelings around food that can later cause unhealthy habits.
There are numerous other ways to get involved in preventing childhood obesity:
* Advocate to your local representative to fund programs that assist parents, schools and your community to create a healthy environment for children.
* Support organisations such as Healthy Kids Association that are doing something to help fight childhood obesity and diet-related diseases in children.
* Get involved in the canteen in your local school. Help to prepare healthy menu options for students.
* Contact your local council to encourage them to keep green spaces green and limit development on them so that children have safe spaces to play.
Conclusion
In the end, we want our children to have fullness of life and good health far into adulthood. They will be robbed of this unless more is done to prevent and reduce childhood obesity.
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