With more than a quarter of Canadian children between the ages of two and 17 considered overweight or obese, parents are starting to stand up and take action. Childhood obesity is associated with a number of serious health complications, including an increased risk of premature heart disease and diabetes—making it one of the most serious health problems facing Canadian children today!
Approximately 42 million young children in the world are overweight or obese with analysts projecting that number will skyrocket to 70 million in the next 10 years. While 59% of Canadians overall are considered overweight or obese, 70% of Canadians are expected to be overweight or obese by 2040 if current trends don’t change. These statistics show that poor eating habits and lack of physical activity start at a very early age.
We live in a society where the Internet has trapped kids inside their homes! The good news is that parents have the opportunity to help reverse the childhood obesity trend by encouraging their children to remain physically active. Dance lessons for children are a fun, dynamic form of physical activity, and will surround your kids with groups of other active, positive youth.
Dance Lessons an Encouraging Way to Promote Healthy Living Among Children
There was a recent report in the news about an Arizona mother who helped her nine-year-old daughter lose 40% of her body weight in one year. Her secret? Physical activity and a healthy diet. (Okay…not much of a secret at all!) The problem is most parents falsely and dangerously attribute their kids’ weight to “baby fat,” which infers it will just go away. Clearly, the statistics show this is not the case and serious actions need to be taken to defeat this epidemic.
Signing your children up for dance lessons is a way of encouraging them to drop the excess weight while also having fun. Self-esteem is a huge issue with young children, so you must be sensitive when addressing any concerns regarding their weight. Dance lessons will give your children something to look forward to and they can be physically active without feeling any direct pressure. An added bonus: by making exercise fun and social, your children will develop a positive approach to a healthy lifestyle at a young age.
Performing Dance Arts offers dance lessons for children—whether they are dancing at a competitive level, or just want to have fun and learn new moves. We treat every child with an equal amount of attention so they can get the best out of the experience.
If you’re looking for a straightforward, fun approach to getting your children more active, dance lessons are a great choice. Contact us today for more information.
