3 Tips to Avoid Childhood Obesity

Warning signs that a child may be in danger of becoming obese can be boiled down to three key questions:

· Is my child involved in sedentary after school activities such as watching television, phone texting, playing electronic games and using computers?

· Are my child’s favorite foods and drinks found in packaged boxes, snack bags and soda cans?

· Is my child getting less than 30 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise each day?

If your answer is “Yes” to any one of these questions, it’s time for a change. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 percent of all children and teens in the United States alone are overweight and at risk for a host of health issues such as heart disease, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and cancer.


The following are three tips for giving your child the right start:

· Stimulate your baby’s eyes and hands to teach fine motor skills and visual tracking such as reaching for and grasping objects.

· Promote brain cell growth and body balance in your toddler and preschooler through large motor movement while hopping, skipping, running and jumping.

· Develop core strength, eye-hand and eye-foot sports skills in school-age kids such as kicking, catching and hitting balls.

To calculate your child’s Body Mass Index (BMI), go to apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/Calculator.aspx
and
cdc.gov/healthyweight

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