The choices people make about food are very important for their health. This topic is getting a lot of attention because it shows how people’s food choices, values, and lifestyles are changing. Even though many people want to live sustainably and healthily, their actual choices often don’t match these goals.
Childhood obesity is a big problem worldwide. More and more children between the ages of 5 and 19 are becoming overweight. In 1975, only 4% of children in this age group were overweight, but by 2016, this number had grown to 18%. Since childhood obesity often continues into adulthood, this emphasizes a group of 41 million children with potential to become adults with excess weight and obesity with serious consequences for health! Do you still follow me?
Obesity is still increasing. For example, in 2020, 35% of obese children were in the early grades of elementary school. Also, only 17% of children eat the recommended amount of vegetables each day, which shows poor eating habits over the long term. Woooow!
Even though there’s a lot of research that shows eating healthy is good, many children still choose unhealthy foods. They often find fruits and vegetables less appealing than foods that are high in sugar and salt. Many children in developed countries eat too much salt, sugar, and fat, and not enough fruits and vegetables. How about your kids?
Several factors contribute to unhealthy eating and obesity in children, such as what their parents like to eat, what foods they were given as young children, their brothers and sisters, friends, and exposure to diverse media including food advertising. Parents play a big role in forming their children’s attitudes toward food because children spend a lot of time with their parents. Parents buy the food and set eating habits from an early age, serving as role models. It’s very important to understand how parents can positively influence their children’s food choices, as these choices can affect the children’s diets when they grow up.
Children’s food choices are largely influenced by their parents. If parents choose healthy foods for their children from a young age, it can lead to better eating habits. However, there is often a gap between what parents think influences their children and what actually influences them, especially in places like supermarkets. Often, when trying to understand children’s thoughts about food, researchers rely on what parents say.
Finally, a major part of solving this problem is changing children’s daily habits. To do so, you, as a parent, are a key “player”. Do you agree? If you do, jump on this train and learn how to help your children.