Q: To say that our two children are overweight would be an understatement. They are chubby, and far too fat for any 10- or 12-year-old kids. Three months ago, my husband and I started cutting down on times each of the children had to either work on the computer or sit in front of the television set.
We thought that this would magically get our children involved in other activities and therefore make them healthier. But so far all of our efforts have not achieved anything. In fact we are really disappointed with the results and we are, again, looking for answers to help us deal with obesity in our family.
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Do you have any ideas?
A: For some time now my colleagues and I have been encouraging parents to turn off their TVs, computers, and video games and get their children involved in more physical activities.
We were assuming that much of what we saw as childhood obesity was the result of too much inactivity in front of the big screen. We were wrong. Studies coming out these days are saying that they are not able to identify a one-to-one relationship between childhood obesity and the electronic media.
In fact, many children addicted to either computers or television sets are remarkably thin.
This is not to say that TVs and video games are without problems. Obviously, they can cause distress for many young people. It is just that obesity is not one of the major difficulties that the TV addict will have to challenge.
These days, the blame for obesity points directly to sleep, or more clearly, the lack of it. Without realizing it, our culture is going through huge changes in its sleeping patterns.
Today’s adults sleep 20 to 25 percent less than their parents did. The same is true for our children.
Kids go to bed later than they did in the past and in some cases, they get up earlier to catch the school bus to their morning classes. People are tired, and when they are tired their digestive systems do not work as efficiently as they do when they are well rested. The results are discouraging. People everywhere are getting fatter.
Before you rush out to change your sleeping habits or start sending your children to bed earlier, you need to look at the entire picture. Obesity is most likely the product of poor life management, as in fact are sleep problems.
If you are really sincere about helping your children rid themselves of those embarrassing pounds, you and your husband are going to have to make fundamental changes to the ways in which you run your home.
A healthy lifestyle embraces nutritional meals, regular bed times, exercise and fresh air, and the opportunity to disengage whatever stresses might be encountered during the day.
It means cutting back on junk food, fast food, and processed food. It means working hard when you have to work, and resting and relaxing when you need to rest and relax. And it means having some fun every once in a while. I know of nothing healthier for anyone than a good belly laugh.
Challenging your children’s obesity is going to take a huge effort. But if you and your husband work together with your kids, you will not only get the results for which you have been looking, you will end up with a healthier and happier family.
Jacklin Andrews is a family counsellor from Saskatchewan. Contact: jandrews@producer.com.
