The latest challenging fact to be learned about the great American obesity problem is that among children, the number of clinically obese children has doubled in the last two decades, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In fact, by 2002, NIH says that one in five children in the US is overweight.
Obese children are also developing diseases like Type 2 Diabetes that used to only occur in adults. And overweight kids tend to become overweight adults, continuing to put them at greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure and stroke. Perhaps potentially more devastating is that children who are teased a lot can develop low self-esteem and depression.
There are many households in which not only one or more children are obese, but frequently one or both parents are also obese. Many parents are also at risk for Type 2 Diabetes. Even members of a household who do not have these problems will benefit from a low carb lifestyle because all Americans are far too dependent on processed sugar and carbohydrates, putting all of us at risk for obesity and myriad other health problems. Does any of this sound like you?
What's a concerned parent to do?
Adopt The Five Keys to Low Carb Success for your whole family. I sincerely hope you know by now that the first is "Information." Find ways for whole family learn the principles of health according to low carb, including even the members of your household who may not be obese. At least those needing a lifestyle change should learn as much as they can about low carb - and LowCarb-Lifestyles.Com helps us do that.
The Second Key is "Motivation." We advise our members to find ways to motivate themselves when the going gets tough. Motivation helps us answer important internal questions for ourselves, such as, "Why am I really doing this - what's the payoff?" "Why do I need to stay the course?" "Who benefits from my being healthy, trim and peaceful besides me - do I have a responsibility to anyone else?" In a household setting you can go through this process and then show your children how to do the same. Then the whole family can pledge their goals to each other at a special family meeting.
The Third Key is, "Nutrition." While seemingly simple, keeping a varied menu that the whole family looks forward to eating every day is not easy. Many low carb recipe books are turning up these days; LowCarb.Lifestyels.Com has literally hundreds of recipes for members to choose from. Use them to entice your whole household into a low carb lifestyle!
The Fourth Key is, "Fitness." We can exercise with our significant other and children - "the family that exercises together…" But it is a wonderful thing to exercise together, even just you and one child. You can go together for walking, jogging, bicycling, tennis, golf, basketball and so on. There are numerous possibilities. The best part is, while you are building a healthy low carb lifestyle, you are also building your relationship with your child.
The Fifth Key is, "Support." While LowCarb.Lifestyles.Com helps our member to build a support network in online forums and by emailing each other inside the community, your family is a natural support base! Act on the previous four Keys in your family, and your home will become your support base. Fantastic!
If you implement even one of the Five Keys in your home life, your will see definite results in a very short time, for your physical health and also for the emotional and spiritual health of your family ------------------------------------------------------ Henri Schauffler is the founder and webmaster of http://www.lowcarb-lifestyles.com, an online community that gives low carb dieters the tools they need to succeed - for life. Visit http:www.lowcarb-lifestyles.com to grab your free 7 day trial. -------------------------------------------------------
