First, this new season of “The Biggest Loser” (NBC)
addresses childhood obesity; it includes three teenagers- a 16-year-old and two
13-year-old- to the cast. Kudos to NBC!
Second, a recent LA Times’ article about six big city school
districts (LA, New York, Chicago, Dallas, Miami and Orlando, Fla.) uniting for
healthier meals. We are talking about 2.5 million daily meals. The goal is to
reduce fat, sugar and sodium. Less corn dogs, coffee cakes and chicken nuggets
and more whole grains and fresh produce. “The alliance marks the biggest step
yet to transform school meals,” said David Binkle, L.A. Unified’s food services
director.
Are diabetes and obesity in children finally becoming a
national concern? Will other school district join the crusade? Hopefully, yes.
I visit 11 LAUSD schools on a weekly basis. I still see
field trips to the burger and donuts shops, and pizzas and cupcakes for
celebrations. Why? Can field trips be planned a little more carefully? Can they provide healthier options in the
classrooms?
So, what’s being done is a good move in the right direction,
but there is still plenty more to do. Although tough to confront, childhood
obesity is an issue that has to be addressed by the professionals who work with
children and adolescents (pediatricians, teachers, counselors, sport coaches,
etc.), and even more so by parents.
In order to make a difference, serious behavioral changes
need to be made at home surrounding the family’s eating habits and lifestyles.
These kinds of changes can be difficult after years of bad habits have been
created but here are some tips with steps you can start taking TODAY to slowly
create new healthy habits.
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Involving
the whole family: Healthy eating should be part of the family culture. Sit
down with your kids at a calm time and explain it to them in simple language
they can understand. You can say something like “From now on we are going to
eat healthy foods so we can feel better.” Involve your kids in planning weekly
menus. They can search the Web for healthy and delicious foods. By educating
them on the topic and involving them, they will make healthy eating their own
goal.
-
Reducing
the portions: Give your children smaller portions of food. When they ask
for more, make some physical activity contingent to it (clean up the toys, take
the trash out, do 10 push-ups, take a walk around the block, etc.)
-
Avoiding/Reducing
junk food: Less pizza, sodas, candies, ice-cream, donuts, cheeseburgers,
etc. You can replace them with healthy food, such as whole wheat vegetables
pizzas, juices, low fat ice-cream, whole wheat pancakes, nuts, turkey burgers,
etc. Add more vegetables and fruits to your kids’ diet. Make McDonald’s a
just once-a-week family outing.
-
Keeping a
meals schedule: No more eating throughout the day. Keep a schedule. Allow
at least a couple of food-free hours between meals and snacks.
-
Exercising:
Take your kids to the park, if possible, every day. Make them ride their
bikes more often. Park far away so they have to walk. Take stairs rather than
elevators. Enroll them in sports activities: they will not only get good
exercise, but also they will have the opportunity to socialize and learn important
skills. Have them help with household chores.
-
Rewarding
healthy habits: You can even use “some” junk food during weekends outings,
for example, as a reward for good behaviors during the week. In order to chart
progress use a visual starts board or put money in a glass jar towards those
treats.
-
Educating
yourself: Learn about healthy eating habits. Consult with a nutritionist.
Search the Internet. There is lot of information out there, most of it for
free.
Mom, dad, it is your turn.
*Important: Always consult with a doctor when implementing a weight management plan.
