The War on Childhood Obesity
You can’t escape obesity—obesity news that it is. It’s everywhere! Almost everyday obesity-related information bombards the headlines, but imagine being a doctor, imagine being on the frontlines of the epidemic. Reuters reporter Lisa Baertlein tells the tale of one such doctor, and what she is doing to combat the problem:
Los Angeles pediatrician Francine Kaufman is on the front lines of the childhood obesity epidemic, which has flooded her office with diabetes patients and put kids at risk of adult health problems…Dr. Kaufman also wrote a book entitled Diabesity in which she encourages parents to realize that avoiding obesity and diabetes is about the whole family becoming health conscious and committed to helping. Sound like someone else we know? Check out this excerpt from Dr. Fuhrman’s Disease-Proof Your Child:
… The pediatric endocrine group at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles had 250 to 300 patients when Kaufman started in the late 1970s. The patient roster has since expanded 2,000-plus.
No rules only for children. If the parents are not willing to follow the rules set for the house, they should not be imposed on the children. Don’t argue about what your children should and shouldn’t be eating; discuss this in private. As parents, we must be consistent, but not perfect. Likewise, it is okay for the children to be consistent, but not prefer either. For example, if the parents decide that an unhealthy food or a restaurant meal is acceptable for the children once per week, then that goes for the adults, too. Setting an example supported by both parents is the most important and most effective way for your children to develop a healthy attitude toward food.
