With the continuous change that the world is experiencing, more and more children around the world are suffering from a case of obesity. This is caused by the lifestyle change that progress demands. It has never been more important for parents and guardians to ensure that their children lead a healthy lifestyle. Obesity, if left untreated, can cause serious health problems in childhood and later in life. Children will benefit physically, mentally, socially, and academically from a healthy lifestyle with proper nutrition and exercise.
But what exactly are the benefits of healthy living for children? What good does a healthy lifestyle do? Actually, there are many benefits that healthy living brings, but I will mention five (5).
1. A child who eats well and exercises regularly will have a physically healthy body that can reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and more. These conditions are generally associated with obesity.
2. Aside from physical health, a healthy lifestyle will also provide mental health. A proper diet and exercise help children handle mental challenges well. A healthy lifestyle provides a better night’s sleep and more energy so children feel better mentally. It can also decrease depression.
3. Healthy children also benefit socially. A physically active and healthy child generally has high self-esteem and will help you make friends easily. Children who participate in sports or other physical activities are more likely to make friends than those who stay in front of the TV and the computer.
4. Healthy children are also more likely to benefit emotionally. They will have high self-esteem because they feel better about their physical appearance. They will also have more self-confidence when socializing with other children.
5. Finally, children who have a healthy lifestyle benefit academically. Kids who eat right, exercise regularly, and get enough sleep have the physical and mental energy to meet daily academic challenges. They are also able to retain their lessons better than children who lead unhealthy lifestyles.
These are just a few of the benefits that children who lead a healthy lifestyle experience. It is important for parents and guardians to supervise and guide their children to lead a healthy life. If not taken care of properly, children will feel themselves suffering from serious health problems due to obesity. As they say, prevention is always better than cure. So a child who is healthy will live a better life than those who are not.