Anywhere you go it is hard to not see someone who is obese. But now it is also common to see obese children. Blame for this can be placed in many different areas. Parents who are not good role models are partly to blame. TV advertisements by large food companies who prey on children with their overly laden sugar and chemically processed foods are partly to blame. It could be argued that school lunches are not the healthiest and it is also partly to blame. Although the above are partly to blame, who is mainly to blame? Many claim the culprit is fast food. McDonald's and Burger King. Fast food is loaded with saturated and trans fats, salt and calories. When children fill up on fast food there is no room for healthy foods like fruits and vegetables.
The problem with fast food is that it tastes good and has a high satiety level because of the high fat amounts in the food. McDonald's in particular even had class action lawsuits against them. After that they changed their menu a little bit including healthier options. The fact remains people do not go to McDonald's for apple slices, they want the high fat, salty and high calorie food. Just as there is addiction to drugs there is food addiction. Fast food restaurants use all the addictive ingredients in their food.They use high amounts of fats, high amounts of salt, and who could forget the fries loaded with more unhealthy fats. It's addicting. Anyone who says otherwise is not being truthful with themselves. Children love McDonald's, is the truth and parents have to find another answer to this. Parents also should try to not rely on the convenience factor also.
More and more single mothers are raising children by themselves. After a long days at work the last thing on their mind is cooking a big meal for their family. The way to wean your children off McDonald's is by planning ahead. Try to plan ahead the children's lunches for the week. Then when the school week starts and the stress hits the roof you will be prepared and better able to make intelligent well thought out decisions. The same should be done with weekly dinners at home. Both school lunches and dinners at home can be pre-made and put in containers and stored in the freezer for use later in the week.
Jay Holt is a graduate from the University of Florida's nutrition college. Jay is a health and fitness advocate and has combined his literary aspirations with his love of nutrition.
His ability to see the world through a child's eyes is unequaled. His new book "Tommy the Tommy the Tomato Teaches Nutrition" is highly recommended by parents and educators everywhere (and kid-approved).
For more information about the book and FREE Healthy Eating Tips for your children Go To
http://www.tommythetomato.com
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