Childhood obesity: no one said change was easy

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States. There are more than 3 million cases of childhood obesity in the US each year, and it can cause serious health problems. Childhood obesity can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Overweight children are often bullied and shamed for being fat, which leads to decreased self-esteem and depression.

Childhood obesity has become an epidemic in the United States, and the sad part of this story is that it is very treatable without a doctor’s intervention. Children just need their parents to take an active interest in their life and decide that it is time for a change.

The main causes of obesity are genetics, metabolism, nutrition and exercise habits. There is nothing you can do to change your genetic makeup, but you certainly can change your eating and exercise habits. The easiest thing to do is to monitor your children’s eating habits and hold them accountable. I know from personal experience that children spend too much time on devices. I think it’s important to limit the amount of screen time and get them to come out and play and burn off some energy. It’s easy to limit screen time by using some mobile app technology and a little effort on the parent’s part.

So how can childhood obesity be treated without a doctor? Using a simple structured healthy nutrition plan. Children will follow their parents’ lead on what to eat, so it’s important for parents to set good examples of what to eat on a daily basis.

Try using free mobile apps to track your calories and log your exercise to make sure you stay within your daily goal. True change doesn’t happen overnight, but it does require parents to set the right expectations with their children. Children learn by example, so if you, as a parent, lead a healthy lifestyle, your children are more likely to do the same.

Many parents complain that feeding their children healthy foods is too expensive. Typically, these are the same parents who routinely buy fast food using the drive-thru. Healthy eating should not be a time consuming or expensive activity. Yes, it’s a lifestyle change, but it’s for the longevity of HIS LIFE.

Eating a healthy, well-balanced meal shouldn’t cost more than ten ($10) dollars a day if you do it correctly. Keep in mind that a healthy weight is achieved with 95% diet and 5% exercise.