The US Surgeon General has stated that the current generation of children will not live as long as their parents.  Surprised?  I'm not.  Due to lack of physical activity, diets full of processed and high fat foods, sugary drinks and poor eating habits, youngsters are now developing health problems that adults typically don't see until middle age.  Are children making choices that could potentially send them to an early grave?  What created this childhood obesity trend?  Is it too late to save our children from this fate?  What are the real issues causing this epidemic and how can we as parents, relatives and teachers educate ourselves to change the course of history?

No one can argue with the fact that the majority of children/teens are less active, have erratic eating habits and are packing on the pounds.  If you don't believe me, next time you are at the grocery store, shopping at the mall, catching a flick at the theatre or in a restaurant, look at the children around you.  Are they hyperactive?  Are they eating adult size portions?  Do they have excess "baby fat"?  When you drive by the park or when you drive through your neighborhood, are there kids outside running around or riding bikes?  Take a second look and see for yourself.  If you haven't noticed it yet, you will now!

Children today are more susceptible to various health conditions including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type two diabetes, osteoporosis, and several other disease states related to obesity.  Unfortunately there is no person or entity to blame for this crisis.  No one is responsible for making children the way they are; other than society as a whole.  We can't blame the schools, we can't blame the economy, we can't blame fast food commercials on TV, we can't blame the people who build neighborhoods without sidewalks, and we can't blame parents.  There is no one to blame and no one to accept responsibility.  Accepting responsibility would be admitting failure.

It has become socially acceptable to eat unhealthy food.  If it's not frozen, fast, convenient, or chocolate most families these days don't buy it.  After all, who has time to cook and grocery shop?  We have more important things to do!  We as parents are hyper-focused on working and providing for our families, so we begin to ignore important issues that affect our children.  Do you know what time lunch is served at school?  Better yet, do you know what foods are provided for your children and which choices they put on their plates?  Who am I kidding?  Most lunches are served in wrappers and cardboard boxes, and perhaps the meal comes from the vending machine.  Do your children participate in some sort of physical education class?  When was the last time your children had a total health assessment?  Do your children show signs of hyperactivity or lack of focus in school?  Maybe you've noticed that your children are quickly growing out of their clothes?  If you have nodded yes to just ONE of these questions and you are not aware of your children's food choices made away from home, then your children's health is at risk!

If we as a society are going to put a stop to this trend and improve the health of our next generation, we have to educate ourselves and our children on how to make lifestyle changes by improving eating habits and increasing exercise.  When it comes to weight loss, we must be extremely careful with how we approach this tender topic.  Children view parents as a mirror and look to parents for feedback that in turn influences their self-perceptions.  This is how thoughts, feelings and perceptions about ourselves originate and evolve.  If a child is lucky, positive and loving feelings are spoken.  These children are made to feel special regardless of short comings.  Unfortunately, there are other children who are constantly reminded of their faults and weaknesses.  It is up to parents, teachers, siblings and neighbors to evoke change through positive statements and actions.  Children should NEVER be told that they are overweight, fat, or that they need to be placed on a diet!  For that matter, children should never be weighed nor should they feel as though there is something wrong with them personally.  Other wise, children could potentially develop eating disorders or "disordered eating".  These children will grow up with bizarre eating rituals, or resort to harsh dieting patterns to gain approval from parents and peers.  Ironically, these are the very same children that end up in counseling talking about their parents twenty years from now!

As a parent, it is our job to teach children how to have normal eating habits.  Strict harsh dieting and omission of foods can disrupt the normal growth process and deprive your child of essential fat, and valuable vitamins and minerals.  Normal habits consist of having positive feelings towards food, not feeling the urge to eat uncontrollably when foods are present because deprived of favorite foods.  If these habits are learned early, then attaining positive eating habits can be maintained for a lifetime.  The safest way to help overweight children is to reduce their fat intake, reduce television time, increase their physical activity and let them grow into their weight.  Here are some other positive ways to reinforce healthy eating habits:

• 1.     Praise your child when good eating habits are learned.  While your children are not perfect, let them know how proud you are of their better food choices.  Always remember, that small changes will yield huge results over the course of time.
• 2.     Give your children choices.  If you provide your children with many healthy choices, they will be able to make wiser choices.  This will give them a sense of control and reinforce positive changes.
• 3.     Create a positive environment.  Children must not feel as though their food choices are different from the rest of the family.  Consistency is important for change to last and it must be adopted by the entire family.
• 4.     Do not force children to "clean" their plates.  Force feeding never works.  Allow children to eat when hungry and stop eating when full.
• 5.     Reward your children when positive choices are made.  DO NOT reward your children with food.  Buy them some new roller skates, reward them with a trip to the movies with friends, take them to a museum, or find an exciting hobby
• 6.     Provide your children with healthy snacks.  If your children are hungry, control is nonexistent.  Eating smaller more frequent meals will help maintain a healthy metabolism, and maintain positive energy during the day.
• 7.     Limit your children's consumption of caffeine and sugar.  This will also help keep an even level of energy throughout the day and improve focus and attention during the school day.
• 8.     Set guidelines and restrictions during meal time.  All meals should be eaten at the table, not in front of the television.  Meals should be free of stress and should be a time of relaxation.  Children need and require structure, give them responsibilities at meal time.  Have them set the table, get the beverages ready, clean the table or help with the dishes.

Incorporating these changes will encourage children to take responsibility for their food choices.  Remember, that both you and your children will make mistakes.  Be patient, your family will not be able to change years of eating patterns and habits over night.  Each mistake is an opportunity for both you and your family to improve. 
If you really feel as though your children's health is at risk, consult your pediatrician to rule out any major medical concerns.  Be sure to let teachers, friends and family members know about your family's new eating habits.  Ask for support where it is needed.  Changing your family's eating habits is a life long journey, mealtime should be enjoyable and stress free.  As a parent, there is nothing more important than protecting your children, not just from strangers and the dangers of the world, but from eating patterns that could potentially destroy their health and lifestyle.  Current studies and statistics show that 30 percent of children are overweight and 15 percent of children are obese.  Is your child a statistic?