Real reason for obesity in children today:
Because of changes over the last couple of decades, nowadays, most families have both parents working to stay afloat, this means less quality time spent with their children and less time for cooking home meals, or made them play outside-they did not have a television in each room, or computers available to their children. Meals were planned, breakfast, lunch and family dinner by mom and we learned how to cook from them and our grandmothers.
Children had duties at home, to help with the cleaning at home. We had to mow the grass, rake leaves, clean our bedrooms, help set the table, clean up after etc. There were fast food restaurants and horrible school lunches full of fat. We did not eat "fat free" processed foods. Yet a generation ago we did not have the problem we have today.
We ate red meats, hot dogs (I never liked them and still do not) and drank chocolate milk. We were encouraged to try all vegetables, snacks were fruits-no chips or soft drinks were allowed in the home, our parents stayed healthy because the fathers worked hard all day to support the family, our mothers stayed slim because she had to chase active children around.
We rode our bikes with friends, walked down the street to play with the neighborhood children. Lemonade was made from fresh lemons and yes it contained white sugar. We never ate fat-free foods, we took a daily vitamin. Children today eat junk food only because it is what’s made available to them on a daily basis.
Parents are stressed due to many reasons, which causes problems in the home and relationship with their spouses, which many times leads to divorce. I admire any Mother who works with small children at home, and I feel for them, it has to be a very emotional thing. Growing up in the 60s I knew mothers who worked and raised their children beautifully and so is true today. Yet there is too much that is expected of them at work. They do have time to fix healthy meals, they get home too late to play outside with their children, or even let their children "roam" the neighborhood. On the weekends they want to relax, not all of these working parents have the pleasure of getting out to exercise or take care of themselves. It is good idea for families to adapt a certain sport or active pastime as a unit so that they could incorporate the idea of exercise into their family's routine.
Let us applaud these hard working parents. Yet to really stop obesity in our children and ourselves, eat like we did 40 years ago, limit your children and yourself to how much TV is watched, time on a computer, playing technology games, etc. Make your children help clean up (age appropriate) . Make them go outside and play, after their duties are done, even if you have to lock the door! Get together with other parents in your neighborhood, let them play baseball, basketball, football, swim, plant a garden and let them help, whatever it takes. This is the only way we can stop childhood obesity.
Families today are not fortunate to live in a home where food is prepared for them by chefs, or have an exercise room in the home they live in. I applaud Mrs. Obama's cause to help our children, bottom line is we are not them and we do not have the access to these opportunities. I suggest we find our own way to keep our children and ourselves healthy.
Bottom line, is we have to change our routines, as hard as it may be, do not bring in any chips, soft drinks, or juices into your home, these should be a once in awhile treat when you are out. When shopping purchase only fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits for snacks, cook a fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner for them. If a child is feed this way from a young age and encouraged to try all of it they will be healthier. What better gift can you give to your children and yourself?
Because of changes over the last couple of decades, nowadays, most families have both parents working to stay afloat, this means less quality time spent with their children and less time for cooking home meals, or made them play outside-they did not have a television in each room, or computers available to their children. Meals were planned, breakfast, lunch and family dinner by mom and we learned how to cook from them and our grandmothers.
Children had duties at home, to help with the cleaning at home. We had to mow the grass, rake leaves, clean our bedrooms, help set the table, clean up after etc. There were fast food restaurants and horrible school lunches full of fat. We did not eat "fat free" processed foods. Yet a generation ago we did not have the problem we have today.
We ate red meats, hot dogs (I never liked them and still do not) and drank chocolate milk. We were encouraged to try all vegetables, snacks were fruits-no chips or soft drinks were allowed in the home, our parents stayed healthy because the fathers worked hard all day to support the family, our mothers stayed slim because she had to chase active children around.
We rode our bikes with friends, walked down the street to play with the neighborhood children. Lemonade was made from fresh lemons and yes it contained white sugar. We never ate fat-free foods, we took a daily vitamin. Children today eat junk food only because it is what’s made available to them on a daily basis.
Parents are stressed due to many reasons, which causes problems in the home and relationship with their spouses, which many times leads to divorce. I admire any Mother who works with small children at home, and I feel for them, it has to be a very emotional thing. Growing up in the 60s I knew mothers who worked and raised their children beautifully and so is true today. Yet there is too much that is expected of them at work. They do have time to fix healthy meals, they get home too late to play outside with their children, or even let their children "roam" the neighborhood. On the weekends they want to relax, not all of these working parents have the pleasure of getting out to exercise or take care of themselves. It is good idea for families to adapt a certain sport or active pastime as a unit so that they could incorporate the idea of exercise into their family's routine.
Let us applaud these hard working parents. Yet to really stop obesity in our children and ourselves, eat like we did 40 years ago, limit your children and yourself to how much TV is watched, time on a computer, playing technology games, etc. Make your children help clean up (age appropriate) . Make them go outside and play, after their duties are done, even if you have to lock the door! Get together with other parents in your neighborhood, let them play baseball, basketball, football, swim, plant a garden and let them help, whatever it takes. This is the only way we can stop childhood obesity.
Families today are not fortunate to live in a home where food is prepared for them by chefs, or have an exercise room in the home they live in. I applaud Mrs. Obama's cause to help our children, bottom line is we are not them and we do not have the access to these opportunities. I suggest we find our own way to keep our children and ourselves healthy.
Bottom line, is we have to change our routines, as hard as it may be, do not bring in any chips, soft drinks, or juices into your home, these should be a once in awhile treat when you are out. When shopping purchase only fresh or frozen vegetables and fruits for snacks, cook a fresh breakfast, lunch and dinner for them. If a child is feed this way from a young age and encouraged to try all of it they will be healthier. What better gift can you give to your children and yourself?
