Member-only story
Raising Healthy Kids Amidst the Obesity Epidemic
How to Make Nutrition Achievable, Easy to Incorporate, and Fun for All Ages
How to talk about nutrition in our families is one of the most frequent questions asked of me…so here it is! Let’s first set the stage then outline how to make changes along with what changes to make to get the ball rolling in a healthful direction.
Purely logistically, many who now have kids grew up learning the food pyramid, seeing their parents follow a variety of fad diets, as they likely grew up in the era of TV dinners when convenience reigned supreme. It’s no wonder that over 40% of adults in the United States qualify as having obesity, according to data from 2017–2020…yep those are pre-pandemic numbers! And for kids, the outlook is even more bleak; on average about 20% of kids and teens have obesity. As a health coach, I see this in my clients and it tracks in my mind; how are we to guide kids when we don’t necessarily know the answers for ourselves?!
With the stage set, know that you (and your kids!) are not doomed. Consider this your primer for supporting the health and wellbeing of your entire family! As an aware adult, you may feel the push and pull of teaching healthful habits while simultaneously trying not to foster a tenuous relationship with food.
The key is empowering kids and teens to…
