Parents, have you considered it could be your fault your child is overweight or obese? I know there are circumstances where a child is born with a genetic issue that causes weight gain. My heart goes out to those children and their parents! But 9 out of 10 times, it is a parents fault their child is overweight or obese!
I have decided recently, I am not helping anyone by being PC in my BLOG posts. Sometimes you have to be blunt and upset some people to create change and I am about fighting for children to have healthier, happier lives, so if I have to upset a few parents to do that, so be it!
Think about it a second. Who is doing the grocery shopping? Who is preparing the meals? Who is being a role model? You, Mom and Dad!
I used to work as a Wellness Director. One of my favorite days was bring your child to work day. Children have no filter and on more than one occasion happily shared what their parents did to stay healthy, or not! I remember one boy sharing how his Dad never exercised and was lazy. His Dad just watched TV and drank beer. A little girl quickly chimed in to tell me her mother never ate and was always looking in the mirror and saying how fat she was. Like it or not, your kids notice what you are doing. You are their biggest role model!
So parents, here is your report card. Answer the following questions and look for tomorrow’s posts to learn why all these areas are important. Although, I don’t think you will need more information to decide if you are making the grade?
- Have you been on a diet during your child’s lifetime?
- Are you physically active on a daily basis?
- How often does your family do physical activities together?
- Does your child get 30 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous activity six days a week?
- How many days of the week does your family eat dinner together?
- Does your child have a health breakfast every morning (Fruit, lean protein, whole grains)?
- Does your child eat food from all food groups daily (Fresh fruits and vegetables, Dairy or dairy alternative, whole grains, lean meats and beans)?
- Do you limit your child’s saturated fat and sugar intake by reading the labels before you purchase an item?
Hope this is some food for thought! Lets work together to improve the health and lives of children!
Karen
With Karen's education and eighteen years experience in the preventative health, nutrition, and fitness fields and personal experience battling weight, she could not ignore the growing obesity epidemic, especially after the announcement by the surgeon general stating, this would be the first generation to die before their parents due to obesity. This is not a legacy Karen wants to leave behind.