Parent Tips: Stop Childhood Obesity in Your Home Today

As a parent, you are the most important influence on your child's life. With the Center of Disease Control calling diabetes an "epidemic" directly linked to obesity rates, establishing good health habits with your child in childhood will most likely prevent them from some of the more painful effects that obesity can have on your child in adulthood, such as an early onset of Type II diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Follow these easy health tips in childhood to set your child on a path to good health and avoid childhood obesity.

Eliminate sodas, candy, and unhealthy snacks from the cupboard

Your child will most likely love to snack on sweet and salty food, but instead of handing your child a diet coke and potato chips, stock your cupboards and fridge with healthier alternatives like 100% juices, fruits, low sugar yogurt, homemade granola bars, smoothies, and homemade baked goods. Guaranteed, your child will prefer munching on your yummy homemade low sugar, high fiber oatmeal cookies instead of cheese puffs.

If you have limited time available, you can try to enlist the help of grandparents (and what grandma does not mind making goodies for her grandchild) or find healthy alternatives at the store. Learning to read labels is important to ensure that the health snacks you buy are not contributing to your child's risk of childhood obesity. Many so-called health snacks and cereals have little to no nutritional value and may be packed with high fructose corn syrup, dozens of preservatives, and sodium.

Encourage your child to play outdoors a few hours a day to avoid the risk of childhood obesity

The higher rates of childhood obesity and adult obesity is easy to understand when one looks at our current culture of computers, video games, and television. Have your child play outside and do some sort of physical activity a few hours a day. You can even join in, and go to a parent and child exercise class, take a nature hike with your child, or take up a sport like basketball or karate together.

Avoid fast food places and restaurants that lack a healthy food option for your child

With Saturday morning cartoons plastered with ads for all kinds of worthless toys and fast food restaurants, it is no wonder that many a parent has given in to their child's desire for a burger at the local fast food restaurant. However, if your child is used to eating healthy and nutritional food at home, they will actually develop a distaste for any type of processed food, lessening their risk of adult obesity. A real burger made at home will always trump any sort of pseudo-beef burger, and a homemade burger grilled in a George Foreman grill takes less time and is healthier than a trip to a fast food restaurant.

Avoid making the fast food restaurant any sort of treat or special occasion, and instead opt for packing a picnic lunch for the local park. If you do visit a fast food restaurant, be sure to let your child play in the playground and try to order a health option from the menu.

Use the freshest ingredients when cooking for your child and family to avoid the risk of childhood obesity

When buying groceries for your child and family, opt for the freshest food ingredients possible. For example, purchase fresh baked whole wheat bread over processed white sandwich bread, buy potatoes instead of boxed mashed potatoes, get a box of oatmeal instead of the instant microwavable cereal, and opt for frozen or fresh vegetables over canned vegetables.

SOURCES:

WebMD, "U.S. Diabetes Rate Soars", CBS news.com.