The holidays are upon us. It’s a time to celebrate with loved ones, maybe even enjoy a well-earned vacation. But it is also a time that many of us gain weight, with children developing eating habits that could set them on a trajectory towards being overweight or obese.
It is really crucial to help our children avoid gaining too much weight. Because once people become obese, a myriad of biologic factors conspire against their efforts to lose weight. Consider a study that came out last year showing what happened to contestants on the Biggest Loser – most of whom gained back most of the weight they lost while participating on the television show. Or look at the difficulty even wealthy people with great willpower have sustaining weight loss, people like Mike Huckabee and Oprah Winfrey.
But how can we keep our children from becoming obese? All of us with children can do our best to serve our kids healthy, appropriately portioned meals, while encouraging them to be physically active. But what about us as a society – what can we do? What policies can we embrace that will reduce the rate of childhood obesity?
(To read the rest of this article, please visit Forbes.)