Warning: Childhood Obesity…A Health and Learning Risk (You Are What You Eat)

In the past 30 years, childhood obesity has more than doubled in children, and quadrupled in adolescents.

Today, nearly one-third of our children are obese…and that number is growing.

Diseases formerly considered age-related and now recognized as lifestyle illnesses are showing up in children at younger and younger ages.

Like Obesity.

And with it come:

  • Type II Diabetes
  • Hypertension
  • High Cholesterol

Not only is obesity detrimental to your child’s health, but it also impacts brain functioning.

The journal Cerebral Cortex published a study that found overweight children are slower than healthy-weight children to recognize when they made an error and correct it.

Action monitoring (the ability to recognize errors and correct them) is one of the higher-order processing skills needed for success in mathematics, reading and handwriting.

Healthy nutritional practices help your child build a solid foundation for learning and academic success.

Will you accept your responsibility to provide your children with good practices and proper training in nutrition?

Question: What small dietary change can you make today to support your child’s learning and academic accomplishments?

Florence is an Optimist, Encourager, Author, Speaker, Consultant & Mom of the most amazing daughter ever. She shares tips, tools, and resources with parents of dyslexic children to stop the struggle. A believer in the unique learning abilities of all children, she is a strong advocate for those who learn differently.

Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.

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4 thoughts on “Warning: Childhood Obesity…A Health and Learning Risk (You Are What You Eat)

  1. It is true that you are what you eat.. Maybe once a month I let my boys have takeout sometimes we don’t have it at all.. It’s just something different for them to eat.. I think you could make the same product in your own home for half the price or less.. I will need to look in to it.

    It is fair to say that eating out too often will give you health issues, it will make you put on weight leading to health issues and pain down the line..

    Far better to keep what you eat under control.

    • You have a point there, William. Cooking the food at home that the children like to eat at the fast food restaurants decreases the number of times you eat there, while giving them the opportunity to eat what is perhaps a favorite food.

      Controlling food portions and food choices have always been best for health and learning.

  2. Hi Florence, nice to meet you. You have pointed out a huge problem in our society however I’ve come to believe that the parent is solely responsible for these behaviors since they provide the children the necessary flaws of life. As a parent our own habits of what we choose to consume has to be limited in order to lead by example if we wish to cease for what will continue to exist, obesity. This can be really hard for a parent to change their own lifestyle but it is necessary in the long run. Great topic ^_^

    • Amanda, thanks for stopping by and taking the time to comment.

      I agree with you, Jermaine. The first and greatest responsibility for training our children’s appetites lies with parents. I believe that lifestyle diseases like high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart diseases are more taught by modelling and example than are hereditary.

      It seems to me, also, that schools need to work in tandem with parents to promote healthy eating and lifestyles. The first thing taken away from a child who learns differently, and consequently is very slow in finishing work, is gym. S/he has to forgo gym class to stay sitting at a desk to finish his work. Or, while others play in the yard during recess, s/he has to sit on the sidelines reading or completing math work. Added to that, some schools sell unhealthy, fattening snacks for fundraisers, like ice cream, to the students.