In my previous post I discussed whether or not it was necessary to offer snacks to children in youth sports. Assuming we all agree for the moment that there is no harm to offering our kids a snack at the end of play, then this begs the question of what kind of snacks should we offer?
One parent, who has a background in nutrition and athletic training, suggested avoiding sugary and processed foods in favor of healthy snacks. This parent was particularly concerned about the link between processed foods and the rates of obesity, cancer, and other diseases.
I felt a bit remiss as a parent and a coach that I had never thought of this before. It also made me wonder why the concept was not more prevalent in youth sports? I was also surprised when the idea was met with disinterest and in one case out right resistance.
Obesity is a rising crisis in the country. The USA now has one of the highest rates of obesity among all developed nations. Childhood obesity in particular is something we as parents and coaches should be concerned with. Information of the The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website states that:
"Obesity now affects 17% of all children and adolescents in the United States - triple the rate from just one generation ago."
The CDC also makes the following suggestions for parents to help fight childhood obesity:
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