6.3 Body Image- Preventing Childhood Obesity

I have noticed in the last few days sitting around the mall eating my lunch, the growing number of individuals who are overweight. There are actually very few that are in the truly "skinny" category, myself included. Interestingly enough this class is including a section on Body Image and Obesity is one of the topics.

I must be among the very lucky parents who has children who want to go outside to play or who will do 50 laps running around the car when we get home at night. Yes, my children did this the other day and it continues to be a favorite pastime for them too whenever they get the chance amusingly enough.

However, sadly enough there are too many children who prefer to sit in front of an electronic babysitter aka a computer, video game system or TV and munch junk food. I am concerned that there is an increasingly larger portion of the youthful population that is doing this and it is contributing to the various health problems that we have today, in our society.

We, as parents should be watching our children and what they eat, what they do and for how long but instead parents are working longer hours to make ends meet thus ignoring the next generation. I am guilty of this as much as the next parent but when I am around I try to go out and actively play with the kids. We hike or take walks and now that I'm thinking about it I think I'll find a nice badminton set or volleyball set to put outside to play with too as I need to be more physically active and spend less time on a computer.

I think that if children and adults alike spend more time outside "playing" we as a society would have fewer health problems.