Creating healthy lifestyle habits in kids is the crucial part of sports
New research shows that the number of people who return to a normal weight after becoming obese is nearly zero, and current strategies for weight loss are ineffective.
The oftentimes forgotten function of sports is to help kids adopt an active lifestyle. Of course, adding competition makes it fun and addictive, but it’s much more important to teach kids to enjoy sports, eat healthy, and mix it all into their everyday lives so that it’s not a short-term project but a natural part of their lifestyle.
As the lead researcher at King’s College London, Dr. Alison Fildes said: “The greatest opportunity for fighting the obesity epidemic might be in public health policies to prevent it in the first place at a population level.”
This means that coaches and families really need to cooperate for the future quality of the lives of children. Coaches carry and pass along knowledge, but it’s not enough for kids just to participate in organised sports – parents and families carry the bulk of the responsibility for the change. To make this happen, parents need to set a good example and ensure that the example is adopted by their children.
The research demonstrates that if a person reaches the point of obesity, there is no going back. We don’t want our children to have to face these same issues, and we have the tools to ensure that they don’t.
But, the bottom line is that we must remember that kids are just kids and this is not a crusade, but a journey. So, keep fun at the heart of the ride.
