WHO has warned. The generation of our children could be the first in a long time with a life expectancy lower than ours.
The normal thing would be the opposite, that each generation lives longer than the previous one, however the high rates of overweight and childhood obesity could be to blame for this not being so.
In the world 43 million preschoolers are overweight or obese, which is said soon. That implies that in the future there will be more people with diseases derived from obesity such as diabetes, high blood pressure, fertility problems, cholesterol and triglycerides, and even with some types of cancer.
But reversing the situation is possible. It is in our hands and it is our responsibility as parents to try to prevent obesity from shortening the lives of our children by fighting it now.
Raising awareness among families, children and the food industry is essential to ensure that the obesity epidemic does not move forward.
The change must start at home by modifying eating habits, encouraging exercise as an activity to do as a family, avoiding sedentary lifestyle and eradicating harmful habits such as watching television in excess or not sharing the table with children.
But in addition to good food and frequent exercise, the most important thing is to communicate more with our children, listen to them, play with them and pay more attention to them. Thus we will contribute to filling a void that will not attempt to fill with food or excessive consumerism.
WHO's warning that the current generation of children could have a lower life expectancy than their parents It is worrying. We should be aware and act accordingly as soon as possible for the health of our children.
