Many of us love kissing babies with those sweet fat cheeks. I have wonderful precious memories of kissing our daughter's sweet cheeks when she was a baby, as a toddler and even now at age 19. That is,when she lets me! Some of us adore little pudgy babies. How cute they are when they toddle with those fat legs and bellies. However, what was once a temporary condition with our babies and toddlers, has become a desperate lingering state of being for many of our children. Baby fat has become just fat.
I was overweight as a child, so I can relate to how difficult that can be. Our home was known for having fresh vegetables and all types of good food. We ate well balanced meals. My mother insisted on salads at every dinner. However, my father loved ice cream and he could bake a mean yellow cake. My Daddy and I enjoyed our sweets. My brother and sister who were much older, were concerned about my weight. My father assured them that I would lose the weight in due time. My plight though serious, was not as desperate because I played outside whenever the weather would permit. In the summer I couldn't wait to get to the playground. How many of our children don't have green space or a safe place to play outside? I was fortunate to have a safe place to play and eat high quality food.
My father was right, at age 12, I lost the "Baby Fat" and I maintained a consistent healthy weight throughout my teen years. Sadly, many if our children are not following that path. They are not eating balanced diets, not enjoying outside activities nor do they always have the attention of their parents' watchful eyes. We must change how we care for our children. Their lives depend on us. Sometimes we don't want to admit that we and/or our children are obese. But, whether we admit it or not, it doesn't make the reality go away. An obese child is more susceptible to diseases, accidents and low self esteem. I am not suggesting that these are absolutes, but the chances are much higher for obese children. We must encourage our children to eat well and exercise. Please show them a loving spirit and avoid teasing about their weight. Let's encourage them and not push them into depression. Every person has a struggle in life, so we all need to be sensitive to each of our personal challenges.
Truly loving those fat cheeks, means giving direction, showing concern and providing some attention. We have to protect our next generation by providing them with the tools to live healthier. During the HBO special, Weight of The Nation, one doctor spoke about the many positive affects of eating a healthy diet. He said that a healthy person is less likely to have accidents. That was a point that I had not considered, but it makes good sense. When we are well rested and eating healthy, we tend to make better decisions about many things.
Here are a some helpful suggestions for helping our children:
1. Watch and limit their sugary drinks, avoid sodas and juice with corn syrup
2. Limit white bread and white rice products, and increase fiber in their diets through eating whole grains and fresh produce
3. Make sure they are drinking water every day
4. Limit their fast food intake and especially junk foods (fast foods are more costly than fresh)
5. Find urban gardens in your community if you have limited produce resources (contact local churches for help)
6. Make health a priority, its too expensive to be sick
7. Let them know that they are loved with hugs, deeds and direction
Make sure that you are really loving those cheeks.............
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