Kids at Risk For Diabetes

Registered Nurse, Diabetes Educator, CDE, Obesity, Children, Youth, Lifestyle

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Childhood Obesity: 3rd in a Series

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Parents have the responsibility to provide a healthy environment for their children.

But what is involved in a healthy environment?

  • A clean house with a safe sleeping arrangement
  • Providing for good hygiene
  • Emotional support and teaching coping skills
  • A sense of family connections
  • Add your own, this list can be very long!

Our health is holistic in nature. Without good sleep, you will not cope well with the anxieties of life. Without good food, you will not grow and develop properly. One part affects another, which will affect their health today and into the future.

Little changes make a big impact over time

Little changes you make have a ripple effect over time. If you switch from whole milk to 1% milk, you save 45 calories per glass OR 135 calories in 3 glasses each day. This is 945 calories per week, which equals 14 pounds in a year.

One hundred calories saved each day equals 10 pounds lost in a year. When you buy reduced fat milk, you change your environment at home. Small changes like buying lower fat foods can make a big difference over time. Your children are dependent on what you provide, so it’s up to you to make these little changes.

  • When you buy healthier breakfast cereal, they will eat it
  • Or switch to whole grain toast
  • When you buy cookies with less sugar, they will eat them
  • When you buy low-fat chips, they will eat them
  • If you buy apples, with a little prep, they will eat them too!

Cut out 100 calories and reduce sugar

Remember, 100 extra calories each day will cause you to gain 10 pounds each year. Considering how small the 100 calorie snack packs are, you can see how it is easy to eat too many calories each day. That’s why most Americans are gaining weight every year.

It is easier to avoid the temptations in the grocery store than it is to resist eating it every day once you bring it home. This should be a whole family affair. Don’t buy something for your mate and expect your children to resist eating it. It is unrealistic to expect your children to resist eating something you have in the house.

Changing to a lower sugar diet may be challenging to the whole family. But to provide a healthy future, it is important for you to control the amount of sugar in your children’s daily diet. Work with your children to find acceptable solutions. Help them make good decisions about the foods you provide in your home.

Incorporate exercise

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently changed its recommendations for daily exercise.  Never before have they recommended 2-year-olds get added activities. The CDC realizes that parents need to encourage children at a young age to “move their way”. Dancing is a good example. Put music on and it is natural for kids to dance. Find things your children like to do.

Included in the CDC’s recommendations is a limit on screen time based on age. Screen time includes television and computer games. Parents need to be aware of what their children are doing. Encourage them to get involved in activities.

Be the architect of your home

Children depend on parents to provide a good home environment. By keeping focused on their future, you will be motivated to do the right things.

For more information about the holistic nature of children’s health, download my free ebook. 👉 But before you download that, please make sure you’ve signed up for my email list! Anytime I put out a freebie, you’ll get a copy just for being on my list!

For more information about raising healthy children, please see my program, Kids at Risk for Diabetes.

Childhood Obesity: 2nd in a Series

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Part 2: Develop healthy lifestyles in children

Parents know in their heart when their child has a weight problem. They rationalize it by saying ‘it’s our family genetics’ or ‘they are perfect for playing football’. The truth is: if parents wait until their child is diagnosed, it is too late to reverse many chronic health conditions.

Healthy lifestyles start in infancy. We teach children to wash their hands, brush their teeth, take a bath and so many other important skills. Parents need to teach good lifestyle skills through puberty.

Have you ever had a two-year-old who was so excited (or hurt) that they could not speak clearly? Did you tell them to calm down but not tell them how? By telling them to take a deep breath, you are teaching them at a young age an effective coping skill. Taking several deep breaths can help reduce anxiety at any age.

Coping skills are not taught in school. When children are diagnosed with anxiety, they are often given medications. They can easily become dependent on these medications for the rest of their life. Parents need to teach a variety of coping skills to their children.

Do you teach your child how to slow down before going to sleep? Do you remove the video games, phones and other blue lights from their bedroom? Getting a good night’s sleep is important for good health.

Parents have many responsibilities

Parents have the responsibility to teach their children many good lifestyle skills. What are you teaching your children? What are you teaching by the examples in your life?

Parents can influence the future of their children in many ways. Through encouraging good study habits and rewarding good grades, we teach children the value of education. Encouraging our children to participate in sports, we teach children good sportsmanship and leadership skills. By doing things together we teach the value of family relationships. Parents provide environmental factors for successful young adults.

But did you know that the success of young adults is often influenced by their overall health? Eighty percent of overweight children continue to gain weight and are classified as obese in adulthood. Employers know obesity affects the overall health of the individual. Employers want to protect their bottom line limiting the number of employees with health problems. This will limit the opportunities that are available to them.

Take care of small problems before they become big problems

As adults, you know it is easier to lose 10 pounds than to lose 100 pounds. Weight problems slowly build up through poor choices. You are not suddenly 100 pounds overweight. Most people gain a little weight every year. That weight gain is normal in children. We want to believe kids will grow into their weight as they gain height. But it becomes really difficult for parents to know what is normal. That is why it is important to use the CDC’s growth charts.  https://www.cdc.gov/growthcharts/index.htm

Your children will understand better when they see the changes in the graphs. Talk to them about changes you can make together. Their future may depend on it.

For more information about small changes you can make and how to impact your children’s future, see blog post Part 3, which will talk about creating your family’s environment.

 

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