Attention Parents: Take Away the Junk Food

When I was grocery shopping this morning I saw a mom and her child walking together, with the child screaming at the top of her lungs for what looked like a box of fruit snacks.

When the child’s mother finally gave in, I’m sure everyone in the surrounding aisle was relieved the little girl finally had stopped screaming. I glanced at their cart as I walked by and it was full of products just like the fruit snacks!

Below is something I read and wanted to share with you:

In a new article, University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital pediatric endocrinologist Joyce Lee, M.D., M.P.H, warns that the most damaging effects of childhood obesity have yet to surface, and likely will result in an epidemic of Type 2 diabetes among young adults, leading to a greater number of diabetes complications, and ultimately, lower life expectancy.

There are many studies being done and predictions being printed, and they all expect very negative results. I find it unbelievable how many people they expect to become diabetic in the future. The most common figure is 1 in 4 will develop Type 2 diabetes. This isn’t something that is hereditary — it comes from your diet.

Every day I discuss eating properly with either my clients, members of the gym or when I’m writing this column. I tell people that if you want to have success, then a support system is very important — meaning that if your husband or wife can get on board, you’ll ultimately have better results because there is less temptation.

What I’ve realized now is that I should be pushing parents to instill these healthy eating habits on their children.

You do whatever is necessary to protect your children, right? Protect them from childhood — and eventually adulthood — obesity. Do whatever you can to prevent your children from developing Type 2 diabetes. Healthy eating habits will stick with them and could help prevent many illnesses and diseases later in life.

A couple things you can do:

• Fruit as snacks.
• Replace pop with lower sugar fruit juice, or water it down a little, they’ll never know.
• Freeze fruit juice as popsicles.
• Let them pick out fruit. Even if it’s something weird like an adulfo mango, they’ll probably eat it because it was there choice and not yours.

If you want any other suggestions, please feel free to email me any questions you may have.