Are parents to blame for childhood obesity?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the obesity rate for children ages 6 to 11 has tripled in the past three decades. As a result, cases of childhood type 2 diabetes have skyrocketed, as have the number of cases of bone and joint problems caused by excess weight. Our oversized society is literally endangering the health of our children. From big drinks to “big” fast foods, society promotes unhealthy eating habits in our children.

However, even within the home we continue to encourage poor eating habits. Parents will usually tell kids to eat whatever’s on their plate, but the size of our plates has increased in recent decades. Nine-inch diameter dishes were once the norm. Now eleven-inch-diameter dinner plates are common. It might not sound like a huge difference, but keep in mind that an eleven-inch plate holds 33% more food than a nine-inch plate. The result: we are simply overfeeding our children. What can you do to help fight the childhood obesity epidemic? Try these tips. They will encourage healthy habits in your children and keep more of your hard-earned money in your wallet. Switch to smaller plates.

Simply going from an 11-inch dinner plate to a 9-inch dinner plate will result in you serving 33% less food. The best thing is that after a few nights your family won’t even care about the difference. You save money and help ensure your children’s health by serving less food. Stop buying chips, cupcakes and other junk food for the house. Instead, have your kids buy candy, chips, and other snacks with their allowance. This once simple step will teach your children to make financial decisions at a young age. It is also likely to result in a reduction in the amount of junk food they consume. Get in the habit of serving water instead of juice with one meal a day.

Try to make it the same meal every day, say every lunch or dinner. Water is a healthy and much cheaper alternative to juice. Similarly, consider diluting the juice your family drinks. The average juice drink is packed with high fructose corn syrup and artificial colors. Simply dilute your juice by adding 20% ​​water. You save money and your kids get a drink with less high fructose corn syrup. By taking just a few of these simple steps, you can ensure healthy eating habits that last a lifetime while saving you money at the same time.