Today we have the highest rate of obesity in adolescence and childhood than any other place in the long history of the world. Much of the blame lies with the fast food, the low-energy society we have become. We often find it safer to keep our children indoors than outdoors. The work we are doing to protect our children is detrimental to our children's health.
However, some things are being done to address this problem and make our children more involved, more active, and better educated about making the right choices about food, nutrition, fitness, and overall health. The problem for most teens is that they stay away from the computer, phone, or television long enough for them to be active.
Even video games are getting involved in the process of waking up and activating kids by creating games like Play Station 2's Dance Party Revolution and the new Nintendo Wii gaming system that seem to be taking the market by storm. These systems allow users to actively participate in gameplay adventures instead of sitting in a stable environment and playing games. This is a great way to get young people out of their seats and get active. These games are also fun for adults and will have the same effects when it comes to activity. Who would have thought that we would encourage gameplay for exercise?
Get out there and stay active
Young people learn by example and whether they accept it or not, they generally enjoy working as part of a family. Go rock climbing or mountain climbing. Go on a motorcycle as a family. Camp outdoors and go hiking, boating, or biking again. Learn a new game together. It's amazing how much you enjoy learning scuba diving and none of you will be eating empty calories while you're at it. Even if the games you put together do not involve a lot of physical activity, it is much more active than sitting in front of a television.
Let your teens join the fun sports team. We have all kinds of sports teams available in our community that our youngsters can join. Even people who have no skills at all 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 out and be active with your teens. The key, as always, is that your teen burns more calories than he uses. It's said to be easier said than done. However, find things that are of interest to your teen and focus on them instead of harassing them with activities that have no interest (well maybe not yard work). At any rate, filling your time with activities also allows the time that they are not even eating calories and this is worth considering.
Encourage your teen to eat a healthy diet. Eliminate high-calorie sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks from your pantry shelf, and encourage your teens to drink plenty of water every day. Introduce as many vegetables as possible in your teen's diet and get rid of pre-packaged convenience items that are notorious for teenagers ending up in one sitting. Also, getting your teen actively involved in the preparation and cleaning of the food will help them to pay more attention to the things they put in their mouths as well as the mess they make in the process.
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