Tips For Helping Your Children Develop Healthy Eating Habits

By David R Donohue, M.A.

Now that we are in late winter, parents have to become engaged in setting up and maintaining healthy eating habits for their children, You?e probably read about it in newspapers and seen it on T.V. news: the number of obese children and teens has continued to sky-rocket ?over the past two decades. You may wonder: Why are doctors and scientists troubled by this trend? And as parents or other concerned adults, you may also ask: What steps can we take to help prevent obesity and overweight levels in our children? This article provides answers to some of the questions you may have and provides you with resources to help you keep your family healthy and eating a balanced diet.

• Why is childhood obesity considered a health problem?






• What can I do as a parent or guardian to help prevent childhood overweight?






• Want to learn more?

Is Childhood Obesity Considered a Livelong Problem?

Doctors and scientists are concerned about the rise of obesity in children and youth because obesity may lead to the following health problems:

• Heart disease, caused by:






• high cholesterol and/or






• high blood pressure






• Type 2 diabetes






• Asthma






• Sleep apnea






• Social discrimination

Childhood obesity is associated with various health-related consequences. Obese children and adolescents may experience immediate health consequences and may be at risk for weight-related health problems in adulthood.

Psychosocial Risks

Some consequences of childhood and adolescent overweight are psychosocial. Obese children and adolescents are targets of early and systematic social discrimination. The psychological stress of social stigmatization can cause low self-esteem which, in turn, can hinder academic and social functioning, and persist into adulthood.

Cardiovascular Disease Risks

Obese children and teens have been found to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, and abnormal glucose tolerance. In a population-based sample of 5- to 17-year-olds, almost 60% of overweight children had at least one CVD risk factor while 25 percent of overweight children had two or more CVD risk factors.

Major Health Risks for Children

?Less common health conditions associated with increased weight include asthma, hepatic steatosis, sleep apnea and Type-2 diabetes.

• Asthma is a disease of the lungs in which the airways become blocked or narrowed causing breathing difficulty. Studies have identified an association between childhood overweight and asthma.






• Hepatic steatosis is the fatty degeneration of the liver caused by a high concentration of liver enzymes. Weight reduction causes liver enzymes to normalize.






• Sleep apnea is a less common complication of overweight for children and adolescents. Sleep apnea is a sleep-associated breathing disorder defined as the cessation of breathing during sleep that lasts for at least 10 seconds. Sleep apnea is characterized by loud snoring and labored breathing. During sleep apnea, oxygen levels in the blood can fall dramatically. One study estimated that sleep apnea occurs in about 7% of overweight children.






• Type-2 diabetes is increasingly being reported among children and adolescents who are overweight. While diabetes and glucose intolerance, a precursor of diabetes, are common health effects of adult obesity, only in recent years has Type-2 diabetes begun to emerge as a health-related problem among children and adolescents. Onset of diabetes in children and adolescents can result in advanced complications such as CVD and kidney failure.

In addition, studies have shown that obese children and teens are more likely to become obese as adults.

Is Childhood Obesity Considered a Livelong Problem?

To help your child maintain a healthy weight, balance the calories your child consumes from foods and beverages with the calories your child uses through physical activity and normal growth.

Remember that the goal for overweight and obese children and teens is to reduce the rate of weight gain while allowing normal growth and development. Children and teens should NOT be placed on a weight reduction diet without the consultation of a health care provider.

Balancing Calories: Help Kids Develop Healthy Eating Habits

One part of balancing calories is to eat foods that provide adequate nutrition and an appropriate number of calories. You can help children learn to be aware of what they eat by developing healthy eating habits, looking for ways to make favorite dishes healthier, and reducing calorie-rich temptations.

Encourage healthy eating habits.

Northwestern University football tailgate party, Kenosha,WI

There? no great secret to healthy eating. Recently at a Big-Ten football sponsored scrimmage and tailgate outing with two children, my girl-friend and I had major problems in feeding the children a reasonability healthy meal. To help your children and family develop healthy eating habits consider the following guidelines:

• Provide plenty of vegetables, fruits, and whole-grain products.






• Include low-fat or non-fat milk or dairy products.






• Choose lean meats, poultry, fish, lentils, and beans for protein.






• Serve reasonably-sized portions. (No Super Sizing}






• Encourage your family to drink lots of water.






• Limit sugar-sweetened beverages. soft drinks and juices






• Limit consumption of sugar and saturated fat.

Remember that small changes every day can lead to a recipe for success!

For more information about nutrition, visit Finding Your Way to a Healthier You: Based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans.

Look for ways to make favorite dishes healthier.

The recipes that you may prepare regularly, and that your family enjoys, with just a few changes can be healthier and just as satisfying. For new ideas about how to add more fruits and vegetables to your daily diet check out the recipe database from the FruitsandVeggiesMatter.gov. This database enables you to find tasty fruit and vegetable recipes that fit your needs.

Remove calorie-rich temptations!

Although everything can be enjoyed in moderation, reducing the calorie-rich temptations of high-fat and high-sugar, or salty snacks can also help your children develop healthy eating habits. Instead only allow your children to eat them sometimes, so that they truly will be treats! Here are examples of easy-to-prepare, low-fat and low-sugar treats that are 100 calories or less:

• A medium-size apple






• A medium-size banana






• 1 cup blueberries






• 1 cup grapes






• 1 cup carrots, broccoli, or bell peppers with 2 tbsp. hummus