Changing Children's Food Habits

Approximately 9 million U.S. children over the age of 6 are now considered overweight, and the numbers are on the rise. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) state that the percentage of overweight young people in the United States has roughly tripled since 1980 to about 18 percent. Children are less active, eat more processed food, and have poorer eating habits than ever before, but this does not have to be a permanent condition. Parents can start by examining and understanding what, where, when, why, and with whom their children are eating, and how many extra calories a day they are consuming.

Kids today are suffering from an energy gap, meaning they take in more calories than they burn through growth and daily living. The average child takes in [Page 129]up to 165 extra calories per day, which is about the amount in a can of soda. The heaviest children and teens are taking in as many as 1,000 calories more per day than needed, which is almost as much as two Big Macs. If government, community, schools, families, and food and beverage industries do not start working together, we will see the first generation of children to have a shorter life span than their parents.

Education remains the best way to ensure that children make wise choices when it comes to food.

Presently, overweight children suffer from a range of psychosocial and physical consequences, including poor self-esteem, Type 2 diabetes, and the beginning stages of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, consumption of poor, high sugar and fat diets may affect learning potential as well. Children who consume large amounts of sugar-sweetened beverages, for example, may find themselves having quick bursts of energy followed by nadirs of energy depletion. Also, these foods tend to be “empty calories” sources that lack substantial vitamins and minerals, but contain palatable and easily accessible sources of energy. Over-consumption of these empty calorie food sources can put children at risk for under-consumption of many vital vitamins and minerals.

Education is the best way to help children understand their food intake. One way is to educate children so they understand their unique bodies. Parents can help children gain more self-assurance about their own bodies while at the same time, teaching them to appreciate the need to achieve optimal nutrition. In addition, parents must role-model proper nutrition and eating habits for their children by providing a variety of healthful, ready-to-eat foods, and “practicing what you preach.” It is unlikely a child will grow up to like vegetables if his or her parents do not like to eat those foods.

Children should also be active and exercise several times each week. The CDC reports that 25 percent of U.S. children engage in no free-time physical activity. The average U.S. child spends 20 hours per week watching television, with up to 20 percent of this time accounted for by meals eaten while watching television. Children need to separate meals times from entertainment and relaxation events. Parents need to help children refocus relaxation and entertainment events more on physical activities rather than sedentary ones. Far too many children today are sedentary, which when coupled with poor nutrition habits, creates a recipe for weight issues.

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