Everything You Need To Know About Childhood Obesity

Sponsored Post from Reese Ashe of Reflex Functional Fitness:

Everything You Need to Know About Childhood Obesity

It’s no secret that childhood obesity is a national problem that is affecting our kids and the kids in our own community. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention childhood obesity has nearly tripled in the last 30 years.

Being in the fitness industry for over a decade, my job has been to motivate, train and educate my clients. All too often I see new clients who come to me wanting to lose weight and have the most common questions: How do I lose weight? What should I eat? How often should I work out? Many people have some idea on how to lose weight, what foods they should and shouldn’t eat and how often they should get some sort of physical activity, they just need the guidance and the accountability. There is no difference with our kids.

Childhood obesity can cause:

High blood pressure
Asthma
Sleep disorders
Heart disease
Severe joint pain
And many other ailments that discourage children to move around and get involved in physical activity

Some of the causes are easily detectable such as a lack of exercise and poor nutritional habits. Other causes, however, are much less obvious and may be harder to spot. For example, if our kids are suffering from obesity it can be from a lack of guidance or lack of motivation that they see in adults. Some things as simple as skipping family dinner or skipping breakfast can be contributing factors. Adults that give sweets as treats for good behavior may in some cases be doing more harm than good. In today’s day and age with social media, it puts an emphasis on body image and popularity—pressures that our youth face today. An unhealthy body can lead to an unhealthy body image, low self-esteem, depression, all of which make participating in physical activity that much less appealing.

Now, what can we do to help?

Try to get your kids involved in sports at an early age. Soccer, martial arts, swimming, gymnastics are examples of sports that start kids programs at an early age. Participating in sports helps to develop discipline, structure and social skills that can last well into adulthood.

Lead by example! If your kids see you exercise and eat properly they will be exposed to it and learn from it. Be a positive role model, stress the importance of nutrition and exercise and get involved.

Find out what schools are doing to promote physical activity, and if you find there aren’t enough activities currently in place suggest running clubs, afterschool fitness groups or games or even volunteer.

Find out if your local gyms and fitness centers are offering any camps, or afterschool programs for kids. Try to limit the amount of time that children spend in front of a computer, tablet, video games and television. After all, there are so many companies that put a ton of money into advertising fast food, sweets and products that appeal to youth.

These are a few steps we all can take in leading our youth in the right direction—take advantage and make a difference!

Reese Ashe, NSPA, ISCA, and Black Belt., is the owner and operator of Reflex Functional Fitness at the Southside Marketplace in Locust Point/Federal Hill. Reese, a familiar figure in Baltimore, has more than 15 years of experience in the fitness industry as a personal trainer, group fitness leader and martial arts instructor. He won Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore “Best Personal Trainer” in 2010, Baltimore Sun Magazine’s “Top Trainer” in 2011, and Baltimore Magazine’s Best of Baltimore “Best Fitness Class” in 2012 and was again nominated in 2014.

Reese was a four-year NCAA Division I wrestler at Coppin State and has experience in Jiu Jitsu, boxing, Mui Thai, and Mixed Martial Arts. Reese has been taught and trained by some of the world’s best, which has fostered a discipline and work ethic that he strives to instill in all his clients.

Are you interested in ramping up your health regimen? Make sure to stop by Reflex Functional Fitness for a group fitness class, a personal training session, or to get more information.

410.962.8400 – www.ReflexBaltimore.com