The number one health issue in the U.S. for children today is obesity. There have been many studies done recently on percentages, reasons, etc, but everyone agrees that something must be done to change this epidemic or the number of children with weight related health issues will skyrocket. Also, as this generation grows up they will become a generation of very unhealthy adults.

Exercise and increasing metabolism is a huge part in the plan for decreasing obesity, but another area of concern is in the food the kids are eating and the foods they are not eating in their regular diets. If we as adults would keep a journal of the things we eat we would see that we are probably not getting the foods we need in our diets, but it seems much more so for kids. They are often not given good healthy choices for food at their schools, events, etc. So many times in classes or other sessions kids are given candy as a reward. Even at school, where most of the time, kids are left to choose their own foods, poor choices are being made leading to unbalanced meals. Kids need to be taught about healthy choices and may even need some guidelines to go by at school, so they know what they can and cannot choose.

The first step to evaluating what your kids are eating, is to keep a record of the food they are eating on a daily basis-how much and what kind. If they are older, they may not like you recording their every nibble, but it is important for both the child and the adult to see what they are actually consuming regularly. If a doctor is involved, they will have you do this step anyway. Once the type and amount of food being consumed is recorded, compare that to a chart of what is the normal caloric intake for a child of that age and size. A doctor will be able to help you determine what a healthy caloric intake should be.

Once some parameters are set, then a child’s diet will need to be adjusted accordingly. For some it may be helpful to wean down on certain foods so they do not experience a crash from not having a certain food in their diet, like carbohydrates or sugary foods.

As with other things in a child’s life, they are more likely to succeed at something if they are being modeled that behavior by an adult. So, this is where the whole family can get involved. The pantry, fridge and cabinets will need to be cleared of the foods and drinks that are not helping, for example, the sugary, empty calorie snacks and candies, sodas, etc. These may be okay on occasion, but should not be a part of our daily diet.

We seem to hear more about what we can’t have instead of what we can have. There are so many foods that can be used to replace foods we don’t need regularly. The internet has so many ideas and useful recipes for low fat, low carb recipes, as well as healthy snacks. You may choose to follow a diet plan outlined in a book, but check with your doctor first before starting a child on a set diet. Usually by reducing the amount of unnecessary food, unhealthy food and increasing healthy foods, like fruit and vegetables and lean meats, a child’s weight can begin to reduce quickly. Of course, exercise is a strong part of this process by increasing metabolism to burn off the excess weight.

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