September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. It offers us a time to promote health and wellness for our children at a time when childhood obesity continues to become increasingly common, resulting in long-term health issues such as heart disease, diabetes, bone and joint pain, injuries, and disease, and respiratory problems such as asthma or sleep apnea. Childhood obesity can also result in poor selfesteem, depression, anxiety, and bullying behaviors. For those reasons and more, it proves important for us to learn about and implement ways to address obesity in children.
Contrary to popular belief, obesity is the result of more than eating habits. Obesity results from many factors including genetics, medical issues, diet— quantity and quality of food consumed, stress, mental health, and physical activity among others. Fortunately, five simple means to addressing and preventing childhood obesity exist: moving more, getting adequate and quality sleep, eating a variety of foods, consuming less sugar, and reducing screen time.
First, moving more can be as simple as dancing with children or playing outdoor games. We can also engage in outdoor activities with them like swimming, playing catch, kicking a soccer ball, jumping rope or bouncing on a trampoline, rock climbing, or gardening. Moving more may also involve more complex, expensive activities such as enrolling our children in organized sports such as karate, baseball, soccer, track, football, cheer, dance, or gymnastics. Moving more improves muscle tone, bone health, and reduces anxiety and depression. Any movement can be beneficial, but children generally need about an hour of physical activity daily. Second, children need adequate, quality sleep, which improves energy levels, regulates hunger, and even reduces cravings for sugar. To help our children develop quality sleep, we must help them develop healthy sleep habits. Help children be more active during the day and then calm down in the evenings. Serve dinner no later than three hours prior to bedtime. Create a consistent bedtime routine. Reduce screen time during the day, and end it an hour or two before bed. Finally, ensure that children get a minimum of eight hours of sleep each night, accounting for age-appropriate sleep needs, and maintain that sleep-wake schedule every day of the week, including on weekends.
Third, provide a variety of foods for children to eat. Many childhood obesity experts suggest that an appropriate diet is easy when you remember to “eat the rainbow”. Essentially, we can help our children eat healthily by providing our children with foods of many colors and textures, which means we must offer a variety of fruits and vegetables. Avoiding processed foods when possible is also an important way we can provide more healthful meals. Growing children (and even us adults) need proper nutrition to grow and development adaptable, healthy bodies and minds. Those nutrients come from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and lean meats, and dairy. In some cases, full-fat dairy is superior for growth and development; in others, lower fat options prove more beneficial. Tailoring it to our child’s needs results in nutritional success.
Fourth, we must reduce our children’s consumption of sugar. Added sugar adversely affects the ways our bodies recognize satiety. It also fuels unhealthy cravings and increases blood sugar levels, leading to increased sugar spikes and hyperactivity followed by crashes and lethargy. We can help our children attain more even energy levels, sleep better, and get better results from physical activity by reducing sugar intake. Simple ways to reduce sugar consumption include offering 100% juice rather than juice drinks, offering water rather than soda, and providing fresh fruit snacks instead of candy snacks.
Finally, reducing our children’s screen time proves paramount in the fight against childhood obesity. With screentime comes sedentary behavior and sleep disturbance. We cannot run and play, exercise, or sleep when we are glued to our smartphones, tablets, computers, and televisions. That concept is also true for our children. When we allow our children to plant themselves in front of devices to play video games, engage social media accounts, and watch television or movies, we allow them to be idle and snack. Instead, we can help our children to be healthier and prevent obesity by setting limits on screentime and encouraging movement and outdoor activities.
As a community, supporting our families, and as parents, supporting our children with healthy habits, we can prevent and address childhood obesity together. Let us make this September the best National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month the best ever. Spread the word and take action today for a healthier tomorrow.