The back-to-school season is a time for new opportunities and beginnings. For some students, especially those with compromised immune systems, the susceptibility to illness increases. Protecting your child(ren) and yourself against common colds or other infections that circulate the classroom can be a lot easier with the right steps in place. 

Developing a back-to-school routine is a challenge in and of itself. Waking up earlier, establishing a quick and efficient routine, and leaving the house on time can prove difficult, especially after summer vacation. Many health officials state that immune health is tied to diet, sleep, and exercise. Building a healthy diet and establishing movement and proper sleep hygiene can enhance immune function, which your child needs as they face the new school year. Hopefully, the following tips can help better prepare your child’s immune system for the back-to-school reality.

Get Plenty Of Sleep

The Sleep Foundation encourages school kids between the ages of six and 13 to get nine to 11 hours of sleep every night. Without sufficient sleep, the body has a more difficult time regulating biological rhythms. Not to mention, insufficient sleep makes the body more susceptible to sickness. If you or your child has trouble sleeping, there are practices that have proven to be quite effective. Click here to learn more about methods that help you fall asleep.

Drink Water

Water is essential for a healthy life because it has many roles in the body. Not only does it help with waste elimination, but it also helps the immune system function optimally. If the body is in a dehydrated state, it cannot effectively produce white blood cells, which help fight off bacteria, pathogens, and viruses. Drinking plenty of water can also help flush toxins from the body, which keeps the immune system functioning optimally. Need help getting your kiddos to drink more water? Spice it up by adding fresh fruit to the water, or consider blending some fruit with water to make a healthier rendition of a punch.

Eat The Right Foods

Dietitians agree that one of the best ways to boost the immune system is to eat the right foods. Focus on fruits and vegetables because they are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that boost the function of immune cells. High-fiber foods also work to maintain a healthy digestive system. What foods do you eat to encourage better immune function? Consider packing the following snacks in your child’s lunch: 

• Oranges: One orange can have up to 75% of the daily value (DV) of vitamin C. 
• Mandarins: Mandarins pack a considerable amount of vitamin C and make for the perfect lunch snack. They are easy to peel, easy to put in lunches, and their seedlessness makes them easy to enjoy!
• Sunflower seeds:  Make sure to opt for the unsalted, shell-less sunflower seeds because they are very easy to eat. Sunflower seeds are also rich in vitamin E, which exhibits antioxidant effects in the body. 
• Almonds: Similar to sunflower seeds, almonds are naturally rich in vitamin E, which helps to fight off free radicals and boost immune function. They also contain heart healthy fats, protein, and lots of fiber. 
• Broccoli: It may be very difficult to get your child to eat broccoli, but it is an excellent source of vitamin C and sulforaphane, both of which encourage immune function. Sneak broccoli into meals like broccoli tater tots or fruit smoothies!

Exercise Regularly

It’s no secret that kids like to run amok like they haven’t a care in the world. The important thing to remember is to not let your child immediately plop on the couch or bed and watch TV or play video games from the time they get home to the time they go to bed. Even if your child is active in school sports or playground activities, make sure they remain active outside of school hours. This is especially important as they progress through the year and the weather starts to cool off. 

Maintain A Healthy Weight

Childhood obesity is a serious problem in the United States, and it puts children and adolescents at risk for poor health. Between 2017-2020, 19.7% of children between the ages of two and 19 were affected by obesity. Obesity prevalence between two- and five-year-olds amounted to 20.7%, and 22.2% among six- to 11-year-olds. Data revealed that obesity prevalence was higher in Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black children than it was in non-Hispanic White children and non-Hispanic Asian children. Aside from decreased immune function, obesity increases the child’s risk of other health problems. Consult your family doctor if you notice the child’s weight is becoming a problem.

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Affecting more and more children, adolescents, and adults with each passing day, obesity increases a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and liver disease. Obesity rates have steadily increased within the last 50 years, tripling in American children and adolescents. Roughly 15% of children between the ages 6-19 are overweight, and one-third of American adults or obese.

World Obesity Day is an awareness event that occurs annually on October 11^th. The mission behind this day is to promote solutions to the obesity crisis around the world. Whether it be improving food in school cafeterias, engaging in community activities, or educating people about the importance of fresh foods, reducing obesity rates has to be done on a global scale. One single approach will not be as effective as various communities figuring out how to solve the problem from all angles.

Childhood Obesity

The WHO estimates that 41 million children under age five are obese or overweight, based on 2016 statistics. In 1975, a mere 4% of children were obese, but the percentage rose to 18% as of 2016. Obese and overweight children have an increased risk of developing a range of adverse mental and physical health problems, in addition to experiencing societal challenges.

