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Candy! Our little munchkins’ favorite snack and the guilty pleasure of many adults. Today we wanted to say no more candy! What’s wrong with a little candy, you ask? Well, we ask if you are aware that our country is currently going through a childhood obesity epidemic.
Obesity in Children
Almost 20% of young children suffer from obesity. We noticed that as the level of education of the children’s parents increased, the level of obesity in the children decreased.
That means the parents who understood nutrition better had healthier children. We hope we can educate parents to make better decisions for their kids’ health.
Why We Should Stop Buying Candy
Prevent Cavities
We can prevent cavities from the root cause. When our kids eat sugary candies, their teeth get coated in leftover sugar. The bacteria present in their mouth have a feast. Sometimes kids don’t brush their teeth so well, which leads to bacteria growing plaque between their teeth, which becomes a cavity.
If you can ensure that your child will brush and floss 100% perfectly every day, you may risk giving them candy now and then. If not, save yourself the dentist bills.
Fillings can be expensive. Older children and tweens get completely out of control. Some don’t brush for days. That’s a root canal waiting to happen if you also provide them candy.
Blood Sugar
Our blood sugar spikes up when we have a sugary treat. If our blood sugar keeps spiking up and not going down through exercise, we become more likely to develop diseases like diabetes.
Keeping your children’s blood sugar stable is essential to their health. A low blood sugar crash follows a high blood sugar spike. Then when they need nutrients, they have already spoiled their appetites with the candy.
If you must give them sugary candy, do so after they have had a balanced meal. That way, the blood sugar does not spike up and down as drastically. You can soften the curve of the blood sugar that way.
Sugar Addiction
Sugar is more addictive than heroin. Imagine an ancient human hunter-gatherer. They get meat from animals, carbohydrates from leaf and root vegetables, and fat from nuts. Occasionally, they may come across a wild fruit tree or bee hive.
When the hunter-gatherer ingests the sugary substance, an alarm bell in their brain begins ringing. We are programmed to return to the source of sugar because it will run out, and we do not know when we will find it again.
Fruit trees are seasonal, and finding honey used to be miraculous luck. Now it’s a totally different story. We could stock up on a year’s supply of candy if we wish. However, we still have the same ancient programming.
This is why you should never buy candies and put them in your home. Your children cannot help themselves from eating it when even full-grown adults struggle in the same position.
Conclusion
It’s our responsibility as parents to stop buying candy. Candy causes cavities, and dental health is expensive. Our country has too many kids suffering from obesity. We must change our mindset when it comes to our kid’s diet. Children may look cute while eating candy, but it’s not good for them.
