Parents don’t always realize their children are overweight
A recent survey of more than 2,000 American adults revealed that parents of obese children do not see them as such. The survey pointed out that for children aged 6-11 who were obese, 43% of parents thought them to be ‘about the right weight?. Obesity was defined as a body mass index greater than 95 percentile of children nationwide.
This study is worth noting because as nutritionists point out, identifying obesity is an opportunity for parents to focus on improving their child’s diet and activity, especially since obese children are more prone to chronic health concerns such as diabetes, hypertension, and cholesterol problems.
When my parents visited us for 3 summers in a row from 2004-2006 (they hail from southern Texas), they were struck by a number of things inherent in the ‘European lifestyle’ that contrasted sharply with what they had observed in Americana that they thought contributed largely to a markedly low number of obese people they saw. These were what they pointed out:
1. Walking and biking were leisure and pleasure activities. In a university town like Leuven (where we live), you see not only high school children on bikes crowding the streets, but senior citizens and, quite remarkably and adorably, very young citizens on bikes. You see toddlers riding on bikes with training wheels on the sidewalks, or toddlers on bikes attached to the body of their parents? bikes with a thick long bar. If the kids aren’t biking, they’re walking several blocks to school. University students going home to their parents for the weekend can be seen lugging suitcases bursting with dirty laundry from their studentenkamer or kot (student room) to the station, boot heels clicking rapidly on the cobbled pavements. It’s a primary choice for many people from all ages: why drive a car or ride a bus when you can walk or bike?
2. Natural, brown bread was a staple along with the usual potatoes. A Vietnamese-American priest my parents met put it thus: ‘These Belgians eat bread for breakfast, bread for lunch, and bread for dinner. It’s just bread, bread, and even more bread!’ In between snacks at 10 AM and 4 PM consist of an apple (in the morning) and carrot or celery sticks (in the afternoon). You can wash this down with a bottle of sparkling (bruisend) water or a yogurt drink. During lunch and dinner, have a few slices of ham and cheese on hand, slice tomatoes and throw in some fresh lettuce and this should last you through the afternoon.
3. People were enjoying their meals with a cup of coffee or tea, or a pint of the local brew. And staying put. To engage in conversation. Letting the food digest slowly. Just being with friends. It is not unusual to see hordes of not only young adults standing in clusters in the town square or bus stops; you see children as young as 8 years old running around with their friends after school, teenagers sitting near the central library and just talking. Not rushing to get anywhere soon.
These three things, my parents noted, are some of the reasons they believe that they do not see to many obese people in Europe. The healthy respect and love for natural exercise such as walking and biking, the healthful diet that is widespread across the continent, and the penchant for whiling away the best part of the afternoon while sipping a glass of orange juice or red wine may just be some ways, they believe, that people in American might begin to enjoy life a little more while taking necessary steps towards improving one’s health life. What do you think? Do you agree with my parents?
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