By Jeff A Wise
Practically every time your child turns around, they are given some sort of candy or sugary treat. Grocery store bakeries give free cookies to kids. Banks and other business hand out suckers with each visit. School-aged children have a party for every birthday and teachers hand out candy for correct answers given.
This doesn't even include the sugar-filled holidays like Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day and Christmas. Parents tend to keep candy pieces around for months, hating to be wasteful. It's time we start being mindful of how much sugar our kids actually consume and start limiting how much of it we allow them to eat.
The majority of candy given to children is filled with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and artificial food coloring. These harmful substances contribute to childhood obesity and childhood diabetes, which can lead to diseases and a shortened life.
According to the CDC, one-third of American adults will have diabetes by the year 2050. The kids you know right now who consume so much candy will probably be part of that group by then. If they're likely to have diabetes as adults, what's stopping them from having diabetes as children?
The answer is you, the parent. Examine your child's life to see how much candy they're actually getting. Most parents either don't realize the amount or they just don't think it will harm their children. You've got to start putting limits, especially in the situations where you have complete control.
Here are some ways to limit your kids' candy intake. Gracefully decline the cookies and suckers from your neighborhood businesses. At home, give your kids rewards that don't involve food. Talk to your child's teacher about healthy snacks being provided at parties. Also offer to buy stickers and pencils to hand out to kids as rewards instead of candy.
And for the holidays, try this. A week after each holiday, dispose of any remaining candy or desserts. This will not only keep your child from grazing on sweets every day for months, it will also make them appreciate the candy more when they do get it.
There's one more important aspect of this. For your kids to want to eat healthy, they have to see you do it. Add more fruits and vegetables to your family's diet. Your family will feel better and look better. Limit the sweets in your child's life and they'll be healthier and happier.
Practically every time your child turns around, they are given some sort of candy or sugary treat. Grocery store bakeries give free cookies to kids. Banks and other business hand out suckers with each visit. School-aged children have a party for every birthday and teachers hand out candy for correct answers given.
This doesn't even include the sugar-filled holidays like Halloween, Easter, Thanksgiving, Valentine's Day and Christmas. Parents tend to keep candy pieces around for months, hating to be wasteful. It's time we start being mindful of how much sugar our kids actually consume and start limiting how much of it we allow them to eat.
The majority of candy given to children is filled with ingredients like high fructose corn syrup, refined sugar and artificial food coloring. These harmful substances contribute to childhood obesity and childhood diabetes, which can lead to diseases and a shortened life.
According to the CDC, one-third of American adults will have diabetes by the year 2050. The kids you know right now who consume so much candy will probably be part of that group by then. If they're likely to have diabetes as adults, what's stopping them from having diabetes as children?
The answer is you, the parent. Examine your child's life to see how much candy they're actually getting. Most parents either don't realize the amount or they just don't think it will harm their children. You've got to start putting limits, especially in the situations where you have complete control.
Here are some ways to limit your kids' candy intake. Gracefully decline the cookies and suckers from your neighborhood businesses. At home, give your kids rewards that don't involve food. Talk to your child's teacher about healthy snacks being provided at parties. Also offer to buy stickers and pencils to hand out to kids as rewards instead of candy.
And for the holidays, try this. A week after each holiday, dispose of any remaining candy or desserts. This will not only keep your child from grazing on sweets every day for months, it will also make them appreciate the candy more when they do get it.
There's one more important aspect of this. For your kids to want to eat healthy, they have to see you do it. Add more fruits and vegetables to your family's diet. Your family will feel better and look better. Limit the sweets in your child's life and they'll be healthier and happier.
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