We have the highest rates of adolescent and childhood obesity due to the fast food, low energy society that we have become. To address the issue, steps are being taken to get our children more involved, active, and educated about making healthy diet, nutrition, fitness, and overall health choices. Video games like Dance Party Revolution and the new Nintendo Wii gaming system are popular ways to get teens up and moving. Teens learn by example and enjoy doing things with their families. Camping in the great outdoors allows them to go hiking, boating, or biking again.
Learn a new sport with friends. Enroll your adolescent in a recreational sports team, take them to a softball game, soccer game, or even volleyball practice, and encourage them to burn more calories than they consume. Encourage them to eat more nutritious foods, eliminate calorie-laden sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks, introduce as many vegetables as possible, and participate in meal preparation and cleanup. This will help them pay more attention to what they put in their mouths and the messes they make.
Today, we have the highest rates of adolescent and childhood obesity than at any other time in history. The fast food, low energy society that we have become bears a large portion of the blame. We far too often believe that it is safer to keep our children indoors rather than outside in the great outdoors. The things we are doing to protect our children are actually harmful to their health.
However, steps are being taken to address the issue and get our children more involved, active, and educated about making healthy diet, nutrition, fitness, and overall health choices. For most teenagers, the challenge is getting them to step away from the computer, phone, or television for long enough to engage in physical activity.
Even video games are getting in on the act of getting kids up and moving, with games like the Play Station 2's Dance Party Revolution and the new Nintendo Wii gaming system seemingly taking the market by storm. Instead of sitting back and playing the game in a static environment, these systems allow consumers to actively participate in the game play adventure. It's an excellent way to get teens up and moving. These games are also enjoyable for adults and have the same activity-inducing effects. Who would have thought we'd be encouraging game play for exercise?
Get Outside and Do Something Active
Teens learn by example, and whether they like it or not, they usually enjoy doing things with their families. Climb a rock wall or climb a mountain. Ride bikes as a family. Camping in the great outdoors allows you to go hiking, boating, or biking again. Learn a new sport with your friends. It's amazing how much fun learning to scuba dive can be, and neither of you will be consuming empty calories. Even if the sport you choose together does not require much physical activity, it is almost certainly more active than sitting in front of the television.
Enroll your adolescent in a recreational sports team. In our community, our teens can participate in a variety of sports teams. Some leagues are open to those with no prior experience, while others are highly competitive. Taking your teen to a softball game, soccer game, or even volleyball practice can be a great way for the family to spend time together, and the games and practices provide opportunities for your teen to be active.
Another activity you can do with your teen is lawn work. As always, the key is for your teen to burn more calories than he or she consumes. It is frequently easier said than done, but it is entirely feasible if you work hard to get them out and about. Find things that will interest your teen and focus on those rather than torturing them with activities that will bore them (well maybe not the yard work). In any case, filling their time with activities allows them to spend time not consuming calories, which is something to think about.
Encourage your teen to eat more nutritious foods. Remove calorie-laden sodas, fruit juices, and energy drinks from your pantry and encourage your teens to drink plenty of water every day. Introduce as many vegetables as possible into your teens' diets and eliminate the prepackaged convenience foods that teens are notorious for depleting in a single sitting. Having your teens actively participate in meal preparation and cleanup will also help them pay more attention to what they put in their mouths as well as the messes they make.
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