Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition that has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years.
“If your child does not maintain a healthy weight they are at risk for major health problems during childhood… and for the rest of their lives,” says Dr. Daunne Peters, pediatrician.
“Health risks include cardiovascular disease; bone and joint problems; pre-diabetes; and even social and psychological problems such as bullying and poor self-esteem.
What’s more, obese children are likely to become obese adults with adult health problems including heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes, and several types of cancer.
The good news is, we have the power to protect our children and keep them healthy through exercise, reducing fast foods, and increasing fresh fruits and vegetables.
If you think your child is obese, contact your pediatrician. Together, you can help your child lead a happier, healthier life.”
Eating the right foods in the right portions greatly contributes to a child’s overall health and wellbeing. Learning to make good food choices as children can help them avoid diet-related conditions later in life.
You can help your child understand the importance of a healthy meal and earn a chance to win an iPad Mini by participating in the United Regional MyPlate coloring challenge!
Visit United Regional’s Facebook page and find the contest post. Submit a picture as a comment to that post. The picture should be one that your child drew and colored of what a healthy plate of food looks like, including their name and their grade. Make sure to find out how much of the plate should be filled with fruits, vegetables, grains, and proteins. Then, dieticians at United Regional will choose a healthiest plate winner from each grade, kindergarten through 5th, and the winners will be displayed on our Facebook page and receive an iPad mini! Submissions will be closed May 22nd, so get to coloring!
About United Regional
United Regional Health Care System is located in Wichita Falls, Texas and provides comprehensive medical care including inpatient and outpatient services, advanced diagnostics, surgical specialties and life-saving emergency care to a 9-county service area. It has the area’s only Level II Trauma Center and serves as the Primary Stroke Center for the region.