Every day of our lives, we are exposed to different types of food and different places to eat. Since unhealthy food and junk food are available pretty much around the clock, and all food outlets are easily accessible, we fall prey to these eating options in the name of food. But, when we give in to the temptation of eating these foods that are not good for us, the pounds that collect on our bodies don’t go away so easily. In addition, since we put unhealthy foods into our bodies, we even tend to become sick quite frequently. Here are some grim realities or serious concerns that give us real “food” for thought.
Lack of proper nutrition can make some children depressed. As the eating and mood cycles feed each other, and as the down moods set in, children (adults too) will consume comfort foods, such as burgers, fries, cola, etc., for precisely that purpose – for comfort. The list of foods is familiar to all of us. School age children and college students alike develop serious eating disorders.
Issues of Over-consumption
Overeating
Just like social networking has become all-consuming, social overeating is taking over our kids’ lives like never before. In fact, overeating is becoming one of the foremost epidemics and the scariest realities in our children’s lives. Since overeating is related to heart disease and hypertension, and is causing so many other physical and social problems, it has created a loud outcry in society today.
Binge Disorders
The long hours and stress at school are serious contributing factors to children’s eating disorders. This is always a problem for those children who are particularly vulnerable for any given reason. Today’s lifestyles and issues related to poor nutrition are resulting in binging and other food related problems.
Under-consumption
The problems are not only about your child overeating, but there are those who are also under consuming. Some kids eat smaller portions of food throughout the day because they get warped messages from media, film stars, and other celebrities. Under-eating brings on a whole other set of health issues.
Here are some health conditions to watch for:
Bulimia – This is a serious eating disorder made famous by Lady Diana after her first baby. Bulimia is often thought of as one of the worst food disorders, and is one of the most common eating disorders today.
Anorexia nervosa – Another disorder teenagers and youngsters are facing today is anorexia. The pressure on kids to be thin has increased immensely. Some teenagers are so stressed about the size zero image that they have completely stopped eating balanced diets. We have to re-enforce their positive self-image in order to make them eat sensibly.
Tips to Make Your Children Healthier
Here are some healthy diet tips suggested by the WHO:
Get busy – To check out Body Mass Index (BMI) and keep it below 20 (healthy range), we need to take a healthy approach to our lifestyle and eating patterns.
Type of nutrients consumed – We need to follow the nutrition charts for our children as prescribed and advised by the WHO, and follow the specific instructions to meet the daily essential nutrients.
Conclusion
Undoubtedly, the rate of stress-related eating disorders is increasing. We must make good nutrition an integral part of our children’s daily diet in order to make them happier and healthier.