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9 Steps To Tackle The Effects Of Childhood Obesity
Steps 7 to 9

Step 7

One very significant reason for the present childhood obesity problem is snacking between meals and you must break the common habit of your children snacking whenever they feel like it. There is certainly nothing wrong with snacking, but snacks must become part of the daily routine so that you can control them.

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When it comes to choosing the right food for snacks then try to limit yourself to healthy options such as fruit with a low-fat topping rather than a banana split topped with full-fat whipped cream. This said, not-so-healthy snacks are also okay as long as they become a treat to be enjoyed once in a while, rather than an everyday item.

Step 8

Separate eating and watching TV. Most kids love to sit in front of the TV and eat but this means that they are paying little if any attention to what they are eating and will invariably overeat. Make meals a special family time when you all sit together around the table to both enjoy the food you are eating and also enjoy each others company and talk. Meal times can be a great tool for bringing families together and for keeping a check on what everyone is doing and how they are feeling.

Step 9

Changes should be made gradually and in steps, but they should also be significant. For example, if you need to increase your levels of physical activity then start by getting the kids to do jobs around the house and emphasize the need for them to learn responsibility. Mowing the lawn and walking the dog might be good places to start. Also, think about activities which you can do as a family which will get you out into the fresh air and provide some exercise at the same time. Getting the whole family into hiking, playing tennis or swimming are just three of the hundreds of ideas which you can probably come up with quite quickly.

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