Great fitness professionals that have a passion for youth fitness training are needed now more than ever! Childhood obesity is on the rise, and so is the negative impact that this epidemic has on youth.
I can share with you firsthand what it is like to be overweight as a child, and have to suffer through the negative comments and teasing.
The impact that youth fitness training can have in our society today is huge. Not only is this one of the fastest growing industries, but it is also one of the most needed.
There was never a need for youth fitness training programs when kids played, but now there is a need.
Here are just a few reasons why we need more youth fitness training programs today :
–The path to obesity starts prior to children transitioning to a diet of solid foods.
–34% of two year olds are obese or over-weight.
–Childhood obesity has trippled over the last 3 decades.
Those are upsetting statistics to say the least.
Kids no longer get adequate physical education time in schools, and they certainly don’t play enough outdoors. They are pinned down in front of televisions, video games, and other mindless forms of entertainment to keep them busy.
There was never a need for youth fitness training programs when kids played, but now there is a need. A big one!
Parents need to take responsibility for learning what is appropriate for a child to eat. They also need to set positive examples of what is healthy to eat. There is plenty of information and education out there, we just need to educate the parents on how to care enough to educate themselves.
It has been proven that a mother’s eating habits and approach to food has a strong influence on the likelihood of their children being healthy eaters.
With infants, exercise is not an option, but simple movement and activity is. Parents have to interact with their children as they develop into those critical phases where they can support their own head, begin to crawl, and begin to walk. Stop putting babies into those swing or stationary devices that prohibit natural movement!
Here are a few ideas to take home with you :
–Do not reward the child with food
–Limit juice intake, and ALWAYS dilute the juice.
–avoid processed sugar
–limit child’s time spent on video games and television
–get your child involved in sports, dance, martial arts etc, from a very early age
–encourage water as the beverage of choice
–encourage home cooking over fast food
–encourage low glycaemic sources of carbohydrate, plenty of protein, and limit fats to 15% of diet
–avoid microwaved food
–avoid trans-fatty acids
–eat all the fish you want – the fat inside is good for you ( never battered/crumbed )
–encourage plenty of fruit and vegetable ( 2 of each daily )
Now here is a viewpoint shared by many:
We, as a society, are inundated with information. It’s all over our tv, internet, schools,etc. Most people KNOW what to do. They just don’t, or won’t do it. We need to “hit them ( people, parents ) where it hurts.” That is, in their wallets. Gov’t needs to put a tax on sugar, provide incentives for those who exercise regularly, thus maintaining their health, and allow tax breaks for the same. People like myself, as coaches, PE teachers, and trainers, need to continue to do our part by speaking with kids, parents, providing free informational clinics to the public, and lobbying our gov’t representatives to push forward with needed action. Nothing seems to work unless we affect a person’s purse-strings.
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