My thoughts on the topic:
There are some people who believe that we should not address the problem of childhood obesity, because they think that this issue is too sensitive. Meaning that they believe that children will become traumatized when confronted with the harsh realities of obesity. There may be some truth to this argument, nevertheless the consequences of obesity are so severe, that we must risk hurting a child's ego if it means saving his or her physical health. Also, by confronting the problem of childhood obesity we may actually save a child's emotional well being in the long run. There are many reasons why children become overweight. Failure to address the problem may have serious consequences for the individual in the areas of health, social acceptance, psychological adjustment and overall productivity, well into the future. Unfortunately, this is a growing national health problem, which is affecting our entire society. As a nation we need to address the serious problem that childhood obesity presents to America's youth, now. I thought this article was very well written and straight to the point. I enjoyed reading Carol torgans article. I am very conscious of obese children, because I have a 2 year old son that I make healthy decisions for everyday.
A word to the wise from Carol Torgans :
Be supportive
Set guidelines
Be sensitive
Eat meals together
Don't use food as a reward or punishment
Involve your children in meal planning
Keep healthy snacks on hand
Focus on small, gradual changes in eating
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