Childhood obesity hits and sinks Italy: Italian children are the most obese in Europe, now we have this very sad record. One in four children in Italy is overweight, and 12 percent of Italian children are obese. According to the  Study and Research Center on Obesity of the University of Milan , the problem is that our country is losing the Mediterranean food tradition to embrace a more Western and industrial dietary style.homologated to that of other countries, the United States in the lead. That is: extensive use of industrial products including snacks, biscuits and drinks and a series of bad habits, such as skipping breakfast and then bingeing at school breaks. Not to mention the reluctance of children to eat fruit and vegetables, something that could be remedied already in the weaning phase, by proposing fruit and vegetable purees to accustom the little ones to taste different flavors ( as this study says ).

Who is to blame for this plague of childhood obesity? Far be it from me to say that it is only the parents, but it cannot be only children, do you think? Having had this personal experience, or having suffered from childhood obesity as a child, I know that a boy or girl cannot have a full and responsible say in their diet: even when they choose to eat a snack, their criterion of choice is not independent, but spoiled by a palate accustomed to the palatability of certain foods . So, if your children suffer from obesity, and your doctor rules out other causes than nutrition, then you, the parents, must take responsibility for your children. Without, of course, putting them on a diet. And I’ll explain how in 4 points.

CHILDHOOD OBESITY: WHAT TO CHANGE IF THE CAUSE IS NUTRITION

1) Breakfast: children should not skip breakfast, or by mid-morning they will have more sugar cravings. And the breakfast must be satisfying. Yes to a slice of homemade fruitcake with a freshly squeezed orange juice, to 3-4 quality shortbread biscuits with a cup of whole milk and cocoa plus a banana, to toasted wholemeal bread with jam and butter or a veil of cream spread with hazelnuts, perhaps the one without palm oil (like Novi) with a glass of organic apple juice and without added sugars.