Have you ever decided something along the lines of, “That’s it! I’m going to lose fifteen pounds before the big party in two weeks!” If so, you’re likely familiar with the concept of yo-yo- dieting. It’s like that on-again off-again relationship that just keeps breaking your heart, or rather your waist line.

Yo-yo dieting refers to the cyclical loss and gain of weight when dieting. The body responds to dieting by relying on this diminished food intake, based on its experience when in the diet phase of the cycle and reserving calories more strictly. Thus, when out of diet mode, the body is conditioned to hold on to those calories in preparation for what it believes may actually be starvation mode. Basal metabolic rate slows, and ultimately leads to increased risk of heart disease while adding permanent weight. Not really what you bargained for when making that commitment to lose weight in the desperate first place.

So what this means is that the more dieting you do in your lifetime, the less weight you will lose and the more your body will want to hold on to the precious weight it has. This is also an example of why ideally we should eat 4-5 small meals daily in lieu of eating 2-3 larger meals. Of course, ideally we should be eating a lot less, but with the 4-5 small meal plan there is less likelihood of becoming overly famished, inevitably followed by overly-indulged.

This is an invaluable lesson to teach children so they incorporate healthy habits from the start. Because nearly every adult knows the pain of having to dismantle old habits while practicing new, healthier ones. Talking the talk while walking the walk is likely the best way to teach your children how to take care of themselves. However, if you’re on a journey to live healthier, look at this as an opportunity to participate in that journey with your kids.

The point: never fall for that old concept of “diet” and simply learn how to develop healthy food and self-care habits, which aren’t too restrictive and do allow for some fun. Life is a ball, you’re not- no need to bounce to and fro, no?

YoNaturals California realizes that childhood obesity is on a frightening rise internationally, and we are doing everything we can to fight this unfortunate disease.   The main reasons seem to be a lack of exercise and poor nutrition.

The children of this generation seem to be stuck inside watching cable or playing computer games.   With the media constantly highlighting the predators in our society it is hardly surprising that parents do not want to encourage their children to play outside.   This over-protectiveness of our children is robbing them of their childhood and if we are not careful we could be robbing them of their lives.   More and more children are presenting with diabetes and heart problems at early ages caused by obesity.

What can we do to keep our children safe without harming their health?   There are a number of solutions.   One solution is to keep fit as a family.   Use family time on the weekends to go for hikes, bike rides or skating.   In the evenings/mornings (depending on the family routine) go for a family walk discuss the day ahead/just gone and really relate to each other while you exercise.   Not only is this providing a safe activity for your children, but is also setting them a good example with your involvement.

Another solution is to get them to join a sports team or to participate in a team activity that they enjoy such as football or dancing.   I know there have been revelations over the years against some coaches and priests, but if you are worried then volunteer your help.   Most teams/groups love having a volunteer to help the coach/team leader out.

Failing these solutions look to the newest video games such as the Wii which promotes fitness in the home.

The other side to childhood obesity is nutrition, which is what we are mostly concerned with at YoNaturals of California.   We need to lead by example with our children and eat and snack wisely ourselves.   If we grab a bar of chocolate as a treat to make ourselves feel better than our children are going to associate chocolate with feeling good.   Try grabbing a granola bar or a handful of nuts and seeds instead.   If your snack of choice is a bag of potato chips then try and substitute it with dried fruit or pretzels instead.

If pre-made food is a necessity then try and ensure it is made with all natural ingredients.   In particular make sure that the meals are low in salt, preservatives and saturated fats, such as the food found in a YoNaturals vending machine. Eating takeaways with their supersize portions should be restricted to an occasional occurrence as opposed to a regular occurrence.

Another big culprit is soda.   Children as young as 2 years of age are being fed soda every day.   Twenty years ago soda was something you had as a treat when meeting up with friends or going to a birthday party.   These days soda is a normal item to find in a family refrigerator.

Soda is loaded with sugar, preservatives and, in some cases, caffeine.   Try getting your children to drink water, even fruit flavored or vitamin enriched waters make a tasty drink.   Another alternative is fruit juice although this is still loaded with natural sugars it does have the advantage of containing vitamins and minerals as well. YoNaturals California has no sodas in our vending machines; just fruit juices and water.
Implementing these few steps can help stop your children from becoming obese or help reverse any obesity that they may already have.   It will also ensure the whole family stays healthy.

Contributed by Louanne Cox