Preventing Childhood Obesity

[paula 4]

Jachnut,

I knew the frozen kids meals were harmful - but what about the 'healthy' ones, like - Lean Cuisene?

Also, do any of you give your kids Vitamins and "green" suppliments (like Yummy Greens)?

[Alexandra 55]

I don't avoid frozen meals, but we buy them at Trader Joe's. They sell frozen and prepared foods which don't seem to have all the chemical garbage brand names do. There's just no way we can prepare fresh all the time. Nuh-uh.

[Jachut 487]

Have you ever read the ingredients on a Lean Cuisine? There's more chemicals there than real food. Frozen foods are fine for convenience, everybody needs that sometimes and of course we use them sometimes too, just as we also eat takeaway. But as a regular thing, its really much better to buy fresh and cook fresh. I dont mean to sound like a food nazi or disapproving, sorry if I did. Its just that its horrifying what you can actually ingest without even realising it.

We all take a Multivitamin here, and Fraser takes Evening Primrose and Flax Seed oils for his eczema/asthma, they do seem to help lessen the severity. He reacts quite strongly to a lot of packaged foods anyway (I think its the soy lecithin they use to emulsify everything), gets wheezy and itchy under the chin.

It's like bread with preservative 282 in it, that also sets my kids off with asthma. There's loads of bread has that in it, but there's also a fair few packaged breads that dont, and we have a great chain bakery, Baker's Delight, that doesnt use 282 in their breads. So I buy fresh bread too.

[the best me 6]

This thread got me to thinking about just what and how much my kiddos need to be eating. I love all the tips you all have given...thanks! Here's a great link I found

http://sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=465

to find out how many portions of what foods and what size portions, etc to feed your kids at whatever age. Cool stuff!

[Kryssa 1]

I started teaching my kids, now 8 and 10, to eat healthy from the moment they were born. We ate at restaurants 70% of the time (until I divorced their father); my kids didn't know kids meals actually came with fries not veggies until they were in school. My son is very thin, very active, and could care less about food. My daughter is thin now but she loves to eat and hates physical activity. I've adjusted: if she wants second helpings at mealtime, I make her take an equal portion of veggies with whatever she asks for. We also eat out much less often now, it's a treat instead of a lifestyle. I was a 50 lb. 5 year old; Tori weighs 55 lbs and she is 8. On the other hand, I want to stress that if my kids tell me they are hungry; I feed them, no questions asked. I can choose what they eat: salad, crudite platter w/low cal ranch, fruit, etc. I'm the adult and as such I control what is available: good or bad. My mom put me on a diet from the time I was 8, It didn't work, as a matter of fact it made it worse. I was always hungry and I began hoarding food. I want better for my kids.

[burnsun 27]

The other thing my doctor told me- is we as country over portion even for the kids! A meat serving for them is "their fist size" not mine! Same for other foods. So I down loaded a portion size chart for foods- but you also have to remember I am dealing with a lot of special needs children with tendancies for weight gain and the distinct possibility we might not read- so we are way to creative- I also have a padlock on the snack cabniet (ie- cherrios, grahm crackers, animal crackers, gold fish , mommy favorite home made oatmeal & bran "poopy" Cookies. This is more to keep them out- since none of the lazy susan locks worked. But it does keep them out the oldest goes for the grape s or cut up apples first! (By the way I use "snack bags- about 1/2 - 2/3 size of sandwhich bag!- I love them)

[Maggie63 0]

although i am a single woman with no children...I LOVE THIS THREAD. there are a few reasons. first, my parents put my on a diet when i was in elementary school. i remEmeber sitting in the cafeteria with a clear plastic baggie with one hard boiled egg and 2 peices of celery for lunch (they really meant well, but that was not cool)!! all the other kids (and i mean ALL) haD lunches from school. i remember being SO embarrassed, even at that young age, and it DID NOT HELP!!!!

secondly, i have dear girlfriends who have what i would consider morbidly obese children. we talk about issues and i can see the despair on their faces. i am going to pass some of your tips on to them.....they will love to hear how others are keeping their kids healthy.

you are all great moms!!!

[paula 4]

Maggie, thanks for bringing this thread back up. You are right, these mom's are smart!

Another idea to share is that we have very little food rewarding for bribes (yes, I bribe MY kids all the time).

Their rewards are usually a cheap-o Walmart toy, going on a certain outting, something like this - instead of ice cream or other food/sweet treats.

Kathy, I read around in your link. Good tips in there! Thanks. I need to spend more time re-reading it.

