Teach Your Child to Eat Healthy

by Jacqueline Seewald

Is obesity a real threat to our children?  Michelle Obama seems to think so. She points out that one third of all kids in this country are either overweight or obese (Newsweek, “Michelle on a Mission,” March 22, 2010, p. 41). Health advocates constantly warn us that being overweight increases the risk of dying early from heart disease, various forms of cancer, and diabetes. 

Let's look at some hard facts. There is a higher risk of obesity in the general population than ever before in our history. And our children are not immune. The National Center for Health Statistics, part of the Center for Disease Control, conservatively estimates that 15% of adolescents (ages 12-19) are overweight and 15% of children (ages 6-11) are overweight, up from 11% in 1994. "Overweight in youths has not leveled off or decreased, and is increasing to even higher levels. The data for adolescents are of notable concern because overweight adolescents are at increased risk to become overweight adults. The findings for children and adolescents suggest the likelihood of another generation of overweight adults who may be at risk for subsequent overweight and obesity related health conditions." http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/overwt.htm

However, a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and published in the June 2005 issue of the journal Pediatrics found that children who were given specific advice on following a healthy diet were more likely to adopt better eating habits than those who received only general nutritional information. This is good news for parents who wonder if they can influence their children's food choices. 

This study tracked nearly 600 children ages 8 to 10 from around the U.S. with high blood cholesterol levels. Besides receiving advice on healthy eating habits (in this case, a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet), the children as well as their parents, also participated in specialized nutrition classes. The control group of children received only basic nutritional information. After three years, the children who received specific nutrition advice continued to consume more healthy foods than the control group. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/wecan

What causes children to have serious weight problems? There are several factors. We can narrow them down to three basic ones: attitude, environment and heredity. And of these three causes or factors, heredity is clearly the hardest to change. 

But attitudes can be changed and improved. First and foremost, children have to be made to feel good about themselves. And this starts in the home. Parents need to encourage their children by praising them for their accomplishments, small as well as large. Feelings of self-esteem and self-worth make children want to live up to a positive self-image. Your positive expectations of them make all the difference. Words of praise, the proverbial pat on the back, make our children want to prove themselves worthy of our good opinion. Living healthy is part of maintaining a positive self-image. As their parents, we are the most important people in their lives. If you look at life in a positive manner, then your children will learn to do so as well. Children with a healthy self-image don't need to constantly turn to food to feel better.

This brings us to physical environment as an important factor. Parents are the people who provide the necessary environment for children to thrive. So what can we do to insure that our children learn to maintain a healthy weight?

Here are some suggestions:

• Set a good example. Eat healthy foods yourself.

According to David Ludwig, M.D., Associate Professor of Pediatrics with Harvard Medical School, the real reason obesity is a problem with children is because they eat high-glycemic foods.  In his book, Ending the Food Fight, Ludwig observes that children ingesting low-glycemic foods eat fewer calories. Beneficial foods good for you and your children are: oatmeal, peanuts, whole grain breads, dried beans, whole fruits and vegetables.

• Don't buy snack foods that have little nutritional value. Avoid candy, chips and dips, and other fattening foods. Natural foods are always preferable to processed foods. For example, keep raw carrots and celery sticks handy. Raisins, nuts, apples, all make nutritious snacks.
• Don't reward your children with food. Use praise instead. 
• Don’t keep junk food in the house.
• Don't immediately give sweet treats when children are feeling down. Offer to talk things out.
• Include your children in selecting recipes and preparing the dishes you eat together. 
• Sit down as a family for dinner. University of Minnesota researchers found that girls who ate regular family meals in a structured and positive environment were less likely to exhibit extreme weight control behavior problems. This research was published in the November 2004 issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health.
• Don't rush through meals. Especially at dinner, eat in a leisurely manner and talk about your day with your children. Encourage them to tell you about theirs. 
• Don't allow any family member to eat a meal while talking on the phone, watching television or using a computer. That includes the grown-ups.
• Serve a variety of healthy foods. Every meal should have protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains.
• Try to serve attractively so that food looks appealing. For instance, have a variety of colors on the plate. Brighten it up with salad, pickles, or relish. Eye candy sells a meal.
• Don't use large plates when smaller plates make servings look larger.
• Don't serve large portions. It's better to have children ask for seconds if they're still hungry.
• Serve water with meals. Also, encourage your children to drink plenty of water during the day rather than sugary beverages.
• Use low fat milk.
• Cut down on certain types of fatty foods, specifically avoid trans fats (found in many processed baked goods such as cookies and cakes and even some breads). Also, limit saturated animal fats. Good fats are those found in fish, nuts, olive and canola oils and avocados.
• Avoid letting your children eat poorly when they eat out. Limit fast food consumption.
• Avoid over-eating yourself when you go to restaurants. Even fast food places can provide healthy choices. Select with care. Above all, set a good role model for your children. This is vital. They will not learn responsible behavior otherwise. It can't be "do as I say not as I do" or you will lose the respect of your children as well as their cooperation.
• Pack your children's school lunches when possible. Make certain the food is varied and nutritious. Include some fun food in their lunch bags. Good  choices include fresh fruit with natural peanut butter for a dip, reduced-fat cheese sticks, or pudding cups. For young children, you can cut whole-grain sandwiches into fun shapes with cookie cutters. For older children, try offering foods they can assemble themselves, like low-fat sliced cheese, lean deli meats, and whole-grain wraps. 
• Liven up veggies. Cut up an assortment of colorful, crunchy dippers (think red peppers, carrots, and cucumbers) and pair them with hummus or a low fat canola or olive oil based salad dressing (packaged in a sealable container).
• Involve your children in making decisions regarding food. Take them marketing with you. Ask them what foods they would like to eat, and guide them toward healthy choices, explaining why certain foods are better than others.  For example, you can explain why nuts are better than cookies.
• Exercise, exercise, exercise! This means you as well as your children. Too much of our free time is taken up by passive activities: watching television, using computers, listening to music, talking on the telephone, reading and writing. All are wonderful activities in moderation. However, our bodies need physical activity. In fact, they crave it. Here again is where you must set an example for your children.
• Be physically active yourself. Whether you play tennis or swim, ride a bicycle or jog, get out and do something physical. 
• What if you're not an athlete? No problem. Brisk walking is an excellent activity. Take walks at the beach, the lake, the park, around the city, in your neighborhood, the school track if one is available. Even mall walking is great. And take your children with you whenever possible. Too often we just assume that our children are physically active when they actually are not. 
• Don't assume your child gets enough physical activity just because he or she takes athletics in school or is involved in some organized sport. The organized sports activities most children pursue these days are not necessarily as involving as one might think. Many children mostly sit on the bench and don't participate all that much.
• Discourage over-use of video games by your children in their free time. Again, this leads to the couch potato syndrome. Don't be afraid to turn off their computer game, television, or telephone if they've been using for too long. Just like over-eating, these activities tend to be addictive. 

Good parental attitudes, healthy eating habits, and an active life style will help prevent obesity and overweight in our children. 

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