We have the highest rates of adolescent and childhood obesity today than at any other point in the world's long history. Much of the blame is on the fast food, low energy society we have become. Too often we feel that it is safer to keep our children inside our homes rather than outside and outside. The work we are doing to protect our children is actually harmful to the health of our children.
However, there are things that are being done to address the problem and to educate our children more involved, more active and better about making appropriate choices about diet, nutrition, fitness and overall health. The problem for most teens is that they have to be away from the computer, phone, or television long enough to be active.
Even video games are getting in on the task of motivating and energizing kids by creating games like PlayStation 2's Dance Party Revolution and the new Nintendo Wii Gaming System that are taking the market by storm. These systems allow consumers to actively participate in game play adventures instead of sitting back and playing games in a static environment. It's a great way to get teens out of their seats and get active. These games are also fun for adults and will have the same effect when it comes to activity. Who thought we'd actually encourage playing sports for exercise?
Get out and be active
Teens learn by example and whether they want to admit it or not, they generally enjoy working as part of a family. Go rock wall climbing or mountain climbing. Ride a bike as a family. Camp in the great outdoors and go hiking, boating or biking again. Learn a new sport together. It's amazing how much fun you can have learning to scuba dive and while you're at it, neither of you will be consuming empty calories. Even if the sport you indulge in together doesn't involve a lot of physical activity, it's likely to be more active than just sitting in front of the television.
Have your teen join a recreational sports team. There are all kinds of sports teams available in our community that our teens can join. Even those without skills can join and play in some leagues, while other leagues are competitive. Going out for softball games, soccer games and even volleyball can be a great way for the family to do something together, and games and exercises are opportunities for your teen to be active.
Lawn work is another way to get outside and be active with your teen. The key, as always, is burning more calories in your teen than you consume. This is often easier said than done, but it is quite possible if you work to get them out. However, find things that are interesting to your teen and focus on activities they are not interested in (well, not yard work) instead of focusing on them.
Encourage your teen to eat healthy foods. Eliminate calorie-laden sodas, fruit juices and energy drinks from your pantry shelves, and encourage your teen to drink plenty of water every day. Introduce more and more vegetables into your teen's diet, and get rid of the pre-packaged convenience goodies that teens are notorious for ending up in one sitting. In addition, having your teen actively participate in food preparation and cleaning for meals will help them pay more attention to what they put in their mouths as well as the messes that go on in the process.
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