How Shall We Respond to the Childhood Obesity Epidemic?

By Amy Heydlauff

Chelsea Area Wellness Foundation

All around us are kids of every size. We know that in our service area (Chelsea, Dexter, Grass Lake, Manchester and Stockbridge) more kids are overweight than in the state as a whole, as well as the nation.

But let’s not panic. Let’s not teach that little boy wearing "husky" jeans to be embarrassed. Or let's not teach that little girl to worry she’s not cute if she has cheeks that make you want to pinch them like a great-grandma. Think back with me.

In the 1960s, Twiggy was all the rage. That led to our awareness of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. The pendulum had swung way too far to the skinny. Activists cried out, especially on behalf of girls: “Let them love their bodies – no matter their shape or size.”

So, the pendulum swung again too far to the self-indulgent "love my chubby body." Now we’re being told our kids are too fat. It’s the truth. Many of them are overweight (which is not obese).  

But let’s stop the madness!  

How about if families take a common sense approach to healthy children. Let’s talk about a healthy lifestyle. Even though numbers, like weight and body mass index (BMI) are important, parents can protect their children from many chronic diseases without a constant weight focus.  

Here are just a few ideas for teaching kids habits that lead to long-term health:

• Make chips, ice cream floats or other purchased snacks a treat for a once a week, family movie or game night. Make a special trip to the store to get the treat. If it’s not always in the house you can’t give in to your own (or the kids) weak moments between those special times.
• Buy the right foods. Don’t buy the wrong foods. If all the kids find to eat is an apple and they’re truly hungry they’ll eat an apple. Eating an apple or celery with peanut butter is not a punishment. If you appreciate a fresh, crunchy snack they’ll learn to like it too.
• If you live outside of town, drop your kids off at a safe place, half a mile or more from their school building. They get a walk and you don’t have to deal with the traffic congestion around the school. Live in town? Don’t even let them get into the car in the morning.
• Only let your kids turn on the TV (or other screen) if they’ve played outside for an hour or attended a sports practice in the time between school and dinner. Everyone plays outside, even if they don’t think they like the outdoors. They’ll figure out a way to have fun; they’re kids.
• Unless your child’s doctor tells you there is a reason for your child to lose weight, focus on a healthy diet and exercise. Unlike adults, if a child is overweight simply maintaining that weight while they grow taller will solve the problem most of the time.

So let’s expect our kids to act like children. The vast majority of them can healthfully eat and play their way out of overweight with a little help and a few expectations from the adults around them.