Childhood Obesity - The 3 truths About Healthy School Lunches That Most Parents Do Not Know

July 30, 2012 - PRLog -- Sydney, New South Wales — One needn’t look far for information on childhood obesity prevention. The question Monica Cidem asks is this: is the full story truly being told? And if the current environment provides any clues - the answer is no, it definitely is not. http://www.preventingchildobesity.com

Monica Cidem, a leading expert in Child Education revealed, “It’s time we separate fact from fiction, and myths from truths. The real story here is there are too many children who are obese and too many parents who still do not know what healthy school lunches are.” According to the National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, the rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the last 30 years and is increasing still. Junk food is one of the culprits for the obesity epidemic. Children are exposed to junk food in many ways, from unhealthy parental role models to advertising geared towards children and teens that encourages them to make unhealthy food choices.


As proof, Monica Cidem asks all parents to consider these three areas before deciding on packing their children’s lunchboxes:

•   The problem with junk food is they lack nutritional value, while also delivering a high dose of fat, calories, sugar, salt and carbs. These foods are robbing children of essential vitamins and minerals. It is crucial that these foods be replaced with more unprocessed and organic foods. For healthy school lunches do not include these in your child’s lunchboxes. These foods must be eaten in moderation. Substitute chips, cookies, fruit bars and chocolates with fresh fruit and vegetables, like carrot sticks.

•   Providing children with whole-grain products opposed to white products is crucial for raising healthy children. Whole-grain products are nutrient-dense, with fibre, antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, which are all important for growing bodies. Furthermore, medical research has found that consuming whole grains can help reduce a child’s likelihood of developing heart disease, diabetes and obesity. So next time you make a sandwich for your child’s lunch, use whole-grain bread.

•   Fruit juice has high levels of sugar and is quite acidic. Some juices contain similar amounts of sugar and calories compared to soft drinks, therefore leading to weight gain. The healthiest beverages for children are water, milk and limited amounts of 100% fruit juice.

For a free excerpt of The 6 Tips to Preventing Child Obesity go to http://www.preventingchildobesity.com

Monica Cidem is the author of a trusted authority on Children’s Health. She has been recognised by Children’s services for being an expert on this topic and has spoken to thousands on such topics as Child discipline and Child education. Monica Cidem is a member of the DEC and headquartered in Sydney, Australia and has assisted thousands of families within her career.