Being overweight is rather common in our society today. You see it in men, women, adolescents and even little children. It isn’t easy to change the eating patterns of adults and not even a breeze with adolescents but you really have a great deal of control over what your young child eats and drinks.
The best time to attempt to get a handle on preventing being overweight is when you are young. Take a look at your child. Is he overweight? If you aren’t sure, ask a physician or take him to a free clinic.
Pay attention to the size clothes you are buying. Are they getting to be larger and larger sizes that aren’t just because he is growing taller? Is he wearing larger sizes for his age or is it to allow for his growing tummy to have enough room?
You probably have a clue he may be getting larger if you just pay attention to what he is eating. How many bowls of sugared cereal does he eat in the morning? How many soft drinks during the day does he consume? How fast are you going through the ice cream and apple pie you buy?
A rather shocking story in today’s news was to read that soft drinks are the single most purchased food by families on food stamps (“In the shopping cart of a food stamp household: lots of soda” — The Seattle Times, Jan. 14, 2017). These soft drinks account for over 9 percent of each dollar spent.
In that shocking story, it said that for all families, not just those on food stamps, soft drinks were in second place as the most frequently purchased items and they spent over 7 percent on those drinks.
Eliminating or rationing the purchase of soft drinks would make a huge difference in the consumption of high sugar items in your child’s diet. If you don’t buy the drinks, he will consume less. Now that is an easy diet. It may even help you shed a pound or two.
Not only are households spending a lot of money on soft drinks, they also spend almost a quarter of each dollar on other junk foods including desserts, salty snacks, candy and sugar. If these kinds of food are easily available in your home, don’t be surprised when your children eat and drink them. Then don’t be surprised to see the weight of each person increase.
It is well worthwhile to help young children get a handle on what they eat. It is estimated that about one in three American kids and teens is overweight or obese. Obesity in children has more than tripled since 1971 and is now the No. 1 health concern among parents in the United States, topping drug abuse and smoking.
You should be concerned if your child is over-weight because weighing too much may increase the chances that he will develop health problems now or later in life. Problems such as breathing problems or joint pain can develop. Some children develop problems such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
Even making friends can be influenced by the weight of your child. Some overweight children experience teasing, bullying, depression and low self-esteem.
Overweight children are at higher risk of entering adulthood with too much weight. When that happens, they have increased chances of developing health problems such as heart disease and certain types of cancer. Adults with weight problems frequently experience low self-esteem and depression just like children do.
All you have to do to prevent these problems is to pay attention to the food and drinks you buy for your child. Set an example in how you eat and your child will follow.
Don’t make a big deal about the changes; just get started. If the drinks and the candy aren’t there, they won’t be eaten. That is easy enough. You should start today.
Cynthia Martin is the founder of the First Teacher program and director of Parenting Matters Foundation, which publishes newsletters for parents, caregivers and grandparents. Reach Martin at pmf@olypen.com or at 681-2250.
