At dinner a couple of nights ago, my wife and I wouldn’t let our daughter have dessert because she didn’t finish her dinner?…Is that such a good idea? That’s how it was for me growing up, and I’m sure it was the same way in most other households in the U.S., but that state of mind may just be contributing the growing child obesity problem worldwide – and especially in the U.S where child obesity has reached epidemic proportions.
child obesity is on the rise

According to a recent study, child obesity rates have tripled over the past 25 years. Furthermore, children in the U.S. seem to be affected by childhood obesity greater than most other countries. It’s estimated that there are about 2.7 million severely obese children in the U.S. – needless to say, that’s a staggering figure. Severe obesity in children is defined as a child being in the 99th percentile in regards to BMI (body mass index) for their age and gender.

Not only are children getting less exercise these days because of video games, computers, and TVs, but all of the processed foods and sugary snacks are contributing even more to their unhealthy weight. As a child back in the late 80s and 90s, I can remember spending the whole day outside riding my bike, playing sports, and running around with the other neighborhood kids – today is a different day and age, and it seems that kids would rather spend their day inside playing video games or surfing the Internet. There are many factors that can be attributed to the growing child obesity epidemic, but it’s up to us as parents to reduce the risk.

So next time one of the kids doesn’t finish their dinner, maybe I won’t punish them with no dessert or make them sit at the table until it’s finished. Healthy eating habits start when you’re a child, so lets not force our children to eat when they say that they’re full. Child obesity is a growing problem that must be addressed by parents or the problem will continue to spiral out of control.