Monday, October 12, 2009
Obesity & Our Future
Obesity and Our Future
As adults, we may complain about a few extra pounds or getting our college figure back, but sometimes we fail to understand that the importance of our decisions extends beyond our appearance and our attitude towards healthy fitness over a skinny appearance. According to a recent publication by the National Association for Children’s Hospitals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16% of children aged 6-19 are overweight or obese – triple the number of children who were obese or overweight in 1980.
More importantly than working to help you and your family lose weight or be thin is the need to be healthy. Model thin is passé and unreasonable for many people, but health is not. This starts with us ladies!
Small children love to emulate what the people they love do and as the people they love – we need to keep this in mind. My fiancé and I have had our share of troubles getting his 5 year old daughter to eat right, but we’ve worked hard to make our whole household healthy. Here are some key things to keep in mind that can improve not only your health, but the health of everyone in your house:
· No one in your house can become a junk food junky if you don’t buy junk food.
· Be creative! I make my little angel berry salads with organic spring mix, baby spinach, strawberries, blackberries, soy nuts, and a blush vinaigrette. She loves the combination of colors and textures. It’s a great way to get her to eat very healthy and she gets to help me make lunch!
· Try new things. I admit that there are some foods I was not a big fan of to start with, but I try everything and now – so does everyone else in the house.
· Let the family get involved and create your own rituals for food. I love to play theme music when I cook and dance around in the kitchen (oops, shouldn’t have let that out!). I also let everyone help. This way everyone gets to have fun in the kitchen and dinner is more fun – even if there are a lot of veggies on the table.
· Don’t force food because it’s healthy. I don’t like onions. She doesn’t like asparagus. My fiancé doesn’t like sweet potatoes. If someone forced you to eat food you didn’t like, you would resent it, too! Everyone should try new things, but if they don’t like it – don’t force it.
· Dessert is not evil. Having 1 brownie with ice cream a month will not kill you. I promise. Teach moderation, not abstinence when it comes to sweets. For a more reasonable treat, consider yogurt with fruit or low fat ice cream topped with strawberries.
· Have fun! Play baseball in the backyard or set up a little soccer field. Kids love nature walks or playgrounds and it’s even more fun (and a great workout) if you get in on the fun, too! One of the best compliments I have ever received was hearing the little one say, “You aren’t like the moms (at birthday parties), you should come play with the kids, too!” It’s incredibly relaxing and more fun than you may want to admit to unleash your inner child.
The way we approach life, health and fitness will help mold the way future generations see these things. Eating healthier food and being more active isn’t just good for you – it’s great for our society!
Guest blog by LaCosta Lolly. To read more by LaCosta, check her out at www.valsecrets.com or www.llsic.wordpress.com.
As adults, we may complain about a few extra pounds or getting our college figure back, but sometimes we fail to understand that the importance of our decisions extends beyond our appearance and our attitude towards healthy fitness over a skinny appearance. According to a recent publication by the National Association for Children’s Hospitals and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16% of children aged 6-19 are overweight or obese – triple the number of children who were obese or overweight in 1980.
More importantly than working to help you and your family lose weight or be thin is the need to be healthy. Model thin is passé and unreasonable for many people, but health is not. This starts with us ladies!
Small children love to emulate what the people they love do and as the people they love – we need to keep this in mind. My fiancé and I have had our share of troubles getting his 5 year old daughter to eat right, but we’ve worked hard to make our whole household healthy. Here are some key things to keep in mind that can improve not only your health, but the health of everyone in your house:
· No one in your house can become a junk food junky if you don’t buy junk food.
· Be creative! I make my little angel berry salads with organic spring mix, baby spinach, strawberries, blackberries, soy nuts, and a blush vinaigrette. She loves the combination of colors and textures. It’s a great way to get her to eat very healthy and she gets to help me make lunch!
· Try new things. I admit that there are some foods I was not a big fan of to start with, but I try everything and now – so does everyone else in the house.
· Let the family get involved and create your own rituals for food. I love to play theme music when I cook and dance around in the kitchen (oops, shouldn’t have let that out!). I also let everyone help. This way everyone gets to have fun in the kitchen and dinner is more fun – even if there are a lot of veggies on the table.
· Don’t force food because it’s healthy. I don’t like onions. She doesn’t like asparagus. My fiancé doesn’t like sweet potatoes. If someone forced you to eat food you didn’t like, you would resent it, too! Everyone should try new things, but if they don’t like it – don’t force it.
· Dessert is not evil. Having 1 brownie with ice cream a month will not kill you. I promise. Teach moderation, not abstinence when it comes to sweets. For a more reasonable treat, consider yogurt with fruit or low fat ice cream topped with strawberries.
· Have fun! Play baseball in the backyard or set up a little soccer field. Kids love nature walks or playgrounds and it’s even more fun (and a great workout) if you get in on the fun, too! One of the best compliments I have ever received was hearing the little one say, “You aren’t like the moms (at birthday parties), you should come play with the kids, too!” It’s incredibly relaxing and more fun than you may want to admit to unleash your inner child.
The way we approach life, health and fitness will help mold the way future generations see these things. Eating healthier food and being more active isn’t just good for you – it’s great for our society!
Guest blog by LaCosta Lolly. To read more by LaCosta, check her out at www.valsecrets.com or www.llsic.wordpress.com.
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