I was listening to a really interesting podcast the other day about childhood obesity and what a terrible problem it is in our country. The statistics were alarming. They stated that something like 40 percent of children are overweight or obese, and for adults this number is up to two thirds of the population. The podcast included a panel of well-respected health experts holding a brainstorming session about possible approaches to this huge issue. It was highlighted that children eat what they are given, and so it is obvious that adults and especially parents are the ones that need to change what they are doing. One person said that if you distribute material asking parents if their child is obese, that most will just ignore it, thinking it is not a problem. So another expert suggested that maybe we should point out that a child being overweight is a glaring form of malnutrition. I loved thinking about this problem from this vantage point, because it is completely true, but not often talked about. When you hear the word malnutrition, you may conjure up images of skinny children in third world countries with bloated bellies and such. This is certainly malnutrition, but now think of the child that is being raised predominantly on processed foods. The cheap foods that we have come to rely on as a country for our sustenance contain very little of the nutrients that we need to healthily sustain the body. When you don't have adequate nutrients, the body becomes very good at holding onto what it has as a defense mechanism. The difference between our obese children and the starving kids in Africa is that our kids have a regular influx of lots of calories, but they are empty. So the child living on processed meat, cheese, carbohydrates and sugars is actually almost as unhealthy as the kid in the starving rural third world community. As I take this concept further, we cannot deny that adults need to address this problem for themselves as well as for their children. People that have trouble losing weight and are in a constant battle to do so may not need to eat less (though this often helps initially), but may really need to just eat better. We know this on some level, and yet the hectic business of our lives often gets in the way of making that mindful decision about what will be eaten that day. This is where mindful awareness clear thinking come into play. The only way to start eating healthier is to break habits of picking up certain items out of convenience... and this won't happen unless you stay fully aware of your intentions and your actions at important times, such as when shopping and planning/preparing meals. I believe that people need frequent and easy access to nutrition education, but I also believe that people do know a lot of the basics already. They know that they should eat more fruits and vegetables and less processed junk, but it isn't easy to change habits. This is where I enjoy helping people to have strong intentions and the mental clarity to follow through with them. This is often worked on through hypnosis or developing meditation skills. It may sound far-fetched, but meditating can definitely help you to lose weight by helping you to return easily and frequently to a clear, focused state of mind where it is easier to see the big picture over the usual instant gratification. Please feel free to comment here and add your thoughts on weight loss issues in our country. They are certainly adding to a growing pile of health issues that is becoming insurmountable. If you need help with health issues or would like to attend an upcoming hypnosis session or meditation class, feel free to contact me anytime through www.nikkisnature.com. I am happy to help, and wish you all a healthy and peaceful day!
