A whopping 80% of parents are overfeeding their children and have no idea, educogym Moorgate discuss

LONDON - April 8, 2018 - PRLog -- The average 1-4-year-old should be having a certain portion size, as well as a varied diet to ensure they receive all the nutrients they need to grow healthily. New statistics reveal the over 70% of parents are unknowingly over feeding their children due to generous portions. A 1-4-year-old should have no more than 4-5 tablespoons of rice or pasta, or 3-4 tablespoons of mashed potato with each meal. Obesity is on the rise and more and more preschools are noticing a huge rise in infant and child obesity. "It's so hard to get anything right in parenting, and food is one of those highly discussed topics, with fussy children, not eating their vegetables or dinner, some getting stuck wanting the same meal every day, some just eating pasta and nothing else. So when a child does finally sit down and eat a meal its natural to encourage them to eat more, but in fact we do have to remember that portions and calories are important for kids too" said Sanj Bains, educogym Moorgate personal trainer.

Reports also suggested that 36% of the 1000 parents surveyed use unhealthy treats and snacks to pacify their children, and only 25% were concerned with their child becoming obese in the future. Doctors were also warning parents to limit sweets to once a week, and keep an eye on foods like corn flakes and sugary cereal as well as raisins and malt bread due to the high sugar content. "When a child is screaming, whether it is at home, when you are busy, or I public, you just want that tantrum to end and so I can understand why parents fall into pacifying a child with treats, however that can cause a bad relationship with food, you are essentially teaching that child to emotionally eat" said Mica Smith, personal trainer at educogym Moorgate "Its also very common to be misled by labels, for both adults and children, many products are advertised as healthy, or great for kids, but have more sugar than a chocolate bar! The best thing to do, and also what we recommend at educogym Moorgate, is to prepare all foods yourself, and kids should snack on things like fruit and vegetables, as its natural and healthy and unprocessed with no hidden sugar"

So what is the solution? "Its simple. Education. A parent of a 1 year old is given one leaflet to read at home about what foods are good and bad and sent on their way. Time should be taken t o educate these parents on not just what to feed their children but why it is so important, why sugar is so damaging and the side effects of obesity, these combined would help a parent to make the correct decisions for the health of their child. Clear portions need to also be explained, a 2-4 year old should have no  more than 4 spoons of carbohydrates with their meal, so pasta, rice, potatoes or one slice of bread, yet parents load up a plate of pasta big enough to feed an adult and expect the child to eat it, it is simply too many calories for a small child, but most parents don't realise this" explained Sanj Bains. Personal trainer at educogym Moorgate.

So where can parents get this information? "Doctor surgeries, walk in centres, children centres, even some supermarkets, and most obviously, the internet. A quick google of portion sizes and you can get all the information you need for your toddler" said Mica Smith, educogym Moorgate personal trainer "at educogym Moorgate, we promote a healthy varied diet, and keeping all of our clients in their healthy body fat percentage, by eating real, fresh homemade foods, and organic where possible, parents should also adopt this approach to keep their children healthy".

For more information get in touch, or check out the below website for great information on portion sizes!

https://www.infantandtoddlerforum.org/portion-sizes-table-2015

http://educogymcity.com/ (http://www.educogymcanarywharf.com/)