Three-Pronged Approach to Combating Childhood Obesity
by Jennifer Bunn, RN
A new study shows that changing three behaviors that are common to many American families can reduce childhood obesity by 40%. What are these behaviors?
Ensuring an adequate night’s sleep- children in the study who got at least 10 ½ hours of sleep per night were less likely to be obese. The reason? Children who are well rested most likely are less tired during the day, and therefore more apt to engage in activities that are healthy.
Eating together as a family- the study found that children who enjoy meals with their family more than 5 times a week were less likely to become obese. They postulate that eating at the family dinner table, instead of in front of the television, teaches children good eating habits, such as regulation of food intake. These children may be less likely to eat mindlessly and may be more aware of what and how much they are eating.
Moderating the amount of television watched- children who watch less than 2 hours of television per day are less likely to be obese. The reasoning is obvious- these childen are more likely to be engaged in active play, rather than sitting still and watching television.
The effects of each of these three behaviors was independent, meaning that there was a cumulative effect with each behavior that was added. According to the study, only one in seven children who practiced all three behaviors were obese, in comparison to one in four children who did not practice any of the behaviors.
