Childhood Obesity

Parents want their children to grow up healthy, happy and ready to succeed in life. But, childhood obesity is undermining children’s health. According to Statistics Canada, almost one third of Canadians aged five to 17 are overweight or obese. 
 
Many of the physical problems associated with being overweight or obese as a child – such as heart disease, diabetes, or arthritis - may not appear until adulthood, but the social and emotional problems start early. Some overweight kids are bullied at school. They often have low self esteem and suffer socially resulting in a higher likelihood that they will experience depression.
 
TIPS FOR PACKING A HEALTHY LUNCH BOX
Get your kids to help you so that healthy lunches are a family affair.

• Get out the cookie cutters – not for cookies, but for sandwiches. Kids love food in shapes. 
• Serve sliced meat rolled up into tubes and offer the bread separate. Tuna salad can be offered with crackers.
• Use leftovers. If your child liked last night’s beef stew, serve it up for lunch in a thermos after heating it up in the morning.
• Breakfast for lunch? Pancakes or a sliced boiled egg can be a hit too (remember to put in an ice pack though).
• Fruits and veggies are always a part of a nutritious lunch. To make them more fun, include a dip.

 
TIPS FOR BEING PHYSICALLY ACTIVE
On average only 4% of Canadian children take part in enough physical activity.  Children need physical activity to build strength, coordination and confidence. All of these characteristics lay the groundwork for leading a healthy lifestyle in the future.

• Children should participate in at least 60 minutes of physical activity per day.
• Limit the amount of screen time your children have. In fact, if they are younger than 2 years of age, the Canadian Paediatric Society does not recommend any screen time at all.  If they’re between two and five years of age, the recommendation is one hour per day – that’s right, just one hour!
• Be aware of the opportunities your community offers to help your family stay healthy.

 
Physical activity is more than just organized sports. It can include everyday activities like walking the dog, planting a garden, playing tag, building a snowman or tobogganing, and even household chores like sweeping or shoveling the driveway.  Be your child’s role model and set a positive example by being physically active as a family.
 
 
The Temagami Medical Centre and Family Health Team ...
committed to keeping you as healthy as possible!