According to a recent Oregonian newspaper study, kids today are more at-risk for gaining weight during summer than during the school year!  Why?  Too much TV, video games and unhealthy snacking and not enough activity. The study found that 25% of 8th- and 11th-graders are overweight or at risk becoming so!

Doctors and dietitians are seeing huge amounts of weight gain in kids, especially during summer when kids are less involved in extracurricular activity.  Parents are citing safety as the means to keeping their children indoors, especially in high-risk or inner-city neighborhoods.

We totally understand.  It’s difficult to get the kids moving.  It takes huge amounts of energy and effort on a parents behalf.  But what we’ve realized as parents is that we can very easily make two simple changes to improve our kids’ health…and ours:

1. A life-change to a healthier lifestyle.  It means we as parents have to set the example.  It can be as simple as going for a walk after dinner as a family.  This can be great quality time no matter where you live.
2. Healthier snacks.  There’s so much junk and additives in snack food.  Try and supply some more natural choices.  And we’re not talking gritty, tasteless heath food here. There are so many wonderful options today.  Just take a trip through the “whole foods” section of the store.  Grab your goodies there.