According to Jane Austen some things are caught and not taught, what then are the lessons we teach our children today?

It used to be the rich that live off the fat of the land in Jane Austen day but today the tables have turned and a large proportion of nutrient-poor live off the highly saturated fat of the land.

With a rapidly growing rate of cheap fast food chains, sedentary busy lifestyles, lack of basic nutrition, exercise and too much time in front of the TV.  Modern lifestyles make it hard to eat healthy and get enough exercise.  It is no wonder the UK boasts a rapid growth in obesity. Since the 1970s fast food consumption has increase by 500 per cent.

Obesity is a seriously overweight state and leads to affects on your health.  Childhood obesity is related to many health risks and would indicate obesity as an adult.

Obesity is caused by an unhealthy diet with a greater emphasis on fats and sugars and insufficient carbohydrate and fibre and not enough exercise to burn off the excess consumption of calories.  This excess of fat and sugar can lead to preventable illnesses such as type II diabetes, coronary heart disease, or high cholesterol.

It is quite alarming to learn that 27 per cent of children in the UK are now overweight and research shows the main contributing factors is a reduction in the amount of exercise children take, despite the fact that physical education is part of our national curriculum.  Many overweight children have overweight parents, so it then comes down to a matter of family lifestyle.

Research shows that many parents are unaware of the risks to their children and often underestimate the amount of food eaten by their family and overestimate the amount of exercise that the family does.

According to a government foresight report, one in ten parents recognise that their children are overweight or obese.  This has been described as a ‘time-bomb’.  Obesity is not always seen as a medical term and many parents do not associate overweight to health related risks.

If this continues 9 out of 10 kids will grow up with dangerous amounts of fat in their body.

Setting an Example

By far the best way to keep your children healthy and active is to set an example by eating healthy and taking exercise.  It is amazing to see how children copy their parent’s activities and if you are involved in regular activity your children will become active too.

As a parent you hold the key to the food you feed your family. By preparing fresh nutritious balanced diet your children will eat healthy too. It’s easy to see how overweight parents often have overweight children.

To reverse these staggering trends families need to start eating a better diet at home. Studies show that greater success is achieved if the whole family is involved in the process of better exercise and better eating which in turn will lead to weight loss and a healthy happier lifestyle.  Take action today to sustain your family for generations to come.

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