So what about all those kids who are already obese?
To date, our comments have ONLY addressed the prevention side of the childhood obesity epidemic. But that doesn’t mean we have nothing to say about rehabilitation. It simply means that we have chosen to work on the side where the odds of winning are much better because we prevent the poison from entering the bloodstream.
You see, once the monster of childhood obesity has sunk its fangs into a boy or girl’s psyche, that bastard hangs on for dear life, growing stronger day by day, week, month, and year. Breaking a bad habit is much more difficult than simply avoiding it in the first place.
We can no longer stand aside
But with millions of children across the country already obese, we can no longer stand by and remain silent. On the other hand, even the rehab aspect of the problem comes down to eating better and exercising more. And once this grief culprit is fully acknowledged, the problem can come down to one factor…namely, MOTIVATION.
In other words, you can give anyone all the correct information. You can also give them access to the right tools and the right equipment. However, the one thing you can’t give them is willpower. You cannot give them the desire to take action. I mean, you can’t want it for them. If they don’t want to solve the problem enough to take the necessary action, the problem is dead on arrival and destined to remain unresolved.
The question is…
So the real question is how to inspire a child who has already developed all the bad habits and already suffers from all the various problems that accompany obesity? How do you motivate them to give up the old clothes that produce weakness in exchange for the new clothes that produce strength? How do you instill enough confidence for them to take the first step, lead to the second step, lead to the third step, etc.?
The answer is…
In my opinion, the answer to that question is that someone needs to show them how to succeed right away. They need to see themselves growing a little stronger, a little leaner, every workout, every week, every month, all year long. In other words, if children are expected to invest their own time, effort, and self-image in anything, they will expect to see a (non-monetary) reward, a dividend, a return on their investment of time and effort. And the more frequent the payment, the higher the level of motivation. Count on that.
For example, if someone goes on a diet and loses a pound a day, their motivation will be through the roof. If your success drops to a pound a week, motivation drops significantly. But if it goes down to a pound/month, it’s hard to see any motivating wind in the sails.
In shorts…
In short, nothing succeeds like success. And if you can regularly bring that into the lives of already obese kids, at least you’ll have a fighting chance to turn the tide and win the war. If not, you are wasting your time, effort, and money.