September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month

Childhood obesity is rampant. Even in intact families.

The causes are many, and probably include too little activity, too much stress and, in a nutshell, too much unhealthy food (think fast, convenient, cheap, junk food).

Contributing factors are also many, and may include inadequate meal supervision, insufficient time and insufficient money.

Might these problems be more common and more severe in single parent households, regardless of whether the children’s parents never lived together or no longer live together?

Especially in households in transition or which recently underwent transition?

Ideally, both parents would co-parent to fight this common enemy together, and stave off lifelong health problems that are beginning earlier and earlier in life today.

But even where that is not possible, either parent can still do something about it during his or her timesharing.

By the choices that parent makes, for meals and for activities with their kids.

Whether they fear their local child welfare agency will get involved in their lives, or just want their child to be a little healthier.

Read more in

  1. this [Fort Lauderdale] Sun Sentinel piece: Family Meals Matter: Childhood Obesity Awareness month
  2. this National Responsible Fatherhood Clearinghouse piece:Supporting Healthy Habits: Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
  3. this Healthy+Active Before 5 piece: September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month and
  4. this healthfinder.gov piece:National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
Share