“Children are the living messages we send to a time we will not see.” ~ John W. Whitehead

Many of you probably grew up in the same era I did where physical education was a mandatory requirement as part of a school’s curriculum. Back then, it used to be several times a week, but today in some school systems, entire semesters will go by without any type of physical education programs offered.

I actually enjoyed PE when I was in school, but I’ll bet many of you could tell a funny story or two about your own experiences back in “gym class days.” Perhaps it was being afraid to undress in front of your peers, and you made up excuses so you wouldn’t have to “dress out” that day and you wound up sitting on the sidelines observing. One thing that wasn’t missing when I grew up was the concept of going outside to play. My friends and I used to play “Kick the Can” and “Dodge Ball” in the street until it got dark and our parents called us in. Heck, sometimes we even stayed out past dark playing. I was always worn out when I went to bed, but I slept like a rock!

Yes the times are certainly different now in that we have to keep a closer watch on our children, not only when they’re inside the home, but outside as well. With technology as it is today, the most exercise some children get is moving the controls on their electronic games or uploading songs on their iPods. Hence, repetitive motion syndrome is prevalent in our children today. This sedentary lifestyle, along with the food choices they are making is needless to say promoting childhood obesity. And so often it’s not just the food choices they make, but those influenced by their own parents!

We were all glad to hear about how First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a major push against childhood obesity, which affects nearly one in five U.S. kids ages six to 19, with one in three being overweight. This epidemic threatens to make the current generation of Americans the first to live shorter lives than their parents! Children as young as eight years are winding up on statins. Bottom line, these obese children are at greater risk for a whole host of maladies, ranging from high blood pressure to diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

What can you do make sure your child doesn’t become obese?

1. Serve healthy meals – Never skip breakfast (Studies show breakfast eaters have a lower BMI than non-breakfast eaters.)
2. Balance the meals – Meals should be a combination of quality carbs and protein. Adding protein helps stabilize blood sugar levels, slow down digestion, and may ultimately leave your child feeling fuller longer.
3. Avoid liquid calories – Don’t serve your children fruit juice and other beverages that contain sugar. Encourage them to drink lots of water.
4. Stock up on non-fat/low-fat dairy products – Kids need calcium, but not the fat and calories from whole-milk dairy products (unless they are under 2 yrs). Switch to skim milk, 1% reduced-fat milk, part-skim string cheese, fat-free or low-fat sliced cheese and fat-free or low-fat yogurt.
5. Fill ‘em up with fiber – Insoluble fiber takes a longer time to chew and provides volume to food without adding a lot of calories.
6. Give them “juicy foods” – Fruits and veggies with high water content can help fill kids up, so they’ll eat less throughout the day.
7. Provide veggies 24/7 – Make veggies available round the clock. They’re low-calorie and nutrient dense. Always have kid-friendly veggies like baby carrots, sugar snap peas, red peppers, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and even edamame, washed and ready to eat.
8. Limit snacks – Encourage your child to eat healthy 90% of the time and enjoy sweet or salty favorites 10% of the time. Let them choose and plan their “fun foods” each day. This helps remove the feeling of being deprived certain foods.
9. Make eating fun – Cook meals with your children – they’re more apt to eat what they’ve helped prepare. Have a theme night, provide dipping stations, use fun plates…be creative!
10. Be active! – Get your kids exercising and keep them moving. Aim to have them active for an hour a day. You’ll want to limit TV watching and videogame playing. Encourage them to go bike riding, take walks, jump rope, anything that gets them moving!

All three of my children are phenomenal athletes. My son plays football and my daughters are heavily involved in volleyball. I have always encouraged family workouts. They often tell their friends, “Most families go out to the movies for their fun, but my dad’s idea of fun is having a family workout.” Don’t get me wrong – we still do other fun things together, but keeping physically fit is a priority in my family. I don’t want my children or my grandchildren to become part of these statistics, and I’m sure you don’t either. So make physical fitness a family affair – you’ll all stay healthier while increasing the quality of your family life. It’s worth it!

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