OBESITY IN CHILDREN
HOW TO BE A HEALTHY ROLE MODEL
» About 17 percent (or 12.5 million) children and adolescents ages 2 to 19 are obese. » Since 1980, obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has almost tripled. » One in seven low-income, preschoolage children are obese.
» Show by example by eating vegetables, fruits and whole grains with meals or as snacks. » Go food shopping together, which can teach children about food and nutrition. » Get creative in the kitchen. » Offer the same foods for everyone in the family and stop being a “short-order cook.” » Reward children with attention, not food. » Focus on each other at the table, and try to
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
that I incorporate that also in the day care, ” Nogar said. “We’re going with whole grains. We’re trying to avoid high-fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats. And serve a lot of veggies.” Huisman’s mother says her son is a healthier child because of the food he consumes at Amy & Kids, and the entire family pays more attention to nutrition because of Nogar’s efforts. “Since going to Amy we’re even healthier because she’s introducing foods that my husband and I have gotten in the habit of not serving,” Hill said.
Only organic Mike Kesselhon, who owns Discover Little Miracles Child Care in Neenah, Wis., with his wife, Roxane, serves only organic food to children enrolled at the center. “We wanted to work with the kids in our center to develop the lifelong habit of not only eating organic foods and clean foods, but portioning the correct way and not overfeeding them,” Kesselhorn said. What’s been surprising, Kesselhon said, is the kids — ages 6 weeks to 12 years — are eating it up.
W N C PA R E N T. C O M
make eating meals a stress-free time. » Listen to your children when they say they are hungry, and offer choices when it comes to meals. » Limit TV or computer screen time to no more than two hours a day. » Encourage physical activity. » Try new foods yourself and then describe them to your kids.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture
“You would be surprised, if you go at it with the right attitude and promote it with the kids, they will try it and we usually end up with a winner.” Kesselhon said the added cost of organic food is palatable. The monthly food bill at Discover Little Miracles is about $3,500. Without buying organic food, the center might save $750, he estimated. “We don’t feel that’s a big enough number to warrant not doing it. In other words, we’re willing to absorb the cost of that against our bottom line for the benefit of the children.”
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