Point of View

We teach our children to walk and talk. We help them learn to read and write. But are you teaching your children how to be healthy?

Obesity in children has become an epidemic. According to a report by the University of Michigan Health System, the number of overweight children in the United States has more than doubled in the last two decades. And because overweight children are most likely to become overweight adults, the children continue to be at risk for developing heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke.

Let’s get physical.

Inactivity is a major contributor to the obesity epidemic in children. On average, as children get older, they participate less and less in physical activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention predicts that unless kids start eating less and exercising more, one in three American children born in 2000 is expected to develop diabetes.

Make it a family affair.

Children learn best from example. According to a study conducted for the American Dietetic Association Foundation, fewer than six percent of children said they engaged in daily physical activity with a parent. In comparison, 29 percent said they watched TV every day with a parent.

If you want an active child who will grow up to be an active adult, you have to be active yourself. If your children see you involved in and enjoying physical activity, they are much more likely to do the same.

Turn off that TV!

“There are a lot of reasons why children are less active today, but the biggest culprit is the television set, followed closely by video games and computers,” says Edward Laskowski, M.D., a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation and co-director of the Sports Medicine Center at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn.

Studies have shown a direct link between obesity and the number of hours children spend watching television. As the hours of viewing increase, so does weight. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting TV and video games to a maximum of two hours per day. Setting limits in advance heads off arguments and helps children plan their limited viewing time better. Try making a trade off—an hour of physical play for every hour spent in front of the TV. You might even choose one night a week that your family leaves the TV turned off completely.

By helping your children to enjoy fun, physically exerting activities, you’ll have a healthier family, and you’ll help them to develop healthy habits that last a lifetime.

Tamara Quintana is a graduate of All Saints Episcopal Hospital School of Vocational Nursing and the director of the employee wellness program for GuideStone Financial Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.