Kryssa,

my kids didn't know kids meals actually came with fries not veggies until they were in school.

this is SO impressive. Especially these days. You get 4 gold star for that. Honestly, Im impressed!

[Anwyn 0]

Funny related story: My 5 year old son was asking about my "boo boo's" (I had to get a new band last week). He wanted to know what was wrong with my stomach. My husband told him that Mom wasn't eating her vegetables so they had to fix her stomach. The poor kid's going to need therapy. He did eat his green Beans though...

[Marimaru 7]

I also don't have kids yet, but I am putting this information into my mental list of things to do and not do to/for my kids. I was also on diets from about 8 years old and it just does horrible things to your head I think. I was about 160 in Jr. High and my dad had me on slim fast. Oh what I wouldn't give to be there now, lol.

My mom did the coolest thing for vegetables. I'm the oldest, so it started with me. When I was old enough for "What's that?" "Can I have some?" She told me that vegetables were adult food and I wouldn't like it. I don't know how long she told me that before finally giving in (I don't actually have memory of this, I was told about it), but of course, I wanted those veggies REALLY BAD, and LOVED THEM when I got to finally have them.

Just thought I'd share

[Dody 0]

I've noticed my grandkids are mesmerized by video games and TV. Well when I was growing up...shows you how old I am...we didn't have TV until I was 9 years old and then it was only sporatic and black and white. I can remember I Love Lucy and Jackie Gleason...and I could go on.

What I remember most is barely any overweight kids. We had PE classes at school where we actually climbed ropes, had parallel bars, vaulting horses, etc. We also all wore those silly blue bloomers that we hated, and we got weighed once a mo. also. At recess it was very organized with games like Dodge Ball, etc. There wasn't playground equipment like they have now. We had to run..play tag...hide and seek, which we also did for entertainment after school, along with hop scotch (I wonder if today's kids even know what that is). I think today's obesity is caused by all the soft drink machines available in schools and the goodies (we had none of those things...we chose between white and chocolate milk at lunch). Most of us lived within walking distance of our schools and went home for lunch, but that was the days when mom's were stay-at-home moms also. We usually had a good nutritious lunch, and if we did bring our lunch...you guessed it Peanut Butter and jelly (which was high in protein)

I really believe it is because today's kids eat a variety of different and sometimes fattening foods and stay indoors and play video games and watch TV that this generation is where it is.

This is just my two cents, but I can honestly say I didn't go to school with one single overweight kid...and that's really something. I now see kids about 12-13 that look to be 50-60 pounds or more overweight.

OK, I've vented over the junk food and lack of excercise for our kids today...I feel better. I have to say I made sure my own kids were very limited with TV and we didn't have a video game until my youngest was about 12....they were pretty awful up until that time and antiques now.

Wow, I am getting old!!:confused:

[paula 4]

Even though this is an old thread, I wanted to update my progess on this constant battle...

here's something that's been a great big blessing in our home - -

bottled Water.< /p>

no juicy bags of high sugar liquids stashed in the fridge for a quick thirst quincher. Only bottles of water.

I keep REAL orange & apple juice in 1/2 gallon or gallon containers for breakfast(and milk).

Other then that - its water.

Marcus has lost 3 pounds in 2 weeks from this simple change. :clap2:

Anyone else have new ideas to help battle the buldge in our growing youth??

[Sugar1 0]

I haven't posted anything since November. Life just got way too busy to get online, however, I am back!!! Wow... I stumbled on this thread and it is exactly on point with what I have been going through. I have twins. A girl and a boy. They will be 12 next month. Gabriella is an inch shorter than Joey and she weighs 120 lbs. Joey is 108, however, he is very solid. he can stand to lose a few pounds (or stay the same and just maintain weight while he grows). Gabriella is very heavy. She has a large stomach. She is a dancer, and very good at it, however, next year she wants to start toe and will not be able to do it unless she loses weight. Her ankles won't hold her up. I dread going clothes shopping with her because she cries and then gets angry at me (yes, she blames me) for her weight. She refuses to eat anything that is healthy and eats enormous amounts of food at meals and is always looking for some type of fattening snack. When my DH and I try to control what she eats, it is a fight. She only eats chicken fingers and french fries or a BLT and french fries when we go out to eat, or babyback ribs and french fries. I am at a loss. I don't know what to do. I thought when I was banded and lost weight, it would inspire and help her, but she has just gotten worse. My son on the other hand, eats well. He eats all kinds of food and fruit. My DD refuses to pick up a piece of fruit. HELP!!!!! I don't want her to go through what I have gone through. It is a constant source of anxiety for me. Any help would be greatly appreciated.