Youth Baseball and Bad Eating Habits

Team sports are very important for our children; they are associated with better academic grades, leadership, and discipline. More importantly, team sports keep children active and in shape.  However, a new study published in the journal, Childhood Obesity, found that youth team baseball was contributing towards childhood obesity rather than promoting a healthier weight!  The reason is because during games and practices children are eating unhealthy snacks with high calories and low nutrient density. Many children leave practices consuming more calories than they expended! Additionally, kids play multiple sports and are on multiple teams with many practices per week, which disrupts their meal times and increases their exposure to unhealthy foods and poor nutritional habits. What can we do to protect our children? Plan meals in advance and pack healthy snacks. Also, forget the Gatorade and sugary drinks and give your kids water instead.