Obesity Is Reaching Epidemic Proportions

I was in an airport over the weekend and the one thing I noticed above everything else, was how many overweight people there were.

It was almost like an epidemic and the biggest shock was how many obese kids there were. But, I have to say, it wasn’t very surprising when I saw these kids tucking into burgers, chips, milkshakes, chocolates and just about everything else that was bad for them. And, the parents were the ones buying the food and drink.

What is wrong with parents today that they let their kids get this way? They have to take responsibility and not blame advertising or the prevalance of junk food. It’s up to them to teach their kids about being healthy and getting enough exercise.

I have 6 grandchildren ranging in age from 16 years to 20 months, and not one of these kids is overweight. Their parents monitor what they eat and they also regulate their exercise. They have all the computer games like X-Box and Wii, but their time on the computer is strictly limited and they are encouraged to participate in outdoor activities.

When I was growing up we were more active as we didn’t have the luxury of computer games and we also didn’t have so much junk food available to us. Our parents were not as affluent as most people are these days, and couldn’t afford to buy junk food anyway. About once a month our treat was fish and chips, and we were happy because we didn’t know any better.

Just think of the medical costs in the years to come when dealing with obesity. It doesn’t just affect the obese person, it affects the whole of society and we’ll be the ones to pay for it in the future.

We have to start educating kids from an early age how to be fit and healthy so that future generations won’t end up facing the same health problems we have today.

Why Are So Many Kids Contracting Diabetes?

Our society today has a lot to answer for especially when we see so many overweight kids. 

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Successful Teenagers Doing What They Love

The other night I attended my 16 year old granddaughter’s annual drama and arts concert at her high school.

Now I haven’t been to a high school concert for quite a few years, so I really didn’t know what to expect. I think in the back of my mind I thought I’d be sitting through a long, drawn out event, with out of tune instruments, singers not hitting the right notes and actors forgetting their lines.

How wrong I was!

Instead I’d walked into the most amazing concert, filled with music, dance, acting and a display of art and animations. The musical repertoire consisted of individual performances by the school band, a show band, stringed orchestra, wind instruments and finally a rock band.

As if that wasn’t enough, this talented group of teenagers had dancing ranging from rock ‘n roll to ballet as well as a couple of well rehearsed and acted plays. My granddaughter was in a play with one other girl, and I may sound biased, but, she was brilliant!

I didn’t realize how much talent was in our schools and it really opened my eyes to the success a lot of these kids will have in the future.

My granddaughter told me that before the concert she was extremely nervous, but once she got on stage, she absolutely enjoyed herself. She was so proud of herself for taking the leap forward into facing her fears and then being loudly applauded for her successful debut into acting.

There’s a lot been said about teenagers and their behavior, but it’s not until you attend an event like I did, that you see an amazing group of young people visibly proud of their achievements, and lapping up the applause from equally proud, parents, relatives and friends.

Escaping From Peer Pressure

Wikipedia’s interpretation of peer pressureis: "Peer pressure is a term describing the pressure exerted by a peer group in encouraging a person to change their attitude, behavior and/or morals, to conform to, for example, the group’s actions, fashion sense, taste in music and television, or outlook on life". Our kids really do have a tough time when they’re teenagers. In a lot of cases they’re not being allowed to express their individuality because of the fear of being ridiculed by their peers. I left school over 40 years ago and nothing’s changed. There’s always been pressure to conform to the group, and if you don’t, then you’re left to feel like an island in the middle of the ocean. What can we as parents do about it? You can go to the school and talk to teachers about it, but realistically they haven’t got the time to sort it out and most likely they wouldn’t be able to anyway. This is something that the kids unfortunately, have to do for themselves. The best way I know is to build up your child’s self esteem so that they won’t even bother with the peer group. Being confident within themselves is the greatest barrier to hurt and intimidation by others. When my children were teenagers, they were all introduced to the world of "self development" with Bob Proctor, motivator and coach, which I believe has moulded them into the intelligent, confident adults they are today. I believe that Personal Development should be a subject on the school’s curriculum, starting from the first year of school. Just think what that would do for our kid’s futures! To learn more about Bob Proctor’s programs and how they can help you and your teens, click HERE now!

Should Children Set Goals?

Goal setting for kids is not an unattainable concept. It should happen both in schools and at home, as it helps children to develop self-esteem. If necessary, you should sit down with your children and help them set goals. Tell them that if they have a life without goals they will have a life without direction. Goals can give them the all-important power to find their own solutions to everyday problems.

The children should be encouraged to set goals in the different areas of their lives. These should include:

• Academic/Career. Children can be encouraged to seek higher grades in their studies and to participate in sports. They should be asked to set higher goals in the fields where they show potential to excel.

• Personal. The importance of character development should be explained, along with personal growth and appearance. They should be advised to adopt the best practices in life.

• Health. Because there’s so much obesity in children today, they must be taught the value of exercise and a balanced diet, and be encouraged to set goals to improve their fitness level.

• Community. You should instill a sense of social responsibility in your children by encouraging them to take on volunteer work.

• Financial. Setting goals in this field helps your children to understand the value of money and the importance of spending it wisely. Why not start having them save 10% of their pocket money each week.

• Friends. Your children need to understand the influence of the company they keep. Help them develop goals so that they always choose their friends wisely.

• Household needs. Encourage your children to participate in the running of the house and it will make them good householders one day. Goals should be set for managing the daily chores and making positive contributions to the work around the house.

• Recreation. Finally, make sure that your child does not grow up before his or her time. Goals should cover things like parties, movies and hobbies as well as the serious stuff.

You must remember, however, that goals can become counter-productive if they are imposed upon children without their cooperation. Goals should be woven into their lives, and the best way to start that is when they’re old enough to comprehend what you’re teaching them. It’s never too early to start learning!