We hear a lot about obesity affecting American adults, and unfortunately, young people aren’t immune - one out of every five children in the US is living with obesity.
Children grow at different rates, so it isn't always easy to know when a child has obesity or is overweight. Ask your health care provider to check whether your child's weight and height are in a healthy range.
But if your child is struggling with obesity, don’t give up hope! At The Well, Church Health’s wellness program for children and families, we encourage families to Eat Better and Get Moving, and we developed a health coaching tool called Plan to Get Healthy that focuses on making goals that touch three areas of need: body, mind, and spirit.
If your teen wants to Eat Better, she might, for instance, make goals to eat breakfast every day, limit her screen time if she tends to eat unhealthy snacks while watching TV, and eat one meal with her family each day.
Change doesn’t have to happen overnight; small steps make a big difference. Modeling healthy behaviors and providing words of encouragement are great ways to support the youth in your life in trying to achieve a healthier weight.
Remember: Eat better, Get moving!
Which one are you ready to work on?
This is Kimberly Baker for Church Health
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