Debate. Use these ideas and add some more of your own.

Should we be worried about our children being fat?

	Obese children may be storing up health problems for later in life				Obese children display few health problems
	Childhood eating habits can determine adult food tastes and the body's metabolic rate				Many children lose any excess weight by the time they are adults
	Obese children are often depressed				Obsessing over a child's eating habits or size may make them more unhappy
	Fat adults who were fat children find it more difficult to lose weight than those who were thin in their youth				Fat is necessary and performs many functions in the body. Thinking of it as 'evil' is a misconception

8. Read and comment on the following article:

Parents’ Tips for Encouraging Healthy Eating

Getting kids to eat nutritious food isn’t easy, as any mom or dad will tell. Here are some simple tips that may help

Newsweek

January 6, 2005

1). Examine your feelings about food. Our kids absorb our attitudes whether we speak them out loud or not. If you believe that the only way to lose weight is to go hungry or forever give up your favorite foods, your children will incorporate those beliefs into their own way of thinking.

2). Shop smart and shop together. Learn to read labels for fat, sodium and sugar content, then teach your kids to be label readers too.

3). Let your child decide when he’s full. Children—especially young children—generally know when it’s time to stop eating.

4). Don’t skip breakfast. Breakfast gives kids much-needed energy, and it keeps them from overeating at lunch.

5). Put food in its proper place. Using food to reward or punish your child may lead to behavior problems related to food and mealtimes.

6). Keep a schedule. Children thrive on routines. A regular dinner time is just as crucial as a regular bed time.

7). Help your kids expand their culinary horizons. Try perking up those carrots and green beans with spices or lemon juice. You might also try serving the vegetables as a first course so your kids will gobble them up at the beginning of the meal when they’re really hungry.

8). It’s all right to serve the same food several meals in a row. It’s not uncommon for children to go on food jags where they want peanut butter sandwiches or spaghetti over and over again … remind yourself that this food jag will pass.

9). Encourage children to eat slowly. It takes approximately 20 minutes for the brain to signal that the body is getting food.

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