Healthy habits start early! If you
want to ensure that your children have a bright healthy future ahead of them,
you must lay the proper foundations for healthy habits. Adolescence is a crucial time because that is
when our peers have the greatest effect on us. They play sports their friends
play, they listen to music their friends listen to, and they eat what their
friends eat…even if it is pizza and soda four times a week. We can encourage
healthy behaviors by providing healthy options! The vending machine at school
does not only need to consist of sugary snacks. Cbsnews.com has reported that
vending machine snacks are indeed getting healthier under new government laws
placed and regulated in some states. We should continue on this track, for the
long-term benefits are golden.
Parents should also provide healthy
snacks for children to munch on while at school. Learning is exhausting, and children
are ALWAYS starving right after school also! To avoid consuming excessive
amounts of unhealthy foods, parents should have various options available for
the child that are quick and convenient for a healthy after school snack. Our
world is so technologically inclined today that kids hardly play outside
anymore. I love that Michelle Obama has took a stand to change that. Her “Let’s
Move” campaign has inspired many children to exercise by showing them how fun
it is to get out and be active! Over 4,000 schools have met the challenge! See
if your child’s school is up for the task by going to www.letsmove.gov.
Hello Jessica!
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that eating habits begin at a young age. While growing up, my parents rarely had any sweet treats or sugary drinks available in the household. The only escape for sweets I usually had was when I would visit my friends at their house or when I’d go out trick-or-treating on Halloween. Limiting on sugary treats has been a positive impact in the long run for me. I just recently discovered my first cavity and now that I live on my own, I stock up my pantry and fridge with healthy foods.
I also like that you mention Michelle Obama's program. I recently spoke to my younger sibling about her school lunches and compared them to when I was in school. The lunch foods are way healthier! Less sweetness and less fattening.
Thank you for your post. Stay dedicated to your health concern.
-Liliana Garcia
I totally agree with this sentiment! I am not sure if you have read my blog, but there are many similarities, except mine seems a little bit satirical, for lack of a better word. Children and adolescents should have the healthy options when it comes to snacks and stuff like that. One thing that is upsetting is that the healthy snacks are generally marketed towards older people, rather than the young people out there. The next time you go in to Walmart or Kroger or some grocery store, look at how the products are arranged. The sugary, bad cholesterol foods are on the mid-body to lower shelves. All of the organic/natural or healthy option foods are all situated on the highest shelf...away from a child's reach. This is especially true about aisles that contain cereal and other foods like that. Ultimately, it is up to the parent to be able to give their children and adolescents the healthier option. If we can start giving the healthier options to our kids now, their adolescent and young adult years will be easier for them to make their own decisions on what is good for them.
ReplyDeleteI too agree with what you have said. But provide some sugary things in my home to help my children lean when it is and is not a good idea. If there are not any ever around they will gorge at friends and school when you are not looking. I watched the Jamie Oliver series where he was trying to change what the schools were providing our children and was appaled. This is something that I strongly believe starts at home and what better teachers than the parents.
ReplyDeleteJessica, the one good thing about the Obama administration that I can agree with is Michelle Obama's "Let's move" campaign. I agree with the advancement of technology more children are not getting the proper physical activity that they need. Also with a culture and media focused so much on body image and does not promote good healthy behaviors, I believe the parents have the primary responsibility of teaching the kids at a young age to eat right and exercise and train their child up with healthy behaviors that they will carry with them throughout their lives. Parents also have to get involved by changing their diets and exercising as well to lead by example instead of just instructing their kids to make healthy choices. Lead by example and let it begin primarily in the homes.
ReplyDeleteOh yes you have made a great valid point. I agree with you 100%. I believe we all develop our eating habits as children. If a parent starts their child off with horrible eating habits, as the child grows up it no longer stays a habit but instead becomes a lifestle.Getting kids involved into sports and helping them understand how important it is to stay fit and healthy should be one of the highest priorites to us.
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