Surprising Childhood Obesity Statistics

Children are experiencing a rise in childhood obesity. Statistics show that approximately 15% of children and teens are over weight. An additional 20% are at risk in becoming overweight. These facts are alarming and the need for a change is imperative to the health of children. Millions of youth are dealing with the many problems that obesity entails. Childhood obesity statistics show that parents are to blame for the weight issues their children. Making small changes in the activities that children that participate in can help the childhood obesity statistics go down. Diet and exercise are both issues that can be easily adjusted to help your child maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you are a parent, it is extremely import that you see your child is following a strict routine and are getting the right amount of exercise for their weight and age group.

Lowering the Childhood Obesity Statistics through Exercise

Exercise can be fun while providing a work out that is good for your body. You can play sports and get a high impact work out. Bike riding is also another great form of exercise that works the whole body and keeps the heart pumping at a fast rate, allowing calories to be burned rather quickly. Walking is an excellent form of low impact exercise and should be done quite often. Small changes including parking farther from the entrance of the store you shop allows for an extra workout. It is even a good idea to avoid the elevators that are provided for convenience and take the stairs for the added benefits.

Lowering Childhood Obesity Statistics through Diet

Encouraging children to eat healthier is an important decision that should be consistently enforced. Choosing healthier treats for your children is imperative to ensure they are receiving the proper nutrition. Making sure that three well balanced meals are consumed regularly will go along way in helping your child deal with any weight issues they may be experiencing. Buying the right snacks is necessary to avoid the high sugar intake of candy and cookies. Instead you could choose vegetables and fruits as healthier alternatives.

Making Healthy Snacks Taste Better

Sprucing up vegetable snacks is easy, and your children will love them. You can add peanut butter to celery sticks to make a healthy treat. This will give them a serving of protein as well. Carrot sticks can be dipped in ranch dressing or melted cheese. When you make the foods your children eat healthier, fun is also necessary. You can still allow a sugary treat, just not as often. Once everyone starts using these methods, the childhood obesity statistics will go down substantially become lower.

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