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We’ve all heard the statistics. America’s children are seriously overweight, and many of them are dangerously obese. This sad state of affairs has numerous causes, and opens up the next generation to a slew of health problems both now and in the future. It is time we as parents/grandparents and concerned adults take inventory of what we may be doing – or not doing – to contribute to this travesty, and even more importantly to examine how we can help to turn this trend around.

Who Is To Blame?


One of the most obvious factors in the obesity problem is the media and the American culture that it has spawned. Kids are bombarded with commercials on TV, the internet, and even through ads and promotional campaigns in their schools. The majority of these messages push soft drinks and other junk foods as the “cool” thing to fill our bellies with. There is very little information offered to them about the importance of healthy food choices such as fresh fruits and vegetables and the value of drinking plenty of pure water everyday. High-calorie, extremely caffeinated “energy” drinks are all the rage. With advertisers promoting them as a drug-induced lift – even to the point of packaging and marketing them to look (and act) in a similar way as alcoholic beverages. A legal – but very unethical – way for Junior to get a “buzz” and pack on extra empty calories to boot.

Public school cafeteria menus promote foods that are extremely high in fat and starches as well as containing empty calories. A recent series of TV programs featuring Jamie Oliver and entitled Food Revolution targeted the unhealthy food served in school cafeterias.  It was astounding to actually see the unhealthy foods that our children are being fed!  When offered healthy food, the children turned it down.  No wonder children are presenting disease at much earlier ages than that of their parents.  In this area, we have definitely lost control.  Possibly if more parents/grandparents took time to go to school and eat with their children several times each month the parents could petition school districts and officials for more healthy food. Studies have been done that actually prove less behavior problems and higher overall grades when at school children have less access to sugary foods and drinks and are fed healthy and nutrient dense foods

Of course, the fast food chains have earned a significant amount of blame in this too. They push high-fat, high-calorie items on their menus for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and why not “super-size” your meal for a couple of extra bucks and a toy. I read recently that McDonald’s is showing a large increase in profits – during these difficult financial times – mainly from their dollar menu items and the new premium and iced-coffee products they now offer, some of which are also packed with sugar and thus lots of extra calories. Let’s face it, overeating is an American cultural icon and a huge part of the economy as well. Some professional sports franchises have admitted that it is difficult for them to turn a profit without robust sales of food and beverages during games. All too often, part of taking the family to a ballgame is encouraging the kids (and adults) to overeat and stuff themselves with nutritionally poor and fattening foods.

What about Personal Responsibility?
While all of the above is true – the media, school foods and the cultural abuses that aggravate childhood obesity – the buck really stops with as us individuals. What happens in the home and the family is the strongest influence upon our children’s nutritional choices. Are you an enabler for the health of your kids, or do you model and teach a lifestyle which results in obesity? As the saying goes, children learn more from what we do than from what we merely say.

The most powerful way to counteract the negative influences of the culture is to create a positive family atmosphere in our own homes. We as parents and mentors of children need to train and educate them about how to live a lifestyle that promotes health and wellness.  We need to consciously teach our children about the importance of eating organic fruits and vegetables, drinking purified water and getting a sufficient amount of sunshine and exercise.  We also need to teach them “how” to plant an organic garden and how to source other clean and beneficial foods. It all begins at our own dinner tables and in our own kitchens. Eating well – both in quality and quantity – is a proactive process. It doesn’t happen by accident.

Suggestions for Preventing Childhood Obesity
Healthy Diet. Serve a diet high in fresh (organic is best) fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and protein sources other than meat.  This would include beans, nuts, fermented soy, and quinoa – to name just a few. Encourage your children to eat smaller portions and to eat them more slowly.  Also incorporating four – five smaller meals during the day will encourage level insulin levels and thus eliminate hunger pangs. It will also train their bodies to distinguish true hunger from the “need” to overeat. Provide easy access to healthy snacks. Cold fruit and cut-up vegetables are great choices.

Eat Together. Whenever possible, even in our busy lives, eat meals together as a family. Make dining an event that not only celebrates eating well, but builds relationships too.

Start a family garden.  It is very easy to grow vegetables in containers, raised beds, etc.  You will be amazed at the amount of vegetables and fruit that one can get from even a small organic garden.  Most children love to care for and watch “their” plants grow and it is a great lesson in being able to name vegetables!  How refreshing to pick a strawberry off the vine and eat it.  Very soon you will realize that your taste buds are changing and that your body will actually crave healthy foods.

Be Active. Another critical choice to model and teach your children is an active lifestyle. Besides overeating, the lack of consistent physical exercise is another major reason there is so much childhood obesity. The opportunities for exercise are endless. One idea is to take family hikes. Get some fresh air and sunshine, and pack a nutritious lunch. The effects of a lifestyle of wellness play off each other. Eating well will increase the desire for exercise, and vice versa.  Many schools have eliminated organized PE classes and also recess for younger children.  This is very unfortunate since younger children need frequent breaks in which to run and play – as well as sunshine. This is proven to be very important to successful learning.  Older children need more organized activities such as PE classes in order to de-stress and allow their minds to rest.  And yes, they need sunshine also.

I suggest we all do some soul-searching and really think about the roles we play in our children’s eating habits and overall health. Let’s not throw this toward schools/government but instead hold the schools accountable for what they feed our children while taking responsibility for our own children’s health and well-being. This creates a win-win situation for our children. There is always room for improvement, and creating a family legacy of wellness will pay off for generations into the future. Childhood obesity can be reversed – one family at a time.

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