During nutrition counseling, I often have parents compare their children's eating habits with their own as a child. Parents often use it to excuse their child's poor eating patterns. However, times have changed since we were kids and that changes the big picture.
Today, 1 in 3 children are overweight or obese. They are the first generation who is believed not to outlive their parents. Kids are getting adult diseases. Their increasing weight is one piece of proof that a problem exists and high nutrition-related lab values is another. We ate junk food as a child, and we turned out fine; so what changed?
Advancing technology has made it easier for the younger generation to be sedentary. We had to find entertainment by playing outside and using creativity to keep us occupied. We were more active than children today.
Foods were simpler. We had nowhere near the variety of foods kids have today. The food market has grown and keeps expanding. The grocery store is filled with nutritious foods but it is also filled with overly processed, high fat, and low nutritional value foods. Desserts used to be an occasional treat whereas now they are becoming part of each meal. Food is readily available in our society so it no wonder the new issues are arising.
Obesity in childhood increases the likelihood of obesity as an adult. It also increases those risks of developing weight-related health conditions. Schools are focusing their efforts in battling the obesity epidemic, but parents are primary role models for their children. Unfortunately, children cannot eat as we did because the world we live in has changed, so we need to instill healthy eating habits in our children at a young age to fight back.
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