My regular readers know that I grew up in the 70’s and we didn’t have gameboys or DS, let alone iPhones, Wii or X-Box. We played outside and did our best to play for “another five minutes” when Mom called us in for dinner.

We must ask ourselves, in today’s society, are video games making children fat? Let’s explore this topic.

There are three types of children:

1. Those focused on sports and who are not really interested in video games.

2. Those focused on sports who spend part of their free time playing.

3. Those with no interest in sports who spend all their free time playing games, to the point of doing nothing else.

For clarification, by the term “sports” we include non-compulsory traditional sports (baseball, football, volleyball, soccer, etc.), cheerleading, dance, gymnastics, swimming, cycling, running, weightlifting, and any other program as a team or solo. that provides exercise for a period of time of 30 minutes or more, daily or at least three times a week. This does not include required classes like gym or physical education.

So what is the connection between video games and obesity in children?

A typical child spends eight hours a day in a classroom. Maybe thirty minutes in gym class. Outside of those thirty minutes, the only time a child has to be active and exercise her body is after school hours or on weekends. If they are not involved in an activity that allows them to move their body, they become very sedentary and over time they begin to gain weight. Children’s eating habits are not the best. We all know that. Chicken nuggets, hamburgers, fries, ice cream, macaroni and cheese, pies, and juice or soda boxes are the main staples of the children’s diet plan. Unless, of course, your parents focus on health and wellness and then the diet plan changes to a healthier one, which will also usually include exercise and activity. If a child spends most of his time sitting either at school or at home in front of a TV or game console, in addition to eating foods rich in starches and sugars, how can he be expected to have a healthy body? ? It just isn’t feasibly possible.

Add to that the problems we experience in our society with ADD and ADHD. Perhaps those problems are related to inactivity and bad diets? We didn’t have ADD and ADHD in the 70’s. The kids burned off excess energy and ate healthier meals. Fast food was a treat, not an everyday thing. Obesity and concentration problems were not as prevalent as they are today. All of this is happening simply because people are not taking personal responsibility for themselves and for passing these lessons on to the next generation honey-boo-boo.

The good thing about all this is that we can change things easily. We can CHOOSE how we treat our body. Parents who complain that their children eat nothing but fast or junk food need to step back and look at this from an objective stance rather than as a victim. I have yet to see a child get into a car, go to a fast food restaurant, and buy himself a happy meal. Parents have taught them about this food, taught them to eat poorly, and pushed them to be busy with video games instead of engaging with their child and forming a bond that will allow them to grow and expand to become a charitable member of the family. society. Yes, I did. I believe that children who are not taught about self-respect and personal responsibility are more likely to be obese and become victims as adults. They become a burden to society through health care programs, welfare programs, and even disability payments that would be unnecessary if they chose to treat their body like a temple instead of a garbage dump.

The cycle begins in infancy. It progresses through adolescence and into adulthood. As parents, we are fully responsible not only for teaching our children the value of being self-respectful and feeding our bodies and minds with healthy, nutrient-rich food and thoughts, but also for showing them the value of each of us LEADING By example with our own mind and body.

The next time your child asks to eat their fast food in front of the video game console, take a moment and step back to assess the situation. Ask yourself how you can make a different choice. A choice that will have an immediate impact on your child’s life, for decades to come, and even for generations to come.

Be responsible for yourself. being selfish Be respectful of yourself. Make difference. Choose to live differently. Choose to teach those around you by leading by example. Be happy! Live life to the fullest! You deserve to have it all!