Childhood Obesity & Parents’ Healthy Food Confusion
Cheryl Haining

Many parents struggle to know which foods are healthy for their children. When they are able to opt for healthy choices, about two-thirds struggle to get their children to eat healthily, a poll of nearly 800 parents found. Developing Patient Partnerships (DPP), which commissioned the survey, said that parents need more support to tackle the growing problem of childhood obesity. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 20 years, official figures show.
Recent studies suggest that parents do not know what good nutrition is. Perhaps advertising of fast foods, and busy life styles has contributed to this. Nutritional meals can be prepared quickly and simply at home.

Of the parents of children aged 15 years and younger questioned by the DPP, 45% said they found it difficult to work out which foods were healthy for their children. When parents did select healthy foods, 65% said they struggled to motivate their children to eat it. Three-quarters of parents blamed advertising and marketing of unhealthy snacks and drinks for making this job so difficult. Another 87% believed that schools should play a big role in teaching children how to be healthy.

When more than a thousand children aged seven to 16 were questioned about their lifestyles, 70% said they would be more likely to eat healthily and get active if their parents were doing it. Only 16% said they ate the recommended five portions of fruit and vegetables per day. This suggests that parents are not making healthy food choices themselves. There are strong links between obesity and ill health. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare lists the following increased risks of cancers in obese people:-
MenWomen
Cancer% Increase RiskCancer%increase Risk
Prostate23Uterus178
Leukaemia43Kidney110
Bowel53Bowel35
Liver128Liver48
Gallbladder76Breast71

Statistics such as these are a stark reminder of the importance of maintaining a healthy weight level. Children must be given every opportunity to have a healthy body. In order to get their family on track to a healthy lifestyle parents need to learn how to feed themselves and their family good nutrition.
A simple way to improve nutrition is to add raw fruit and vegetables to family diets. These are foods that have no preservatives or added color. They provide plenty of vitamins, mineral, antioxidants, fiber, water and trace elements. (All necessary for good nutrition.) They look appetizing and have high water content. They have a firm texture which means we need to chew them well. This aids the digestive system. The body quickly and easily processes them. This means less work for the digestive system.
They are natural, that is, not processed and pre-packaged with extra chemicals. They are pure energy – living foods. Look for different colored vegetables and fruits when you shop. Experiment with ones you have never tasted. Visit a market for more variety and fresher foods. Eat at least one from each group every day.

Red/Purple Group includes tomatoes, watermelon, berries, cherries, and grapes
Orange/Yellow includes carrots, sweet potato, squash, mangoes, cantaloupe, apricots, oranges, mandarins pineapples and many stone fruits
Yellow/green among this group are avocado, spinach, beans, peppers, corn, beans, broccoli, green leafy vegetables,
White/green some in this group asparagus, celery, garlic, leeks, mushrooms, pears
For more information read, “What Color is Your Food” by Dr D Heber.

Experiment with adding these to your daily diet. Of course a balanced diet must also include daily servings of dairy, whole grains and protein. Start with the simple idea of adding more fresh fruit and vegetables to the family’s daily food intake. This simple step will have fantastic and long lasting impact on your health.

About the Author

Cheryl Haining is a skin care, body shape and nutrition coach. She has her own successful business. Her mission statement is to ensure everyone reaches his or her optimum body shape, size and condition. Contact Cheryl at www.uloseweight.net To learn how to create an income stream from home visit
www.keybusinesstips.info

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Time and again, it has been said that weight loss is not just about dieting, rigorous exercise, or drastic cosmetic surgeries. But peoplebeing stubborn and not content beings they arenever listens. They continue to live the lifestyles that put their health to risk by trying out different means of losing weight without proper guidance from their healthcare providers.

LOW CARB DIET 101

Indeed, a lot has been said about various diets and how these work for some people. There s the Atkins Diet, the South Beach, the After-Six Diet plan and so on goes on the list of diet crazes that swept the western world and even Asian regions. Among all these, one type of diet has become popular than the othersits called the Low Carb Diet.

Basically, low carb diet actually emphasizes cutting down on from a persons daily food intake. This diet allows the dieter to take in all foods except those that have carbohydrates. Although there are many testimonies that prove that low carb diet really works, you must be very knowledgeable first about its pros and cons before deciding to go with the hype.

People who have tried low carb diets say that its advantages include:

1. Faster and quicker weight loss compared to fasting.

2. The diet may result to higher protein intake and absorption.

3. It stabilizes blood sugar levels and is extremely beneficial to those who suffer from diabetics.

Experts say that the disadvantages of low carb diets may include:

– High cholesterol levels due to the lack of protein-rich and fatty foods that has saturated fats.
– Increased blood pressure due to elimination of whole grains products that help lower blood pressure.
– It can lead to osteoporosis because there will be no enough supply of calcium.
– In some cases, this diet can lead to diarrhea, constipation, and severe headaches.
– Low carb diets increase the possibility of lower mental acuity.
– Instead of losing weight, this diet can lead to weight gain.
If you are planning on taking low carb diet, here are some helpful tips to keep you in track:

1. Make sure to drink lots of water to avoid dehydration and constipation.

2. Consider taking in more fiber and vitamin supplements.

3. Cease from consuming products that has sugar.

4. Cut down on taking in products that contain caffeine.

5. Monitor your daily carbohydrate intake.

6. Dont mind calories, they are allowed in this diet.

7. Acquire a carbohydrate counter to keep you updated.

8. Do regular physical activities and exercise to reach ketosis easily.

9. Brace yourself for diarrhea that may last for a couple of days.

10. If possible, avoid eating foods that have saturated fats.

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