Sep 04
Saturday

Raising Generation XXL

Childhood obesity has become a global epidemic. Over the past two decades the rates of childhood obesity have more than doubled, and today's children may be the first generation to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

If you are concerned about your child's health Raising Generation XXL is for you. It is an easy to read, practical guide filled with simple yet effective strategies that show you how to create a healthy lifestyle for both your child, and the entire family.

Packed with practical advice, Raising Generation XXL is the sensible guide for parents who are worried about their child's future health and happiness.

Praise for Raising Generation XXL

“Raising Generation XXL is easy to read and filled with practical strategies that I use every day. My kids love the fun activities and I love the advice on how I can adapt my regular meals to be healthier.”
Carolyn, Teacher, mother of 2

“Being a mom of four means I am pretty busy, but Raising Generation XXL is broken up into small easy to read chapters that get to the point. I like Kari’s philosophy of keeping it simple and making it fun.”
Bec, Marketing Manager and mother of 4

“The ideas in this book are easy to apply. There are great tips on how to make healthy lifestyle changes and healthier food choices. This will help me make sure my child is not part of Generation XXL”
Nicky, Social Worker and mother of 1

“This book is full of common sense ideas for families who may be struggling with a child's weight problem.”
Janine, Owner/Director of An Australian Child Care Centre

“Raising Generation XXL shows parents how simple changes to the lifestyle choices they make can have a significant impact on their children’s health and weight.”
Anna, Youth Worker and mother of 1

“This book is easy to read and provides concise, practical information. It’s a great tool that will help families address childhood obesity”
Sandy, Nurse and mother of 3
Ten Tips For Healthy Kids Guide
Before obesity becomes an issue get these healthy habits in place.

Over 25% of children are now carrying more weight than they should be and this is leading to serious health consequences. Healthy habits developed early in life will help your child avoid the issues associated with being overweight or obese.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the information that is around, but take heart the following 10 tips can help you establish a healthy family lifestyle. Even small changes can have a positive impact on the health of your family.

1. Be a role model – parents need to set good examples for their children by eating a variety of healthy foods and engaging in regular physical activity. Children will learn by watching what you do, not from what you tell them to do.

2. Promote a healthy diet - ensure you provide a balanced diet for your family that contains a wide variety of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain bread and cereals, lean meat or meat alternatives and low fat dairy foods.

3. Establish healthy meal routines – it is very important to encourage family members to eat regular healthy snacks and meals throughout the day and that you eat meals together in a relaxed environment (not in front of the television).

4. Enjoy breakfast - ensure everyone in your family starts the day with a healthy breakfast, this will help to kick start their metabolism and prevent poor snack choices when mid morning comes around.

5. Get the family involved – allow children to be involved in selecting, planning and preparing healthy meals and snacks, make a shopping list of healthy foods your children enjoy and then take them shopping with you.

6. Limit screen time – you need to limit the amount of time your child spends watching TV, DVDs or on the computer and other electronic devices, as these activities reinforce sedentary habits and do not require the children to move or exert a great deal of energy. Screen time should be limited to 2 hrs per day at the most.

7. Encourage physical activity – physical activity needs to be part of your everyday life. Being active is not just about doing exercise or playing sport, you can incorporate activity into your daily routines – walking to the shops instead of taking the car, walking the dog instead of watching TV, do activities as a family – go for a walk after dinner, play a game of Frisbee, go for a bike ride.

8. Water as a thirst quencher – encourage your child to drink water when they are thirsty, rather than reaching for a soft drink or other sugar laden beverage, as they simply add empty calories.

9. Make a distinction between foods – never label food as “bad” or ban foods. Instead talk with your children about healthy foods that are eaten every day, “every day foods”, and “sometimes foods”, that you enjoy but eat in moderation occasionally.

10.  Make it fun – try to avoid nagging or arguing over physical activity, food and meal times with your children. Healthy habits are more likely to develop when mealtimes and physical activity are fun. You need to set limits and apply boundaries, but children who are having fun will be encouraged to keep applying the habits they are developing.

The Ten Tips For Healthy Kids Guide is also a adobe PDF file, which you can download here.