Childhood Obesity: Tips on Getting Junior Back in Shape
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Childhood Obesity: Tips on Getting Junior Back in Shape
Childhood obesity has become a major problem in most Western countries with children starting to show signs below the age of 5. Childhood obesity has become a major problem in the United States as well with every one out of five children is liable to be overweight.
There is nothing more adorable than your kid's chubby cheeks and pudgy knees. Its time to stop being in denial and admit that baby fat is not here to stay! It can seem harsh and sometimes cruel to force your child into sticking to a strict diet. Ensuring that that "baby fat" does not turn into a health concern can make your child stay and feel healthy for a long time to come. There is nothing more heart breaking than watching your kid play in the sand box by himself because the local kids don't like being bowled over on the monkey bars.
Stop them from gorging themselves Share:
There is nothing more horrific than taking candy from a baby. While you don't have to go as far as forcing your kids on a strict diet, you can regulate their eating habits. Fast foods are a big no no! Fast food products contain Trans fats (or artificial fats) which are not easily digestible. They are also one of the leading causes of childhood obesity today.
Letting your child force down copious amounts of processed food will make him/her inherently think that it is an appropriate food source. If you do have to take your kid to a fast food joint once in a while, make sure that your kid chooses healthy meal packages like fish or veggies as his "Happy Meal" of choice.
Prevent your child from chugging down sugary beverages like soda pops. Sugary drinks are calorie bombs! Since they are easily to ingest and are readily available, this makes them a staple food of choice for most adolescents and toddlers.
Sweat off those Pounds
Make sure that your kid gets a lot of exercise. It is better that you let junior be active in things that he/she is likely to enjoy like swimming or having a romp with the family dog. Don't make your kid stick to any strict exercise plans since forcing them to do so may be traumatic for them. Team sports like basketball, baseball or soccer can also be a great incentive to make new friends. Buy them a skateboard, bicycle or skates instead of food coupons next Christmas is also a good alternate to them chewing down on fatty foods.
Do not get carried away and force your child into anything that he doesn't want to do since doing so might make him feel unwanted. It is wise to let him/her come to terms with their weight in their own time. Failure to do so might end up in long lasting psychological trauma which might make junior's weight problems worse.