Do Overweight Parents Have Overweight Kids?

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As adults get bigger and bigger, so do the children. In the area I live in, it is common to see large families. Both the adults and the children are overweight. With 35 % of all adults being overweight, the number of overweight children is also on the rise. About 8 % of all preschool-age children are overweight, and nearly twice that number are overweight between age 6 and 11. The big question is what causes children to be obese and what can we do to help our children.

The past several decades have presented Americans with some extreme lifestyle changes. Here is a brief overview of the 3 major reasons for obesity in our children today:
· Poor eating habits. With our society being much faster paced now than it was 30 or 40 years ago, our way of eating has also changed. Now instead of eating a properly cooked meal with nutritious ingredients, we opt for fast food or a frozen convenience meal. Both of these choices are high in fat and calories. This lifestyle over time will lead to certain weight gain. More than 60% of American children eat too many fatty foods, and less than 20% eat the recommended five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day. In order to reverse the current trend of obesity this will have to change.
· Not enough exercise. The past 20 years has seen an increase in screen time for our children. With the popularity of video games, computers and cable TV, kids spend more time in front of a screen than they spend being involved in physical activities. Statistics show that the time spent in front of a screen is proportional to the child’s obesity problem and to make matters worse, many children snack on unhealthy foods unconsciously while they are on the computer or watching TV. Parents need to trade exercise time for screen time. Children should be encouraged to get involved in organized activities. Children are more likely to exercise if they do not have to do it alone.
· Genetics. Your family plays a big part in whether you or your children will be overweight. Up to 40 % of all children are predisposed to being overweight and that percentage increases if these children have poor eating habits and do not exercise. We cannot change who were born to, but our eating and exercise is completely in our control.

We may not be able to control everything in our lives, but there are things we can do to help our children live healthier and happier lives. We can start by making lifestyle changes as a family. If everyone, including family members that are not overweight, are willing to make healthier choices the people that are overweight are more likely to make the same changes and be successful at losing weight.

Exercising as a family will also make it easier to get resistant children involved. Make it fun. Go to the zoo and walk. Take a bike ride as a family. Go swimming together. The possibilities for group exercise are endless and can be fun and a good stress reliever. With some planning and effort we can change the current trends that exist for our children and get them on the path towards living a happy and healthy life.