Childhood Obesity by YoNaturals of California
Posted by: yonaturals in UncategorizedYoNaturals 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