Healthy, Happy Kids

When a woman first learns that she is blessed with a pregnancy, most often her biggest hope is that she will deliver a healthy baby. There is a saying, “If you have your health, you have everything.” So true. No one enjoys being sick. I look around and see so many young children who are already clinically obese. My heart breaks for them. I think of their already difficult lives and the life they will lead as an obese, unhealthy adult.  Nothing good comes of childhood obesity.  Although some children may have a medical condition which lends itself to weight gain, those cases are far and few between, and don’t apply to the general population. Overeating, or taking in more calories than are utilized through daily movement can take the joy and childhood out of a child’s life. Social stigma weaves its way into daily life, and obese children often become self-conscious, or a target for teasing. Medical remediations can be overwhelming, or at the very least frightening for a child when weight related problems arise due to obesity.  Recently, one mother lost custody of her obese son until she learned about appropriate nutrition and he participated in a nutritional program. This mom was considered neglectful to allow her son to become so unhealthy.  Much of childhood obesity is due to processed and fast foods which are consumed regularly without thought. Those foods are filled with Omega 6 fatty acids which can cause long term health risks including heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, depression and cancer. Make the decision to scale back on junk foods, and get your kids invested in preparing fresh healthy meals with you. Children learn what they live. Let yours learn how to live a healthy, happy lifestyle. Read the entire article “Parents should serve up a healthy lifestyle”.