That was me...the smart kid, teachers pet, fat kid sitting in the front row. At that time there was only one of us that fit that description, now 12 in a class of 30 would be considered overweight or obese. The statistics are 16% under 18 years old are overweight and 31% are obese. These statistics are staggering! Where does it start and why?
It starts with the parents and grandparents. Children of overweight and obese parents/grandparents tend to be overweight and obese. The eating habits of the children are directly related to what the the rest of the family is eating. This may seem inherently obvious, however, most people think it is a “genetic thing” and not at all related to current lifestyle habits. I hear it all the time, “well my mom was this way therefore I am too.” This is simply not true. What did your great grandmother eat? Chances are it looked nothing like what we eat today and call food.
Non-nutritive food like soda, chips, cookies, donuts, processed meats - chicken nuggets, french fries and most breads are devoid of nutrients - these ARE the reason! These foods are high in carbohydrates and fat. And yet, this is the typical food kids consume. When people tell me about their typical day of food the following is the usual rundown: High fructose corn syrup
Breakfast: cereal, oatmeal, toast with juice and/or coffee
Lunch: sandwich (PBJ or lunch meat), yogurt, chips
Dinner: protein, starch and vegetable or salad on a good day but pizza and pasta is more typical
Snacks: yogurt, candy bars, granola bar, chips, cookies
All the fat and carbs create abdominal obesity or belly fat. High amounts of fat around the middle is correlated with higher risks of diabetes and eventually heart disease. This is where most children store their fat. The younger this begins, the younger the diagnosis of type-2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and shorter life expectancy. Ultimately, this represents a larger burden on our already ailing healthcare system.
So, what is the solution? Parents, it’s up to you! The harsh reality is that you are choosing to feed your kids, and most likely yourselves, the junk that is causing the problem. “But my kids won’t eat healthy food,” or “it’s too expensive to eat healthy” are the most common excuses. I am here to tell you both are just that - excuses. It won’t be easy, that’s true, but it can be done. A bag of chips costs $2-3 and so does a bag of carrots, at discount grocery stores 3 pounds of apples will cost less than $2 and protein can be purchased at big box stores for greatly reduced prices. Soda and juice are very expensive, drink water, it comes out of your tap for free or buy a filter for your tap - add lemon or lime for flavor. Give it a week and you’ll like it and the kids will drink it if they don’t have other choices.
A typical day of food could look like the following - as a place to start:
Breakfast: Kashi makes some chewy nut bars, one of those offers a little protein; add a glass of milk; or add an egg - hard boiled can be made ahead - to the appropriate serving size of cereal (see the side of the box and measure it)
Lunch: Roll up lunch meat around a pickle or cheese stick, baked chips and and apple.
Dinner: protein, vegetable and 1/2 cup of potatoes rice or pasta
Snacks: 1/4 c nuts(almonds, cashews etc.), cheese stick and fruit, and greek yogurt and fruit, baby carrots and hummus (1/3 C)
Your children may make a lot of raucous about the changes. Stick to your decisions, E THE PARENT, they will eat when they are hungry. If you can’t control what they eat outside of the home - control what you can. You don’t have to add to the junk they have already consumed by feeding them non-nutritious junk at home. My story has a happy ending, it was my mom that insisted we eat right and ultimately taught me appropriate choices. Although I have had weight challenges, I have been able to maintain a normal weight most of my life.
