Teach children good food, exercise habits
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According to statistics from the Center for Disease Control, more than one third of children in the United States are overweight or obese.
(www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm)
That’s a sobering statistic, but Montana fares better than some other states.
Montana children are more likely than their counterparts (nationwide) to be physically active for at least four days per week, and less likely to spend two hours or more in front of a television or computer screen, according to information from nichq.org.
Maybe that’s because Montanans tend to be horseback riders, bikers, hikers, walkers, swimmers, skiers; people who enjoy the outdoors in many ways, such as walks in the evening or snowshoeing in the wintertime. Also, lots of folks in Montana are farmers or ranchers and there are always chores to do such as feeding cows, moving bales of hay, using a pitchfork to clean stalls and chopping wood.
A website called www.choosemyplate.gov, from the United States Department of Agriculture, has a section just for kids. The website shows what part of a person’s plate should be protein, grains, vegetables, fruits and dairy for adults and children.
In addition, kids can play games, complete activity sheets, sing along with videos, look at healthy recipes and see ways to become more active.
The website offers links to health-related, educational and fitness computer games, such as “Trainer,” where the child player trains alongside different animals. When one of the creatures exercises, so does the player.
With parents who work, the abundance of drive-through restaurants and hectic schedules, many families get into the habit of grabbing fast food on the go. While a burger and fries after baseball once in a while is okay, consider instead a rotisserie chicken and raw veggies, which are also quick and easy.
Just Google “eating better with kids,” and many articles will pop up. While most nutritionists say it’s okay to have a treat once in a while, they almost all agree parents must be role models for their children.
That means eating together, going for walks and bike rides, tossing a baseball or softball around, raking lawns and hauling garbage together, taking the kids shopping and teaching them how to pick vegetables and fruit, trying different foods and not expecting changes to happen overnight.
Contrary to what advertisements feed parents, and what kids think, it is not imperative for kids to eat only macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, French fries and cookies.
Good sense, lots of time to play and good food choices — the fresher the better — makes for healthier kids and adults.
