Ok so the following post is going to be part rant by me and part education on what I think is extremely important. I’m talking about the health of your children and the direction of our country.
The last two weekends I got a chance to spend some time at the beach along the Jersey shore and what I saw was sad and a little shocking.
The first weekend I was sitting on the beach enjoying some quality time with one of my clients soaking up some rays. All of a sudden my sun was interrupted by this big umbrella and well simply put, this BIG family.
The first thing to catch my eye was this boy who was maybe 10 years old who had a stomach that was folding over his bathing suit. Next I noticed his sister who was maybe 2 years older, again extremely obese. It really made me sad to see this. Is that natural for kids that young to be so unhealthily overweight? Then glancing over at the parents, I could see how something like this can happen.
Both parents were very obese and looked as if walking was a struggle. Then I noticed the father open up the big cooler and pull out all kinds of chips and crack open a can of Pepsi.
Now, some of you may be thinking that this is ok, that not everyone is athletic and maybe these kids are very good in school.
However don’t you think the parents are setting these kids up for social awkwardness and major health issues to come in the future? I do! At such a young age it’s going to be a life long challenge for these kids to overcome a low self esteem and feel truly good. Let alone what other health obstacles will come there way. It’s no wonder diseases like diabetes is taking over America and now you see more and more kids developing type II diabetes.
My next weekend was at Seaside Heights beach, you know where the famous “Jersey Shore” show is filmed. Well yes I saw them, and yes I’m amazed at the number of people amazed at them.
My second rant for this blog is not only are Americans getting fatter but I think we’re getting dummer with all these reality TV shows. I know some of you or maybe most of you find it entertaining to watch that stuff. But come on people, think about what you are entertaining yourself with, are these shows really bringing any value to our lives. How much time do we waste watching what turns out to be pathetic people looking for attention and making money to look like fools? While the rest of us are working our butts off to live decent fulfilling lives.
It’s imperative that we get our kids away from the TV and keep them active. Let’s stop appeasing our kids with all the processed junk food. Take control and make better choices for your kids. Replace candy with fruit to satisfy a young child’s urge for sweets. Make better choices when packing your kids lunches. If you’re rushing to have dinner at night, find a healthy company that delivers ready to eat meals. Replace the sodas and sugary fruit juices with some flavored water.
With all the coolest video games and computer software to keep more and more children inside with their tush glued to a chair, being active is very important, no matter how old you are. Exercise is not just something that grown-ups complain about; children should be involved in some kind of physical activity every single day (or as often as possible).
Putting A Smile Back In Exercise
How does one make exercise fun for kids? How do parents ensure that their children are getting a proper amount of physical activity to keep them healthy? The best way is to be active right along with them. There are many enjoyable activities that families can do together, that provide exercise and bonding at the same time.
You may not think there is much you can do with your toddler and younger children, but there are plenty of basic skills that you can coach them through right from your home and back yard. Running, rolling around, hopping, skipping, and catching are just to name a few. They will learn how to balance, how to move quicker, and coordination.
A regular football would be too large and hard for your little guy or girl, but something smaller and made out of the popular Nerf material is just the right size for their growing hands. What can Nerf teach your toddler? For one, they will learn how to recognize and react to objects (or hand-eye coordination).
Again even if your child is not as athletically gifted, participating in sports is a great way to challenge them and allow them to interact with other kids. But get them started early, allow them to learn basic motor skills so later in life they are not struggling to get back to health.
See details of this at my blog
http://www.itsalifestylefitness.com/is-america-getting-fatter-and-dummer/
Fitness Lifestyle Coach,
Greg Crawford