by Shani K. Collins, Your Black World
Growing up, my mother would always say: “Honey, make
sure you eat a well-balanced meal, with plenty of green vegetables.” In addition to making sure that my sister and
I ate properly, my mother would often take us walking with her after work. In retrospect, my mother was shaping our
consciousness about healthy eating and healthy living. I appreciate her for demonstrating to us the
importance of staying healthy throughout life.
Similarly, through their tireless efforts to promote nutrition, diet, and
exercise, President and First Lady Obama are making their young daughters,
Sasha and Malia, cognizant of the importance of being healthy. Are
you doing the same?
In the African-American
community, we teach our children the value of faith, money, education, hard
work, family, and of service to the community, but are we teaching our children
the value of having good health? According
to diabetes statistics from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC), we are not. The CDC finds that type
2 diabetes is highest among American-Indian, African-American and Hispanic
youths between the ages of 10-19. Type 2
diabetes is a condition caused by high blood glucose levels. When blood glucose
levels are too high, the liver does not effectively used the body’s insulin. Being overweight and physically inactive are
two important risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
Parents can help reduce their child’s risk of
developing type 2 diabetes by modeling lifestyles that reinforce the importance
of healthy eating and physical activity. There are various ways to decrease your
child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
You can take your children to the
gym with you. You can create a schedule
that enables you to make physical fitness a family activity. You can set weight loss goals and have
friendly competitions among family members.
Remember to include your children’s friends and their parents.
Also, it is important
for parents to talk to their children about the foods they eat while at school,
and their level of weekly physical activity.
Cook a meal with your child and demonstrate what reasonable portion
sizes look like. Encourage your child to
take up a sport or an activity that will promote physical engagement. As with conversations about money, dating,
self-esteem, and higher education, it is also best talk to your children about
their health at an early age. Whether
you are a parent living with type 2 diabetes or not, take time to educate your
child about the disease and its associated risk factors. It is equally important for your child to
know about your family health history.
This conversation will be important to have as your child transitions
into young adulthood.
Parents love their
children, and want what’s best for them.
One of the best things any parent can do for their child is to teach them
the importance of having good physical health not only in childhood, but
throughout their entire lives.
Shani K. Collins is a
freelance writer and contributor to YourBlackWorld.com. You may visit her at
www.shanicollins.com
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