|
Is your preschooler overweight? |
|
Written by LynnAnn Duniven
|
|
Wednesday, 10 March 2010 |
Right now, everyone is aware of the obesity problem that we, as acountry, are facing. The results of obesity can be frightening to think about: increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, bone and joint problems......the list goes on and on. And that’s just for adults! What about the children today?
I heard a speaker at a conference once say that we are currently raising a generation of children that will die before their parents if this trend is not reversed. Talk about a sobering thought! It’s one thing when we, as adults, have to face the consequences of our nutritional choices. We know the risks and that we will have to take care of it sooner or later. We will have to take medication for high blood sugars or high blood pressure. We will have to think about those affects as we get older.
But what about children? If they are overweight now, they could be dealing with some of these affects before they are teenagers! Will they remember to take their blood pressure medication EVERY DAY, for the next 50 years - or their blood sugar medication? If they don’t, what will the next step be? Stroke? Amputation? Kidney failure? All before they are 20 years old.
Approximately one in six preschoolers aged 2 to 5 years are overweight or obese. “All parents should ask their pediatrician if their child’s weight is right for his or her age and height every time they visit the doctor. This will give parents an opportunity to discuss credible nutrition and physical activity behaviors associated with healthy weight and explore any medical conditions that may be associated with their child’s weight,” said Dr. Sharon Robinson Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Specialist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.
The following recommendations are associated with healthy weight:
*Limit juice to 3/4 cup per day.
*Limit sweetened beverages by offering water with snacks.
*Serve fruits and vegetables as snacks.
*Reduce screen-time (time spent watching television, computers and electronic games) to no more than 2 hours per day.
*Encourage at least 60 minutes of active physical play. This can be spread throughout the day such as 6 10-minute bouts of activity.
To learn more about promoting healthy weight you can visit http://fcs.tamu.edu/food_and_nutrition/promoting-healthy-weight.php .
At this website, you can also find the following recommendations about increasing the consumption of fruits and vegetables by your children.
* Be a good role model. Show your child that you eat fruits and vegetables. Watching you eat and enjoy fruits and vegetables is important if you expect your child to eat them.
* Try different textures. Serve canned, frozen, and fresh. A child who may not eat cooked broccoli may prefer it raw. Serving fruit and vegetables with low-fat dips and salad dressings also may increase their appeal.
* Let your child pick out fruits and vegetables at the store and then help wash and prepare them. Serve more than one type, and let your child choose.
* Don’t offer favorite foods, such as desserts, as a reward for eating fruits and vegetables. Giving your child ice cream after finishing broccoli teaches him or her that the ice cream is preferable.
* Teach your child that eating fruits and vegetables will help themgrow big and strong. Talk to your child about “eating all their colors.”
Above all, try to make eating fruits and vegetables enjoyable and fun.
These are just some ideas to get our kids in better shape for the future. If we can instill these things in our children now, think about how much ahead of the curve they will be as adults. For more information, feel free to call our office. We also offer free nutrition education classes.
LynnAnn Duniven is the County Extension Agent for Family and Consumer Sciences in Nolan County. Comments about this column may be e-mailed to
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
|
|
Last Updated ( Friday, 12 March 2010 )
|
