At JTA Wellness we counsel a number of young children who are struggling with the health issues associated with obesity.  In the final segment of our February series on ‘What’s New in Heart Health’, I’d like to take a moment to identify steps we can take to address this very pressing issue undermining the health of our children.

It can be very difficult for parents to know what they can do to help.  Often a family has been referred to us by their physician who is telling them their child is developing significant health issues such as elevated cholesterol, triglyceride and blood sugar levels.  While they want to help, many parents are torn on how to best handle the situation.  They want to be proactive in helping the child lose weight, but they don’t want to overreact or say too much to damage their child’s self-esteem.  The American Heart Association has a wonderful list of 10 things families can do to promote healthy habits.  I’ve attached a link to the list for you here.

There are many studies being released on best practices for dealing with obesity in children.  A recent study reported in the Journal of Pediatrics (click to access study) finds that placing an obese child on a plant-based diet may lower their risk of heart disease.  These findings give powerful insight into what foods our bodies need to help reverse heart disease and create a healthy body.  However, it has been my experience that there is an even bigger challenge that must be addressed in today’s families.  When I sit down with families in counseling, I find most are trying to manage a crazy busy lifestyle where everyone is going a different direction in the evenings. With so little time, dinner is often grabbing fast food or a bowl of cereal on most nights.

I raised 4 very active children and I remember how fun and chaotic it can be when every evening is filled with a basketball game, track meet or dance practice.  This is not a slap on the wrist as much as it is a reminder that with a little planning to make family dinners a priority we can have a huge impact on the health of our children.  Grab a rotisserie chicken from the store and add vegetables from the freezer, leave something wonderful cooking in the crockpot, or make something on the weekend that you can quickly reheat.  We are leaving a legacy to our children – let’s make sure we are demonstrating health and wholeness every chance we get.  Family dinners are a great place to start!

Today’s recipe is Slow-Cooker Barbeque Chicken.  It is simple and delicious and best of all – ask your child to put it together for you!  Remember, asking kids to help in the kitchen is the best way to get them to try new things at dinner!