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Obesity Insights
7 (Sometimes Surprising) Secrets for Stopping Childhood Obesity
You've no doubt heard the sobering statistics: At least one child in five is overweight in the United States. The percentage of overweight children has more than doubled since 1970. About 8 percent of 4- and 5-year-old children are overweight, nearly double 20 years ago.
It's painfully clear that 2004 America isn't conducive to providing kids with healthful foods and opportunities to exercise. When parents are exhausted from working all day, it's hard to prepare balanced meals. When TV and the Internet beckon, it is difficult to get kids to play outside. And when restaurants serve up double and triple the recommended portions, kids think stuffing themselves is normal.
"Overweight children are symptoms of a broken system – a system that includes societal trends as well as family lifestyle patterns," says Colleen Thompson, M.S., R.D., who along with colleague Ellen Shanley, MBA, R.D., CD-N, has written the new book Overcoming Childhood Obesity (Bull Publishing, 2004). "It's a complex problem, but the solution is simple. Not easy, but simple. Your child must eat more healthfully and exercise more. It's the small day-to-day decisions you make for your children that, taken together, comprise the solution. And becoming aware of those decisions is the first and most important step."
Therein lies the reason for Thompson and Shanley's book. Packed with practical tips, it is aimed at helping parents create a healthy environment that prevents childhood obesity and helps already-overweight kids slim down. Because children have different needs at different ages, the book is divided into separate chapters for young children, school-aged children and teenagers. There's even a lengthy section on menu planning, food preparation and nutritious recipes.
