Concerned about your family's health? You should be! I just read an article on the Chicago Tribune's website titled "Fat and Getting Fatter: U.S. Obesity Rates to Soar by 2030." That's a scary headline to read. Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released stats about the United States at the moment: that 16.9% of kids age 2-19 are obese. What's the percent for adults? 35.7%. The report projects that by 2030 half of U.S. adults will be be obese (if we don't change our ways). That means children who are 3 now who will be 21 in the year 2030 could be part of that 1/2 percent. Scary!
So what steps can you take? First don't panic. The library has plenty of books about healthy eating, fruits, and vegetables. While it's too late this year, why not plant a vegetable patch in your backyard next spring? Kids have fun watching things grow and the satisfaction of making a meal from what they grew. Pick up a cookbook that will show you how to make delicious, nutritious food.
You can also spend more time being active outside. As I previous wrote in Kidding Around, the CDC recommends 60 minutes of physical activity a day. You can spend that 60 minutes in so many different ways!We have lots of books about outdoor games you can play together, games like tag, hopscotch, and jump rope. My favorite thing is to go for a family walk after dinner.
One of the hardest things to do might be to set the positive example for your children. Let's face it, kids follow adult behavior. And while you might tell them to eat their veggies, if you're not eating them they might wonder why they should. Besides, eating healthy and being active is in all of our best interests right? We all want to be strong, healthy role models for our kids.
Find it at the library! Click on the link to go to our catalog.
Healthy Eating Books
Helpful Websites
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