Childhood obesity is a growing trend in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). “Unfortunately, statistics show that many parents of obese children do not think their children are obese,” says Anne Packard Spicer, DC, faculty clinician at Northwestern Health Sciences University. So how can parents keep their kids healthy, even if they don’t realize anything is wrong?

Dr. Packard Spicer offers these tips to keep your kids healthy, and to prevent childhood obesity from affecting your children:

• Parent your children by setting good examples. Eat healthy and get exercise – and invite your children to join you. “People need up to 10 exposures to a new taste before they can decide if they like it or not,” explains Dr. Packard Spicer;
• Limit television, computer, and video game time. No more than two hours of screen-time per day for children over two years of age, and no screen-time at all for children under two years of age;
• Encourage activity, not exercise for young children. Jumping rope, playing tag, or climbing a tree will help your children burn calories and stay healthy – kids don’t need a structured workout. “Girls as young as eight years old have started dieting, which is an unhealthy approach to weight management – especially in children,” says Dr. Packard Spicer;
• Remember that children don’t do the family grocery shopping – parents do. If you buy healthy foods, your children will eat healthy foods and grow to enjoy them. “Take your children shopping with you,” says Dr. Packard Spicer. “Let them pick out fruits or vegetables that they would like to try. Look up recipes to use them in, or just try them raw;”
• Know what food is served and what exercise opportunities are provided at school and day care;
• Children need to consume five servings of combined fruits and vegetables every day. “Every color, every day,” says Dr. Packard Spicer. “A healthy plate will contain 50 percent vegetables; while the other 50 percent should be equal parts of fruit, whole grain, and lean protein;” and
• Avoid fruit juices and soda. Juice encourages the consumption of sweets and gives children a feeling of fullness before they have eaten their healthy meal, and soda has been strongly linked to the development of obesity, according to Dr. Packard Spicer.

Remember to be creative with your children to make to make their everyday activities healthy and fun. If your children like to read, bike to a library; if they like to do arts and crafts, go on a neighborhood walk to gather foliage for a collage; if they like to listen to music, make up a dance to their favorite song. “The best approach to preventing childhood obesity is vigorous activity and healthy food choices every day,” says Dr. Packard Spicer.

Source: Natural News Service, June 2009, Northwestern Health Sciences University.