The March issue of Pediatrics had an article entitled “Household Routines and Obesity in U.S. Preschool-Aged Children” It stated that “Preschool children exposed to three household routines — regularly eating family meals, getting adequate sleep, and limiting screen-viewing time — had a roughly 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity than those exposed to none of these routines.” Notice the word “routines”. This infers that these practices are a regular part of your daily pattern of life.
Becoming a parent means purposely deciding which actions and reactions you will weave into your life style in order to support the growth and development of your child. Once established, you have routines, habits and custom that support your intent to parent .
Obesity is an issue that we are all aware of. It’s cause if multi-factorial. There are many sources working against you; media, marketing, and entertainment. Visual and audio cues are everywhere. You can choose to fight. Choosing three routines can lessen the chance of your child becoming obese by 60%.
- Have family meals
- No screen time for children under 2, 1 hour /day for children under age 5
- Support and respect your child’s need for adequate sleep.
In addition to decreasing the chance of obesity, there are other benefits. If you embrace these routines you won’t have to decide on a daily basis if your child can watch TV or other screens. You don’t have to wonder who will be available for dinner. You will automatically schedule activities that end before bedtimes. These become the natural customs and habits of your family.
Creating Healthy Eaters Blog 
0 Responses to “Avoiding Childhood Obesity in 3 Steps”