Keeping Your Children Fit and Healthy

According to the National Center for Health Statistics at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, an alarming 17 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese.

Keeping your children fit and healthy is a top priority because of the current toxicity in America through ongoing commercials for junk food that lure kids.

Dr. Leonard Wartofsky of The Endocrine Society states, "Clearly, Americans recognize the obesity epidemic facing this country and our children."

Meanwhile, Marlene Schwarts, deputy director at the Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity at Yale University says, "They're surrounded by circumstances where the default behavior is one that encourages obesity."

In response to this epidemic of childhood obesity, parents can still turn to the food pyramid as a guideline for a balanced daily diet.

While the world has changed dramatically over the past two decades with fast food restaurants everywhere and oversized food options, children's nutritional requirements remain the same.

Estimates of these daily requirements according to the food pyramid include 6 to 9 servings of grains, 3 to 4 servings of vegetables, 2 to 3 servings of fruit, 3 servings of dairy and 2 servings of meat and beans. These estimates increase slightly for a teenage boy or girl.

In an environment that encourages instant gratification through unhealthy food choices, we need to get back to basics by following the guidelines of the food pyramid when we feed our children.

More information about the food pyramid can be found at www.mypyramid.com.