By: Jill Weber
ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Field Specialist
It is well known that overweight among American youth has become an epidemic, says Jill Weber, ISU Extension Nutrition and Health Field Specialist. The number of overweight children (ages 6-11) has almost quadrupled in the past four decades and for adolescents (12-19) has tripled. In only 12 years the prevalence of overweight among children increased 5 percent depending on the age group. For African-American and Mexican-American adolescents there has been an increase of 10 percent in this short time period. Summer schedules provide opportunities for lots of physical activity that can help families fight this epidemic. In addition, working on healthy habits with regard to eating is important as well. As schedules shift to warm weather activities in the weeks ahead, making plans to share regular meals is an important task families should consider. Eating is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Enjoying meals together helps anchor family members and build valuable memories. Use these tips during your family mealtime:
Make shared meals a priority
· Mark "family meal" dates on the calendar.
· Family meals can be shared at home, at a restaurant, in a park, or near a playing field.
Enjoy each other
· Turn off the television, radio, and cell phones.
· Encourage sharing comments about "good things that happened today."
· Children learn social skills from watching and listening to adults. Practice being positive.
Dish up variety
· Use MyPyramid and family preferences as a guide when planning meals.
· Save elaborate menus for occasions when you have time to prepare and enjoy them.
Share responsibility
· Give each person a task for each meal, such as choosing the menu, setting the table, pouring drinks, or cleaning up.
· Giving children some responsibility for preparing part of the meal increases their feelings of being part of the family.
Bottom line...Eating together has benefits even when it isn’t possible daily. Raising Healthy Kids is a series of publications designed to help parents, communities, and childcare providers address important health and nutrition questions. The newsletter series addresses these topics...
Overweight kids: What communities can do
Guide to healthy kids: What parents can do
Healthy hearts: How to monitor fat and cholesterol
Snacks for healthy kids, Say 'yes' to family meals, Steps to a healthier family, Food for ME TOO, and Nutrition for the toddler and preschooler.