Raising a Fast Food Generation

According to Healthline.com, obesity is defined as body weight that is much greater than what is considered healthy. If you are obese, you have a much higher amount of body fat than lean muscle mass.

Obesity is a chronic disease affecting our young children more than ever.

Did you know that Latino children make up a significant portion of the overweight/obese population in the United States?

This problem has become widespread; I believe it should and must become the main focus in our communities and a very important discussion topic throughout the country.

There are many factors that contribute to our children becoming overweight and/or obese, factors that we as parents can help prevent and/or control:

• Genetics. Children of overweight or obese parents are at a much greater risk of becoming overweight or obese themselves. Knowing this, more of an effort should be made to control and maintain their weight at a healthy level.
• The lack of physical activity is also a factor. Kids nowadays are more inactive than ever, replacing fun at the park with video games or going online foregoing the exercise needed to keep them healthy.
• Lastly, the dependence on high fat/calorie foods. It’s sad to say that we have become a fast food nation bombarded by commercials and ads from the leading fast food companies on an hourly and daily basis. Making it that much easier to offer or kids a super sized meal than a home cooked one.

With risk factors come health factors and with health factors come more doctors’ visits which result in higher health care costs. Asthma, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high blood pressure, arthritis, depression and low self-esteem are only some effects associated with being overweight or obese.

It is extremely important to teach healthy eating habits to our children early on. It begins and ends with us, their parents, guardians, the ones our children come to for comfort, security and guidance.

As parents, we should know that everything experienced as children directly impact habits as adults.

So my question to you is, what is stopping us from leading our children through a path of healthy living?

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