By April Reese
University of Georgia

Experts predict that obesity will overtake smoking as the
leading cause of death. And it’s largely due to the way we feed
ourselves and our children, said Connie Crawley.

“Elementary school-aged children can gain almost 20 pounds
during the summer if they consume extra calories from just one
20-ounce soft drink every day,” said Crawley, a nutrition and
health specialist in the University of Georgia College of Family
and Consumer Sciences.

“Children can be taught what to like,” she said. “If chips,
sodas and ice cream are available, they’ll eat them. But if only
fruit or other healthy snacks are available, they’ll choose those,
too.”

Killer diseases

Obesity can lead to diabetes, high blood pressure, heart
disease, stroke and certain types of cancer, Crawley said. And
preventing it is much easier than getting rid of it.

“We train our children to expect a certain size portion, and
their stomachs have been trained to accept that size portion,”
she said.

“Once a child gains weight and the fat cells are there,
they’ll always be there,” she said. “Weight loss only makes fat
cells shrink. These fat cells will remain hungry, waiting to get
bigger again.”

Fast-food restaurants can encourage overeating. But not all
fast food is harmful.

Plan ahead

“Plan ahead what you’ll order so you’ll be less tempted by
all those high-fat, high-calorie specials,” she said. “Eliminate
special sauces on sandwiches. Buy water instead of a soft drink.
Limit the amount of dressing on salads. And choose a smaller
hamburger.”

Hungry humans tend to want foods high in fat and
carbohydrates. “Our bodies are trying to replenish calories
fast,” she said.

At a restaurant specializing in chicken sandwiches, Crawley
suggests a grilled chicken sandwich without butter, a small
carrot salad, water or a diet lemonade and a small ice cream for
dessert.

Poor snack choices

Poor snack choices can lead to weight problems, too. “Many
kids are ‘grazers.’ They snack all day on food and beverages high
in calories but low in nutrients,” she said. “Children need
snacks, but they should be at scheduled times so they’re for
nourishment instead of for boredom relief.”

Some good snack choices are fruit, fat-free yogurt, sugar-
free pudding, juice pops made with 100-percent juice, baked
tortilla chips with salsa, cut-up vegetables with dip made from
fat-free dressing, fudgesicles and whole-grain cereal with skim
milk.

Crawley suggests working off extra calories through
supervised after-school programs and recreational sports.

An hour of play

“Children need an hour of play a day,” Crawley said. “This
may mean delaying homework and going outside right after school.
Children need to use up the built-up energy they acquired from
sitting all day so they can focus better on homework later.”

During the summer, swimming, bike-riding, hiking and camps
can be good ways to get kids the exercise they need. Crawley also
suggests programs at local gyms and fitness centers.

“The (YMCA) offers structured and nonstructured activity
time for children. The days often include free time at the pool
or time for noncompetitive play,” she said.

“Overweight children … may have had bad experiences in
competitive sports,” she said. “If we can find ways for these
kids to be active in noncompetitive situations or situations
where the competition isn’t so cutthroat, we’ll have more
success.”

Quality time

Parents can spend quality time with their kids while walking,
riding bikes or playing ball, she said. Kids won’t want to join
in if the parents just exercise on a treadmill while watching
the news.

“Parents can plan some of their physical activity outside or
at a recreation facility so the kids will want to join in,”
Crawley said.

Commuting parents often arrive home tired and wanting to
rest. But Crawley said they’ll feel re-energized if they can be
active with their kids for even a half-hour after they get home.

(April Reese is a student writer with the University of
Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences.)