Eat less, move more

Latino and African American children are at higher risk for obesity.

Black and Hispanic have the deck stacked against them according to new research in the journal Pediatrics.

Much to the amazement of researchers, infants, babies and toddlers show high rates of obesity and inflammation that damages blood vessels.

Some of the risk factors reported by AP medical writer Lindsey Tanner include pregnant women smoking; feeding infants solid food before 4 months; parents over-feeding young children; babies between 6 and 24 months  not getting enough sleep; and little kids having TVs, fast food and sweet drinks in their rooms.

It’s easier to put junior in the bedroom with a sippy cup and happy meal in front of the screen than to convince him to eat broccoli with the family.

Taking care of children takes T I M E. Lots of it. Daily.

I spent years cooking for and feeding my four children. They cooked and ate with me. I expected them to eat vegetables and they did. I didn’t track their temporary likes and dislikes or cater to them.  We almost always had dessert — after a family dinner that included vegetables — and ate it in moderation.

I never encouraged video games. My two sons eventually scraped together money to buy one. I encouraged them to play outside. We often played outdoors as a family — walking the dog, playing frisbee or dodge ball, skiing, swimming, and biking.

A simple formula to better health: eat less and move more. Moving more is fun, especially when done together.

A simple formula to be healthier: move more and eat less.