A shocking report reveals that by 2030, India will have the prevalence of approximately 10.81% childhood obesity among 5-9 year age group, and around 6.23% occurrence of obesity among teenagers in the age group of 10-19 years. Two important questions need to be raised here – who is responsible for this situation and who can change this? Fortunately or unfortunately, the answer is the same – parents.
At every stage of development, children need a balanced diet and sufficient physical exercises. Here are some tips to help you raise children who watch their health:
- Start with you!
Often while running behind a toddler with a spoonful of cereal, we tend to forget our own health. Make time for your own mental and physical health. You have to be healthy in order to impart healthy lessons. Also, what children see, children do. When they see you eating greens and exercising regularly, they will join you in the journey.
- Ditch the junk
If you really want your kid to eat healthy, then be ready to leave the processed and packaged foods at the store. If it is not available at hand’s reach, they will not binge on it. Apart from all the junk food, carbonated beverages and packaged fruit juices are also harmful to the body. If you think completely avoiding them in your household may be impossible, try limiting them.
- Sport all the way
Playing sports has multitude of benefits. From moulding of personality to developing discipline, concentration, focus and teamwork, it teaches children an array of life skills. In most cases, when parents and children are involved in a physical activity together, they are more likely to stick to it longer. The more active children are, the healthier they will be.
- Get them involved
Children tend to enjoy a meal when they know what went into making it. Assign them to make a healthy food timetable for a week or get them to help you in cooking. Let them even whip a salad out of nothing. The more they get accustomed to healthy options, the more receptive they will be.
- Experiment with varieties
Have them guessing while opening their lunch box at school. Nobody wants their lunch to be boring and predictable. That is when they crave for tasty but unhealthy options. Experiment with ingredients and churn out food items with slight varieties for your kid.
- Allow small risks
A young explorer is always curious and on-the-go. Let your child attempt rock climbing or go swimming. A small cut or bruise shouldn’t scare them from another fall. Keep a vigilant eye but never say, “Stop!”
Your takeaway
Raising kids can be tough. But if you want them to be tough and healthy, it takes a lot more than just feeding, nourishing and making them play. The key is to promote a healthy mindset and create healthy habits that will serve them throughout their lifetime.