Ten years ago, a typical Primary 1 boy would easily fall between sizes 20 and 24. But now, he can be between sizes 22 and 26. Meanwhile, a regular Secondary 1 student would be around 24 to 28 inches in the past, compared to 26 to 32 inches now.
Larger uniform sizes are perhaps a consequence of the rising obesity rates among schoolchildren, which have risen in recent years from 10 per cent in 2000 to 12 per cent in 2014. Several uniform manufacturers also said they now offer a dozen or more sizes, from eight to 10 sizes a decade back.
A recent Health Promotion Board study found that if a child is overweight at age seven, he has a 70 per cent chance of growing up into an overweight or obese adult.
Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech last month, also advised Singaporeans to get their health checked, exercise more and watch what they eat, so as to reduce their diabetes risk.
With child obesity at record levels, it can be hard to feed your kids healthily but we’ve got some tricks up our sleeves to help you cultivate good eating habits for your children with the help of food authors Poppy Stamateris and Marika Gouveros. Here are their tips:
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Text: The Straits Times, Bauersyndication.com.au
Hunger is the enemy of a healthy child. When children come back from a full day of school, their tummies are usually starting to grumble, so having either an early dinner or a healthy snack prepared as soon as they get through the door will fill them up on nutrition instead of sugar. Experts recommend carrot sticks and hummus, fruit, and other vegetable-based snacks.
READ MORE: 5 Ways To Make Cereals Healthier
Children’s palates are more complex than we assume, and if we expose them at a young age to all sorts of flavours, we can easily tackle the idea of a fussy eater’ before it develops. Incorporate a whole host of vegetables, herbs and spices into your meals, and it will teach your kids to appreciate natural, wholesome flavours.
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It’s easy to play by the ‘if you eat all of your dinner, you can have a treat,’ line but all this does is encourage bad habits. When the treats are chocolates, biscuits or ice cream, kids hear: “I’ll reward you for the struggle of getting through dinner by giving you something that’s yummy”. This creates a negative image of what’s on their plate and makes them even less likely to like it.
If children do not get enough sleep they seek out high sugar, high fat foods to recharge those batteries. Every parent knows how difficult it is to redirect a tired, frustrated and hungry child who has seen a shiny, colourful packet of something they shouldn’t eat. Instead, make consistent sleep patterns, which allow for both growth, a balanced routine and a healthy attitude towards food.
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The most effective classrooms for healthy eating are the dinner table, fridge and the pantry. Remember, adult eating habits are shaped in childhood so fill your fridge with healthy, fresh produce rather than processed products as kids will only bear the hunger for so long until they reach for whatever’s available!