Preventing Childhood Obesity

With all the reality TV programs focused on childhood obesity, most recently, Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution, it is at the forefront of our minds. The ‘it’ of course is childhood obesity. As if it isn’t bad enough that we Americans are unhealthy, we so kindly pass these habits right on down to our children. Healthcare reform has now passed and the bottom line is – WE CAN’T AFFORD IT. We simply, as a nation, cannot afford to pay for healthcare for all Americans if we don’t put the steps in place to get healthy. And no matter what side of the political fence you are on, unless YOU take responsibility for YOUR health and that of your family, we are all just kidding ourselves. This week at the Acme (pronounced A-ce-me for anyone older than 65, like my mom-n-law), the grown man behind me in line had (and I’m not kidding), Coco Puffs®, Nutrigrain® bars (a funny attempt at something healthy), Pop Tarts® (oh please, don’t get me started), steak and green beans (Thank God) in his cart. Do we have a problem or do we have a problem!!!

At our wellness center, we focus on the do and not the should. In other words, when a patient says to me, "Well, I’m trying…. or I should," they might as well say, "I’m not doing it." There’s doing and not doing. Exactly what can we being doing today to get our children (and frankly ourselves) healthier?

1. Remove all hydrogenated oils and high fructose corn syrup from your home. It’s very simply. It you see those two terms in any ingredient label in your pantry, get rid of the food. And never, ever, ever buy it again.

2. Involve your children in cooking. When they are young they can gather the ingredients for you. As they get older they can help pick the recipes, prep the ingredients, measure the amounts, etc. My 11 year old can now completely make dinner, especially our crock pot recipes.

3. Children do as you do, not as you say. I know you know this, but you don’t apply it.

4. Repeat after me, No More Soda…. and again…. No More Soda. Simply a horrible addition to our SAD (Standard American Diet). Water is a perfectly acceptable beverage for the entire family.

5. French fries are not a vegetable. They are a high glycemic index, trans fat laden, waist thickening, red corn syrup covered (i.e. ketchup) attempt at being a vegetable.

6. Eat home at least 5 of your 7 evening meals.

7. Make a fiber and protein rich breakfast for your kids. My favorite is the McChranowski as I like to call them. A Thomas English Muffin Light®, one egg, one Boca Burger®, one slice low fat cheese, and some salsa. Little fruit on the side, and voila, an amazing high fiber, high protein, healthy carb breakfast for our boys. (and of course their vitamins, one multi, one Omega-3 fish oil, vitamin C, vitamin D, one probiotic).

8. Since we cannot yet rely on our children being served a healthy lunch at school, pack your child’s lunch. Thomas English Muffin Light® and Arnolds Sandwich Thins® are a nice alternative to 2 slices of white bread.

9. Consume foods that rot. If it doesn’t go bad then it is bad. A Twinkie® lives a very, very long life. An apple does not.

10. Shut off the electronics. Of course this will hopefully lead to a more active lifestyle, but it also limits marketing exposure. Between the drug ads with the 52,000 side affects, the corn farmer’s lobby telling me that corn syrup is healthy, and Nickelodeon and Disney channels with commercials that are warping our kids’ minds and bodies, I’m not sure weather to laugh or cry.

If we can begin to put the above steps in place, we are making a giant step forward for mankind and childkind.