It's no secret that obesity is an epidemic in the United States. But do you know how much of an impact obesity makes on our youth?
The prevalence of childhood obesity is 19.3% and affects about 14.4 million children and adolescents.
Some further recent childhood obesity statistics:
- 13.4% among 2- to 5-year-olds are considered obese
- 20.3% among 6- to 11-year-olds are considered obese
- 21.2% among 12- to 19-year-olds are considered obese
The best way we can make an impact?
Include them in your healthy daily activities! How?
💪 Include them in your exercise routines! Whether using them as a weight (thanks to my 47 lb 5 year old for always helping Mama out!) or encouraging them to join you in an after dinner walk or bike ride, teaching healthy movement is ideal to developing a life full of healthy activity.
🥦 Teach them what foods are best for them by explaining it in an age appropriate way. Make sure to always focus on HEALTH - not the look of their bodies (example: Eating vegetables gives you vitamins to keep you healthy! NOT: If you eat too much dessert, you get fat!)
🥘 Have them help with meal preparation! Teaching children to cook - even if you're just learning how to cook yourself, is engaging and exciting. Help them to understand what ingredients pair best with others, and let them make some decisions on parts of their meals! When children have buy-in on what they're eating, they're more likely to be excited to eat healthier options.
Most importantly?
Be the example you want your children to follow.
If you're ready to educate yourself further and pass the knowledge to your children, DM me! Let's get started!
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