Want to know who is responsible behind teen obesity? It is our ‘gizmo age’. Yep, we are so much focused on gadgets and gizmos that we are becoming lazier by the day. We have computers and robots to perform many of our manual chores.
Sedentary Lifestyle to Blame for Teen Obesity
Consequently, we are living a sedentary lifestyle and gaining as a result. Today, more children spend time watching video games and surfing the internet than even a decade ago. As we become more and more advanced technologically, the situation is only going to get worse in the following years.
Today, kids would rather play video games than baseball or tennis. If they become obese, who is to blame for it? Blame yourself before blaming your kids. After all, as a parent, isn’t it your responsibility to look to it that your kids follow healthy habits at all times? Wasn’t it you who, consciously or unconsciously, taught your kids the same poor lifestyle habits that you follow? If you keep watching television and munching on chips without a break, how could you expect your teenage kids to do any different?
Television is actually one of our biggest enemies. Today, a bulk of TV ads consist of attractive ads on chips, pizzas, cookies soft drinks, etc., all of being rich in empty calories and responsible for the growing trend of obesity. Allow your kid to watch television for too long, and see him adopt unhealthy lifestyle habits and become over.
Overeating is also one of the leading causes behind teen obesity. Adults often eat more than they should, and their kids follow suit.
Another reason is the poor curriculum followed by most schools these days, which focus more on bookish education and less on physical activities and sports. Under such circumstances, kids would naturally become obese.
So what is the Teen Obesity solution?
The solution is to go back to our roots by following the lifestyle habits of our forefathers. You see, there is a reason why our forefathers hardly had to deal with the menace of obesity – unlike us, they didn’t eat junk foods, sat on the couch the entire day, stuck their noses onto the computer or television screen, or shunned sports like today’s kids do.
How to Control Teen Obesity in Your House
1) Never put your kids on a strict diet, as that would do more harm than good. If your kid is currently eating junk and fast foods, discourage him from doing so and start feeding him with home-cooked meals.
2) It is also important that you, as a parent, follow the same healthy habits you want your kids to follow. For example, if you want your kids to give preference to home-cooked meals over junk foods, you need to do that yourself. If you want your kids to participate in outdoor sports then you should participate in those sports yourself. If you want your kids to stop watching television for too long, you need to get rid of that habit as well.
Remember that a kid follows his parents’ footsteps and considers them his role models. The way you lead life would influence the lifestyle of your kid.
3) Engage your kids in household chores such as cleaning your house, looking after your garden, etc.
4) Watch for drastic changes in eating habits. If the eating habits of your kid changes drastically all of a sudden, in that he eats more junk than healthy foods, there maybe more to it than meets your eyes. Has the kid stopped participating in the normal activities he used to take interest in? Has he become calmer and quieter than usual?
Many kids and teenagers eat junk foods out of depression or other similar psychological troubles. If your kid is eating because of emotional reasons, it is time to take him to a professional psychiatrist for counseling.
I hope these ideas are of help to your kids. Teen obesity can be beaten so kids are fit and healthy.
