4 Tips To Prevent Childhood Obesity
I struggle almost every day to get my younger daughter to eat fruits and vegetables. Since she was a baby, she has just refused to open her mouth to certain foods, and I have tempted all sorts of games, rewards, punishment, tricks, bribes, you name it.
So I was very excited to speak with Rick Delashmit, one of the first winners of the year-long Pepsi Rerfresh Project as he has a plan to get kids to try vegetables.
Rick will be using his $25K grant to push forward his Taste Buds program, where he drives around in a
truck full of fruits and vegetables to different elementary schools and quizzes kids about nutrition facts, where food comes from and the nutritional benefits of different foods. In order to win the game, kids must at least one small bite of three different vegetables and two fruits.
And, if they all try it, they get Vege bucks which they can use at the local farmers market to redeem fruits and vegetables. Its a bit of healthy peer pressure to get them to try something new. I found this tactic actually worked in with Leela! I showed her the bucks that Rick gives out and told her that if she tries some new vegetables, I would ask him for some. And, she actually tried some corn! :)
Click here to listen to the podcast of my conversation with Rick. Rick talks about the original inspiration behind the idea, what he plans on doing with the $25K grant and how crucial it is to get kids to know their fruits and vegetables at an early age.
Childhood obesity is a problem that affects all of us. I invite all of you to read through our exclusive Intent series "How To Prevent Childhood Obesity," where 11 different Intent Voice contributors share their insights on what we can all do to prevent childhood obesity in this country.
Don't forget to watch our exclusive video starring our very own Intent voice, nutritionist and mom Renay Matthews, who shares with us three different kid-friendly recipes we can making in our own homes to get our kids to eat healthier.
Here are my 9 tips for preventing childhood obesity in your household and in your community as a whole. If all of us do our best to raise healthy children, then we are all truly making a difference in raising a healthier generation of kids.
1. Educate yourself on the facts. Knowledge truly is the first step in galvanizing our communities to solve this problem. Did you know the childhood obesity rates have tripled in the last three decades in this country? More obese children means more obese adults, which means more costs for the healthcare system to treat preventable diseases such as heart disease and Type 2 diabetes, not to mention a much shortened life expectancy. Read Brett Blumenthal's article to get the facts on childhood obesity.
2. Make sure your kids are getting enough sleep. Did you know that quality sleep plays a huge role in helath and weight maintenane for kids? Though we should all focus on what our kids are eating and how much exercise our kids are doing, sleep is also a huge factor in healthy weight control. Read Sleep Expert Nancy Rothstein's article on how sleep is the missing link in preventing childhood obesity.
3. Make brown bagging cool. Explore with your kids fun, easy and delicious lunch recipes that she can eat at school. Read nutritionist Renay Matthew's article for healthy and easy lunch ideas for kids.
4. Shower your kids with love, not judgment. Teaching your kids how to eat healthy and love their bodies should be a fun learning process that raises their self-esteem, not punish them or make them feel bad for not achieving a certain expectation. Read weight loss expert Janice Taylor's tips for raising your kids' self-esteem and health knowledge to prevent childhood obesity in the household.
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