“Food glorious food” the words from one of the most famous musicals of our time Oliver.How true this is. Food nurtures our development, gives power and strength to our muscles, increases our powers of concentration and gives us our energy and zest for life.

But, why do our nation get it so wrong?

 In July this year the Irish Independent highlighted that Irish children are “now among the fattest in Europe” and that 100, 000 of the nation’s children are obese and 300, 000 are classified as overweight. This would mean that by 2013, only in 17 years time, over 50% of our adult population will be obese. Currently Ireland is ranked 5th out of 27 counties for childhood obesity. In our experience from our busy clinic we see that many parents believe that it does not matter too much what their kids eat, in the belief that their children will soon grow out of unhealthy eating habits. Unfortunately, this is not true, poor eating habits are learned behaviours in 99% of cases. Children will eat only what they are accustomed to. If a child eats an unbalanced diet now then they will continue to eat an unbalanced diet in 10 or 20 years time. So, today we are encouraging you to not let your child become a statistic. Give your child the gift of a balanced diet. To start follow the five following points below:

  1. Make sure your child / teen starts their day by breaking their fast within 30 minutes of rising.
  2. Eat two pieces of fruit daily
  3. Eat three different vegetables daily
  4. Encourage your child / teen to drink water regularly
  5. Choose food outlets that will tell you exactly what they are serving. At The Bagel Bar you can see exactly what you are getting from their menu and website.If you would like to see how your child could improve their nutritional requirements then please visit your local Dietitian or contact a member of the healthpro team on 086 4119222 or email betterhealth@healthpro.ie

Yours in health and wellbeing, HarrietteHarriette LynchConsultant Dietitian and Exercise SpecialisthealthproBA Ec / Soc, BSc Nut / Diet, M .I.N.D.I., N.C.E.H.S., REPSContact number: 086 4119222

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