United States biggest health risk today has nothing to do with infectious diseases, germ warfare or an illness of any kind. It’s childhood obesity, believe it or not.
Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States and those numbers are triple the rate from one generation ago. In a 2012 study from the American Heart Association has indicated that the rate of obesity in 2- to 19- year olds is one in every six children. But, it’s not just the issue of the weight that is the problem it’s the raised risk of diabetes and high blood pressure in our children today.
So, why does the childhood obesity raise concerns from the military? Well, it seems that there has been a significant impact on finding healthy recruits, so much so that they are concerned that it could not only be a future health crisis but a national security issue as well. Currently, 75% (26 million) of 17- to 24-year olds in the U.S. cannot serve in the military for various reasons, but out of that total percentage, 25% of them are overweight or unfit to serve. Therefore the military implemented Mission: Readiness. It consists of several hundred retired military leaders of generals and admirals which are operating under the nonprofit organization of Council for a Strong America. This past week they released a report stating that 16 million students from elementary, middle and high school all buy high-calorie, low-nutritious foods from school vending machines and cafeterias. This ultimately means that these kids are consuming an average of 130 calories a day just from junk foods, which is roughly 5% to 10% of the total caloric allowance they should eat in a day!
Mission: Readiness is urging the government to move quickly in releasing updated nutritional standards for junk foods in schools. Currently, the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act that directed the USDA to update nutritional standards for all food served in schools is now being implemented just for the school meals. The foods that are served in the a la carte lines, vending machines and stores have yet to be released.
As the government takes part in eliminating the unhealthy foods from our schools, as parents we should take the time to eliminate the unhealthy foods from our homes. Educate your children on how to make healthy food choices outside of the home, when they are not under your watchful eyes. Here are some helpful hints on how to do just that.
- Guide your family’s choices. Have a wide variety of healthful foods available in the house. Leave the unhealthy choices, especially soda and juices at the grocery store. Serve water with meals.
- Use the “80-20 Rule.” If you eat healthy food 80% of the time, you can have an occasional “forbidden” treat. However, after eating healthfully for a period of time, 6 months to a year, depending how quickly you transition to total healthy eating, you’ll probably forget about the “80-20 Rule” because you won’t crave unhealthy foods anymore. If you do, then your body isn’t getting all the nutrients it needs.
- Encourage your children to eat slowly. A child can detect fullness better when they eat slower. Before offering a second helping, wait a few minutes to see if they are truly hungry.
- Eat meals together as a family. Try to make mealtimes a time for pleasant conversations.
- Involve your children in food shopping and preparations. This will give you an idea about you children’s food preferences. It will also be an opportunity to teach your children about nutrition value of the foods they choose. Additionally, children will have the tendency to try new foods especially if they have helped to prepare them.
- Make sure your children’s meals outside the home are balanced. Find out more about the school lunch program and pay attention to the weekly offerings. Pack their lunch on the days you find the choices limited and include a variety of foods. At restaurants, make a point of selecting healthier items when dining.
- Pay attention to portion sizes and ingredients. Read food labels and limit foods that have trans fat and high amounts of sodium, sugar and fat. Teach portion control by serving the portion size that is indicated on the packaging.
- Set an example. Be your children’s mentor by setting your own example and make healthy food choices daily.
Getting healthy and fit should be made a family affair. There is no time like the present to make healthful changes for both you and your family.
Here at Donald J. Medeiros Insurance Agency our goal is to try to help our viewers by suggesting solutions for all insurance needs. By no means can we address each reader’s specific concerns in every incident. So, we strongly advise to check with an insurance representative to address your specific needs. However, you can also contact us for any questions or concerns and we will be happy to help you. We are able to offer a complete line of personal & commercial insurance products for all of Massachusetts, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.
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