Focus on Your Child’s Health: Making Physical Activity Easy
Recent research is suggesting that children in the United
States tend to weigh more than ever before. As a result,
childhood obesity is becoming an increasing concern among
parents and educators. If your child is overweight, it may
be very important to focus on his/her self-esteem, even
during preschool years. Similarly, if you believe that your
child may be overweight, there are steps you can take to
encourage a healthy lifestyle. A strict weight-loss diet,
however, is not the answer. In fact, limiting calories and
nutrients at a young age can interfere with normal growth
development. Following are some suggestions for parents:
- Continue to offer your child healthy meals and
snacks.
- Serve meals and snacks on a regular schedule so as to
avoid all-day grazing.
- Set a good example by eating healthfully and getting
plenty of exercise.
- Encourage active play.
According to the Food and Nutrition Service within the
United States Department of Agriculture, children should aim
to get at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity on
most days. Parents can help by:
Creating safe places.
Watch over children’s activities.
Setting a good example.
Be active with your children.
Promoting physical activity.
Encourage children to be physically active at home, at
school, and with friends.
Limiting sitting around time.
Alternate time spent sitting with time spend moving.
Establishing a routine.
Set aside time each day as activity time.
Coaching a team.
Encourage children to participate in neighborhood sports.
Setting up a home gym.
Get children involved in creating a gym using household
items such as canned foods for weights.
Trying aerobic activities.
Check children’s heart rates before, during and after
activities to see how hard they are working. As a rule of
thumb, if you can talk without being breathless, you’re
okay. If you can sing, you’re not moving enough.
Throwing an activity party.
Make your child’s birthday party, for example,
activity-centered.
For more information regarding Team Nutrition, the Food and
Nutrition Service’s campaign to raise awareness of the
greater need for more exercise and healthier eating, visit
www.fns.usda.gov/tn.
|
