High Blood Pressure and Weight Issues with Children

According to a recent study by Dr. David Kaelber of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland and Harvard Medical School over 1 million US children have undiagnosed high blood pressure. Two million are already diagnosed.  Many are as young as five years old. This condition is driven by the continual rising rates of obesity in children.

Obesity can stem from unhealthy eating early in life. Unfortunately eating habits are probably learned from uninformed, over worked and frazzled parents. But what’s a parent to do? 

It’s imperative to start with yourself. As a parent you already know that children do what you do, not what you tell them to do! So ask yourself: are you eating healthy and exercising? Be a good role model. Is this a daunting goal? Start with baby steps.

The average child consumes more than 1½ cups of sugar a day! These pack the pounds on. Kick out the excess empty calories. Eliminate these simple carbohydrates and replace them with healthier options. Cut out excessive amounts of sweets, sodas, juices and other highly processed items like chips and cookies. Replace them with whole fruits, veggies with low-fat dips, popcorn (without all the extra butter), whole grain crackers, small amounts of nuts and seeds (or nut spreads) and of course good filtered water.
 
Now implement some activity with your child. According to the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS), some of our children in school get as little as one hour of physical education a week. Then they sit in front of a TV or a computer the rest of the day. Find activities you can all do together or encourage your child to participate in group sports/activities.