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Walk down just about any street in America these days and you will see ample evidence of the Child Obesity epidemic sweeping the nation. According to The Centre for Disease Control And Prevention 16% of children aged 9 to 16 are overweight or obese, a number which has tripled since 1980.Active Kids - 1 - Karate
Today children are exposed to martial arts from a very young age. Children’s cartoons such as teenage mutant ninja turtles, video games such as Street Fighter Two and any number of movies use these arts to appeal to a young age group. While many parents often worry about the violent nature of such pursuits we should not be as quick to dismiss this as a great way of introducing children to sports, discipline, self control and self confidents.
Causes of Childhood Obesity
An unhealthy diet combined with a lack of exercise are the main causes of childhood obesity. High-calorie foods such as chocolates, sweets and fast food are cheap and readily available to children. Alongside this, physical activity and exercise are no longer a part of most children's days - some children never walk or cycle to school or play sport. Instead, many of them spend hours in front of a television or computer.
Prevention Of Childhood Obesity
If your child is overweight, you shouldn't encourage a strict diet to lose excess weight. Instead you should help your child to maintain his/her weight so he/she can "grow into it" as he/she gets taller.
The best way to do this is to make long-term improvements to your child's diet and eating habits, while increasing the amount of physical activity he/she does. The good news is that it's probably easier to change a child's eating and exercise habits than it is to change an adult's.