What's A Parent To Do

There are no easy answers to curbing childhood obesity, but below are some suggestions:

• Model healthy behavior.  Eat a nutritional, well balanced diet and exercise regularly.
• Limit screen time (television, computers, video games, etc.) to two hours a day.
• Encourage children to play outside.
• Coordinate fun family activities, such as hikes and bike rides.
• Offer children healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks, but don't draw excessive attention to their choices.
• Make mealtime pleasant, focusing on conversation unrelated to the food.
• Help children find fun, creative ways to fill their spare time to minimize boredom and loneliness.
• Don't criticize your body or your child's body.  Model acceptance and a healthy self-image, emphasizing wellness and vitality rather than appearance.
• Help children become discerning, rather than passive, targets of consumerism and media messages.  Raise their antenna for messages that are not in their best interests.
• Point out nutritional labels in grocery stores and teach your children how to make healthy choices.