Childhood Obesity - Not to Be Ignored!

January is Health Weight Awareness Month in America. While obesity is prevalent in adults of all ages, we are failing the adults of the future if we do not recognize and address the problem as it exists in our children. It is to that end this article focuses on how to address and prevent obesity in childhood.

Good Eating Habits Begin in Infancy.
Even before solid foods are introduced, usually around six months of age, parents need to know that both bottle and breast-fed babies may be eating more than they need. In those early months when the infant may be colicky or just plain bored, anxious mothers are quick to feed "just a little more" to soothe the baby.

Delaying the introduction of solid foods is also advisable. In their quest to get a full night sleep, mothers often begin feeding cereal to their infant by the age of two or three months. By adding it to their formula, the infant hungrily consumes it, thereby giving Mom a reason to believe her little one will sleep longer before wanting to eat again.

This practice can sometimes work as planned, but often the baby's stomach is not yet ready for cereal and the extra sleep Mom had planned on is spent rocking a baby who wakes up with a tummy ache.

The Care and Feeding of Pre-schoolers

After they reach the age of two, health professionals give a green light to switching from whole milk to skim or low-fat milk. The fats they needed prior to this age are no longer essential.

In the pre-school years, it is not uncommon for parents and caregivers to address problems such as stubbornness or tantrums by using food as bribes or rewards. "Be good now and I'll let you have a bowl of ice cream." The use of a favorite snack to comfort them when ill or sad may seem like a kindness, but is it really? Food should never be used as a crutch as it will jump start our children on the road to obesity!

Choices and more choices!

Credit: Free Images

Copyright: Stock Photo