Posts Tagged ‘Childhood’

Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Last week, I wrote to you about the dangers of using Statin drugs to lower cholesterol in high-risk children (“The Answer to Childhood Obesity? Ayurveda! NOT Statin Drugs”), and because I’m devoted to helping our children achieve balance and health in their lives, this week, I’m continuing my three-part series on the topic of childhood obesity. 
 
CHILDHOOD OBESITY IS NOT JUST A “FAT” OR “LAZY” PROBLEM!
 
I’ve encountered so many people who look at an overweight child and immediately begin pointing fingers at them, labeling them as “fat” or “lazy.” Then they turn to the parents and accuse them of letting their children eat too much junk food or of not encouraging their children to be more active. What better example of this stereotype is there than the infamous glutton “Augustus Gloop” and his mother, a woman who proudly supports his overeating, in the popular Willy Wonka movies?
 
AUGUSTUS GLOOP AND OTHER OVERWEIGHT CHILDREN NEED TO HAVE THEIR DOSHAS CHECKED!
 
Even the most active children with proactive parents can struggle in the fight to reach and maintain a healthy weight. Rather than shame children or stuff them with “diet” foods (or worse, drugs and chemicals), we should employ safe, natural Ayurvedic methods to gently guide them toward a healthier lifestyle.

The first step on this path is determining your child’s dosha.
 
”DOSHA” WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT YOUR CHILD’S GOVERNING LIFE FORCE?
 
A “dosha” – as many of you already know – is a Sanskrit word translated as “governing principle.” Everything in nature is composed of the five glorious elements of air (known as “Ant” in Ayurveda), space, fire, water, and earth. Combinations of these elements with three forces (doshas) to keep them in the right relationship with each other, dictate all functions of the body, mind and universal consciousness. There are three doshas: vata, pitta, and kapha, and knowing which dosha is predominant in your child will give you a more effective way of responding to his or her physical, nutritional, spiritual and emotional needs.

Here’s a quick and handy list you can use to determine which dosha your beautiful and unique child possesses:
 
THE VATA CHILD:

• Busy, busy, busy!
• Active imagination and happy to be lost in fantasy
• Naptime = “No! I don’t wanna!”
• “Ants in the Pants” – fidgety and always moving
• Eat lots of small meals
• Will “hide” but rarely “seek”: like to participate but feel intimidated by lead roles
  
THE PITTA CHILD:

• Creative!
• Follow the leader: like to play in groups and lead the games
• Eat good meals and will get cranky if they’re late
• Prone to rashes and food allergies and sensitivities
• Temper, temper: get frustrated easily but will forget it fast and move on the next enterprise
• Play hard, nap hard
• A “model employee”: like to do important jobs and do them right!
  
THE KAPHA CHILD:

• Participate joyfully!
• “I’m not ‘It’!”: observers rather than leaders
• Memory masters: will remember every fact and repeat them if you ask
• “I’d rather be playing”: napping takes a backseat to fun
• Very contented overall
• Watch out for imbalance: can become very possessive of Mom, Dad and his or her belongings
 
NOW YOU KNOW YOUR CHILD’S DOSHA. THE NEXT STEP?
 DIAGNOSE THEIR WEIGHT PROBLEM!

• ISBN13: 9780415408844
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.

Product Description
Throughout the developed world there is an increasing prevalence of childhood obesity. Because of this increase, and awareness of the risks to long term health that childhood obesity presents, the phenomena is now described by many as a global epidemic.   Children, Obesity and Exercise provides sport, exercise and medicine students and professionals with an accessible and practical guide to understanding and managing childhood and adolescent obesity.  It cov… More >>

Children, Obesity and Exercise: Prevention, Treatment and Management of Childhood and Adolescent Obesity

Image taken on 2007-11-10 21:49:58 by The City Project.

Childhood obesity is a serious topic that needs to be discussed with parents. It is an epidemic that is reaching massive proportions – children are larger than ever before, and even young children are becoming clinically obese. When you really stop and consider this, it becomes increasingly clear how absurd and damaging this is. In their youth children grow faster and have faster metabolisms than at any other point in their lives – at this stage, they are able to burn fat and maintain a healthy weight the easiest. Because of this, it takes an extreme amount of unhealthy food consumed in massive quantities to create a child who is obese, yet this is becoming more and more common as time goes on.

It is important to understand that the responsibility for childhood obesity lies with parents. Children learn from their parents, and their parents are there to provide healthy examples and teach them constructive habits. The good news is that this makes preventing childhood obesity and fixing it relatively simple. Your children will look up to you, and if you know what to do, you can instill in them habits that will help them lead better, healthier lives. Here are a few good ideas that any parent can take in order to help their child overcome childhood obesity and lead a normal, healthy life.

Like adults, one of the largest factors influencing a child’s overall health is their diet. A proper diet can reap wondrous benefits, and will go a long way to preventing all forms of illness and disease. It all really makes sense – your body absorbs the ingredients of whatever you put into it, and in this sense, you truly are what you eat. If you feed it good things, then it can function normally. Feed it bad things, and it will not function as it is supposed to, but instead will eventually develop some form of disease. Fortunately, it really is very simple to form nutritious eating habits in your children. Children base a lot of their eating habits around their snacks, so make sure they are healthy. Flavorful and delicious fruits are a great idea, so try to figure out what they like best and make those their main snacks. Do a little homework on children’s nutritional needs, and try to stay relatively close to those guidelines. These are simple, effortless ways to protect your child and their future.

Activity also plays an integral role in growing up healthy. While children playing video games is normal, it is not healthy for them to become so deeply involved with them that they never get outside. Playing and going outside are natural ways that children burn energy, get exercise, and develop healthily. To help them get up off of the couch, offer to play games like tag with them. Go outside with them. Teach them how to do things like ride a bike, and take rides with them. Another great idea is to teach them sports. Hacky sack, tennis, basketball, baseball, or any other activity sport is a perfect way to associate “fun” with “exercise” for your child. These simple activities may not seem like much, but they are instilling good habits in your child that they will learn from and will be more likely in the future to lead active, healthy lifestyles.

Remember that, as a parent, you are responsible for your child’s health and well being. The biggest mistake a parent can make is by being a poor role model for them. Because of this, taking a more active stance on physical fitness in your own life is often the most powerful way you can influence your child. It’s also important that you do not ignore your child’s diet and exercise – this is the mistake most commonly made by parents. You may think that whatever you feed them will work, but that is not the case. With just a little effort, you can pick out healthy foods they will love, and change their lives for the better. The bottom line is that your child’s health rests in your hands, and you have the power to help mold them into healthy, active adults and you can reduce their risk of debilitating health-related illnesses.