Children and Weight Gain

The American Heart Association says that 1/3 of all children and teens in this country are currently overweight or obese. This puts our children at risk for many different types of physical, social and emotional problems. Physical issues directly relating to weight gain include joint pain, asthma, sleep apnea and skin infections. Children are being diagnosed now with concerns that were once saved for older folks. Pediatricians are now screening for high blood pressure and high cholesterol which are on the rise for young people.

What's the culprit? The equation is simple. Children are taking in more calories than they are expending. Food is everywhere and in massive quantities. Sugary drinks have settled into becoming the norm. Children sit for hours in front of a screen of some kind. All of these behaviors contribute to an unhealthy way of living.

I remember back in the 70's growing up. Kids played from sun up until sun down. Remember "come home when the street lights come on"? We stayed outside. We played games like Tag and drew hopscotch boards on the streets with chalk. We jumped in sprinklers during the summer. We rode our bikes everywhere! We never stopped for snacks nor did we carry a water bottle wherever we went. Where have we come? Snack bags are in every car and in every Mom's purse. A child just has to feel a tinge of "hunger" and Mom is right there with a crinkly package. Cars are stocked with goodies for kids on the go. I've seen kids walking through stores eating! Fast food has replaced home dinners. No matter how "healthy" these fast food restaurants want to say their food is, it is still packed with preservations and high calories. Children are eating more at one sitting. As a child, we got fast food (and there were fewer fast food places than there are now) as a treat very rarely. A happy meal was enough to satisfy me. Now kids as young as 5 are consuming an entire adult meal!

What do we do? The first step is to see, understand and accept the problem. It's hard to admit that your child is overweight and even harder to accept that you've let that happen. As parents we want to give our children everything and make sure they are happy, but as parents we are also responsible for teaching them how to live a healthy lifestyle. SAA will investigate many ways of integrating healthy habits for you and your whole family to enjoy!