While there are more and more obese adults these days, there are also more and more overweight and obese children. It’s gradually turning into an epidemic, and the public is finally starting to pay attention to it and address the issue. Often times, those who weigh more than they should ended up where they are because of unhealthy habits. Healthy habits start in the home which is why it’s important as adults that we set good examples for our children.

A habit is defined as an established custom, or a pattern of behavior acquired through frequent repetition. That frequent repetition part is what gets us in trouble.  Frequent repeated trips to fast food restaurants, frequent repeated hours in front of the computer or TV, frequent repeated over-eating, frequent repeated “lounging” for hours instead of getting up to do something, and the list goes on.  If you’re reading this article, chances are that you frequently repeated behaviors which then turned into unhealthy habits for you and possibly for your children.

It’s in the home where big changes must be made. According to a new study in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, the following three factors may put your child at greater risk for being obese:

1. A fat mother
2. Too much TV
3. Rapid weight gain in early childhood

So what can you do? Well to address the first issue, a fat mother, change that as best you can. Start changing your habits now so that you’re healthy! When you start changing your eating habits and how active you are, you’ll likely see a drop in weight. And if you watch a lot of TV in your home, turn it off – it’s as simple as that!

I don’t have children yet, but when I do, I hope to introduce them to a lifestyle of nutritious foods and activity. As more families focus on health in the home, I think we’ll see a rather large drop in the number of obese adults AND children. Remember, healthy habits start in the home!

Additional Reading:
• Simple Ways to Get Active at Home
• Diet Tips: 10 Simple Ways to Improve Your Health
• Planning Healthy Meals in Advance Matters
• The Burrito Diet – Does it Work?
• About

This entry was posted on Monday, September 17th, 2007 at 5:46 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.