American Obesity Association Article

Allow the School to Help Your Child Win the Battle of the Bulge

Current records show that more and more children are becoming overweight, or even obese, every year. Regardless of the reason, childhood obesity is a serious issue, and parents should do everything in their power to help their children overcome this battle, before it impacts them for the rest of their lives. Because childhood obesity is so prevalent of late, the government has made schools complete and mandate a program to help kids become more physically active, and understand the importance of being physically fit, to try to help combat and prevent childhood obesity. If you have a child who is overweight, or borderline, then this program can be a good start on getting your child’s weight under control, if you do your part at home as well.

The first thing you should do is some research to find out just what your school’s program consists of, so that you can implement it at home as well. You may also want to get your child involved in programs with the local YMCA, or some other extracurricular activity, one that promotes physical exercise would work best.

With the advances we have made in modern technology, very few children can honestly say that they don’t love to surf the internet, chat with their friends online, or spend hours trying to defeat all the evil foes in their favorite video game. While some computer and game time is okay, too much can lead to weight problems, and it is out job as parents to set limits on this, and motivate our children to get outside and be active. It may not be easy at first, and your child may not like you very much, but as you start getting him or her to do more things outside away from the computer, and they start to lose weight, they will thank you for it.

No matter how closely you monitor what your child eats, if you don’t ensure they get the exercise they need, the dieting will do no good. We all need physical exercise in our lives; our bodies just aren’t designed to be inert for long periods of time. Your child will benefit not only from the weight that he or she will lose, but they will also rest better, look and feel better, have more energy, and just overall achieve more.

School programs try to incorporate physical exercise and fun activities together, so that your child actually enjoys exercising and losing weight. In gym class they may dance, do gymnastics, or other dun activities, which can help get them interested in something other than video games. Try to encourage these interests at home as well, so that your child knows that you are behind him or her all the way!

Remember, your child looks at you as a role model, and doesn’t necessarily do what you say, but will likely do as you do. That being said, it is important that you also get more involved in physical activities, and eat a healthier diet, so that your child understands how important it is that he does the same.