Preventing Obesity In Children And Adolescents

We live in the age of advanced technology, i.e. the age of the screen. Young people typically do not engage in sufficient physical exercise on a daily basis, nor do they have healthy eating habits. Children should have no more than 1.5 hours of screen time per day, be it in front of the phone, computer, tablet, or TV. It is up to adults to lead by example, encouraging family activities outdoors and exposing children to healthier foods. When you eat out, try to avoid ordering the typical kids menu items and explore healthier meals and beverages. This is a gradual process, but eating healthy foods and exercising regularly increases the likelihood of children following in your footsteps.

Preventing Obesity In Adults

To truly reform your health and round the corner towards a healthier life, you must begin with dietary habits. While exercising more frequently and rigorously can help with weight loss and improve cardiovascular health, exercise will not single-handedly improve your situation if eating habits remain the same. Start eating at least 5 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables daily, avoiding canned or frozen varieties. Eliminate processed foods, refined sugars & grains, meats, sugary beverages, alcohol, dairy products, and junk foods to start losing weight. Whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and fresh fruits and vegetables should be your primary food sources to provide the body with essential nutrients. Above all else, watch your portions, limiting each serving to about the size of both of your fists combined.

If people continue these poor eating habits and lifestyle choices, an estimated 2.7 billion adults will be overweight, one billion adults will be obese, and 177 million adults will be severely affected by obesity by the year 2025. Let’s change course and set off in a healthier direction. The root of the cause is diet, which is the first place any obese or overweight person should begin to improve his or her situation.

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To raise awareness about the growing epidemic that is childhood obesity, the month of September is National Childhood Obesity Month. According to the CDC, one in six children in America is obese and certain groups of children have higher rates of obesity than others. Let us take note of this epidemic, so that children don’t have to be at risk of the same diseases that are the primary causes of death in the U.S.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that over 60% of diseases worldwide will be linked to obesity by the year 2020. Additionally, it isn’t uncommon to find that under-nutrition and obesity exist alongside each other. By under-nutrition or malnutrition, we mean that children aren’t eating enough nutritionally dense foods. Most children eat tons of empty calories, which have zero nutritional value, and those foods lead to weight gain.

Factors That Influence Childhood Obesity

• Lack of sleep
• Easy access to inexpensive fast food, high calorie foods, and sugar beverages
• Lack of access to affordable, healthier foods
• Too much time spent being inactive
• Lack of places that promote communal, physical activity
• School lunches
• Kids menus at restaurants

How To Address Childhood Obesity At Home

Even though your child may plead and throw tantrums to get food that is unhealthy, try your best to stand your ground and give them foods that are nutritious. We don’t mean that you need to hand them a head of broccoli and say, “Eat it,” but there are ways that you can make healthy food interesting to children. You can make sweet potato burgers, zucchini pasta, and or make nutritionally dense smoothies. Getting smoothies in your child’s diet is one of the best things you can do for them.

Things That Are Causing Childhood Obesity

School Lunches

Don’t let the food industry feed your kids. Letting your kids eat the hormone-filled, genetically modified foods that comprise many school lunches sets them up to be at a higher risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and stroke. Try meal-prepping lunches to ensure that your kids eat healthy.

No Healthy Fats

There are tons of unhealthy fats in the world, but the healthy fats are typically absent from the average American child’s diet. Eating healthy fats like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado, or leafy greens can provide complex nutrients that ensure a healthy metabolism and decreased risk of obesity.

Portion Sizes

America is a super-sized nation where more is always better. Many fast food restaurants like to entice you by saying that you will save money if you increase the size of your meal. They don’t tell you that you’ll increase your risk of obesity and diabetes too. A healthy food portion is no bigger than both of your fists combined, and it is beneficial to have at least half of it comprised of vegetables.

Lack of Exercise

According to a recent high school survey conducted by the CDC, only 11% of high school girls and 24% of high school boys say that they exercise for at least 60 minutes a day. Only 30% of high school students say that they actually go to gym class. It is important for your child’s future health to get them involved with physical activities outside of school. Don’t let them veg out and play video games, watch TV, or remain stagnant on the couch. Try going hiking, playing afterschool sports, or doing family activities.

How To Reverse Childhood Obesity

• Pack school lunches (look at our recipe section for inspiration)
• Limit screen time and encourage physical activity
• Be supportive and lead by example
• Start every day with a healthy breakfast (steel cut oats with berries & bananas, smoothies, or smoothie bowls, for example)
• Make it a priority to cook meals at home (and show your child what it means to use fresh ingredients)
• Make time for physical activity (playing sports, walking, dancing, bouncing on a trampoline, gymnastics, bike riding, playing at the park, or swimming)

There are natural solutions to childhood obesity and the problem can be reversed. Use the information in this article to help naturally reverse childhood obesity, making an emphasis that eating fresh food and regularly exercising can keep them healthy. Get involved in your child’s life so that they can have a healthier future.

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