Diabetes Awareness Month is November. One of the best ways to prevent diabetes is preventing obesity, and encouraging healthy eating habits.
The most current statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that 17% of kids between the ages of 2 to 19 are overweight. These kids have a bigger risk of developing heart disease, Type 2 Diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and psychological problems. They may also be subject to bullying at school and suffer from poor performance academically.
These kids also have a higher chance of becoming obese adults. According to the CDC, nearly 24 million Americans have diabetes, and what’s interesting to note is that about 6 million people don’t even know they have it. The CDC reports diabetes is the seventh leading cause of death in the US and it can lead to major complications such as blindness, leg amputations due to poor tissue perfusion and kidney failure. Millions of people have a love-hate relationship with food and constantly struggle with their weight.
Fresh Baby was founded, and continues to operate, on the belief that all parents want to raise healthy children, but when it comes to healthy eating habits, they often lack the tools, skills, and knowledge needed to be effective. Our line of products provides you with tools and knowledge to create healthy eating habits that last a lifetime. Obesity is a 100% preventable disease, but it takes work. The payoff is a healthier body, a healthier mind, an improved self- image, and significant savings in health care costs. Let’s work together to raise a nation of healthy eaters. Tips For Raising Healthy Eaters According the National Weight Control Registry, people who lost 30 pounds or more and kept the weight off for more than five years had the following daily habits.
The earlier you instill these habits in your kids, the less likely they will ever have to struggle with their weight.
1. Eat a healthy breakfast. Download our free Healthy Breakfasts Tip Sheet as a handy reference for planning a healthy start to your child’s day.
2. Limit the amount of junk food and sugary drinks you keep in your house. Read our Junk Food Juveniles article for information to help you raise a healthy eater. And, our Healthy Food Choices article is full of ideas to encourage healthy food choices.
3. Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is very important because it helps you manage stress. If your body experiences too much stress, your cortisol levels rise. High cortisol levels have been shown to increase abdominal fat.
4. Engage in physical activity every day. Physical play and exercise keeps us all fit. Look at our MyPlate Placemat for activity ideas for kids age 3 – 5.
5. Pay attention to portion size. Kids and adults require different amount of food. We’ve developed an Adult Portion Plate and Kids Portion Plate to give you a blueprint for eating healthy at every meal. Try our Portion Storage Bags to store leftovers, soups and single serving meals.
Start with setting easy goals to replace unhealthy eating habits with healthier habits. For example, if a bedtime snack of cookies and milk is the norm, try replacing it with a cup of milk and a few slices of apple. Little changes can help to make a big difference in developing healthy eating habits for a lifetime.
Recent Comments