Picture the children and teenagers that you know. Take a look at a large group of children playing in a playground. More and more of them are getting heavier. In fact obesity among children has increased by 20% in the last 5 years. [1] A further 1 in 5 children are considered to be overweight. [2]

Parents, do you remember your concern about what you ate during pregnancy; whether or not to breast feed; which brand of wipes to use; when to start feeding solids; organic or not; whether to use baby foods? Yet less than 2 years later the child is glued to the TV eating potato sticks that aren’t even made out of potato and drinking artificial red juice.

Too often the child is dictating what is best for them. Are they supposed to know what their bodies need for balanced nutrition; what will build strong bones and teeth; what will give them alert brains while their bodies are in the most crucial stages of development?

Both my parents are primary school teachers. I’ve heard firsthand what children are bringing to school in their lunches. Rules had to be enforced as to what children could and couldn’t bring.

I see it in supermarkets, parents allowing and even encouraging their children to choose what they want to eat.

I believe kids need to learn to make choices – healthy ones! But if those choices are not coming from above, where are they coming from?

Unless we start handing down good solid health principles in our families then I’m seriously afraid of what’s coming.

Our children are our future.        Parents!               Invest!