If we were glossing over it before now, the best time to sound the alarm was yesterday. Next best time? Today.

As we celebrate our ‘future’ on this special ‘Children’s day’ in Nigeria, it’s important that we have conversations around their diet, health and wellness too.

Today more than ever, there is an alarming increase in our children’s consumption of junk food like sugary drinks, sweets, and fast foods over nutritious, healthy and homemade meals. The dangerous impact of such shows in the rise of diet-related health conditions like childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart and kidney diseases, and even behavioral issues to mention a few. What’s even worse are future projections by the experts, with the already alarming figures expected to more than double in the next 10-20 years. In Nigeria alone, the rate of childhood obesity has more than doubled in recent decades. This surge is largely attributed to the increasing consumption of junk food, which is high in sugar, unhealthy fats, and empty calories. Such poor dietary habits affect not just their health for today, but also sets the unhealthy stage for chronic illnesses later in life.

Furthermore, considering the many other peculiar challenges in Nigeria outside of our locus of control (insecurity, inflation, etc), wisdom submits that we take absolute control over the diet and health of our children.

Indeed, such unhealthy foods are pervasive due to factors like convenience especially in light of the increasingly busy lifestyle of parents, and then the aggressive and appealing marketing of these foods; however sacrificing the future health of our children over convenience today is not exactly a win, is it?

Children are really the future, and if the future will be healthy, then it is time to SAVE our children and intentionally raise Wellness Champions. This however requires the collective effort of parents, educators, health care providers, and policymakers to model, teach and promote healthier eating habits and lifestyle choices.

Thankfully, it’s not all doom and gloom. When people know better, they actually do better, which is why in celebration of our National Children’s Day, the documentary “Save Our Children” by Eziaha Bolaji-Olojo, which highlights the importance of diet, nutrition and healthy living premieres. This Documentary aims at educating and sparking up conversations that lead to every stakeholder – adults and children alike – taking better action to raise and be ‘Wellness Champions’.

Inside the Documentary, you will be hearing from leading professionals in the child health and wellness space, including Dr. Babayemi Osinaike, Senior Consultant Pediatrician at LUTH, Sharon Selby, Australia’s Leading Allergy Health Coach, Onyinye Ovbiagele, mum who reversed autism with a Nutrition protocol and Integrative Health Coach, Dumebi Ehigiator, Renowned Educator and School Owner, Eziaha Bolaji-Olojo, author of the book ‘Wellness Champions’, and more.

Underscoring the importance of diet in preventing and reversing health issues while showcasing real-life success stories and expert advice on how to raise Wellness Champions, parents and caregivers are sure to be inspired to truly save our children’s health, not just from the hospitals, but from the kitchen.

In conjunction with the documentary, we are excited to announce the launch of the book “Wellness Champions” on Saturday, June 29, 2024, at MUSON centre, Lagos, Nigeria. This book, a beautiful marriage of real life and fiction, provides relatable lessons, practical guidance and engaging activities to help children (and adults) embrace healthy eating habits and lifestyles.

The health crisis affecting our children is not just a medical issue but a societal one, and by raising awareness and providing the necessary tools and knowledge, we can ensure that the future is healthy. The “Save Our Children” documentary and the “Wellness Champions” book are tools to help us achieve that and lead us joyfully into a healthier tomorrow.

Watch the SAVE OUR CHILDREN documentary here

Eziaha Bolaji-Olojo is the Executive Producer and Creator, SAVE OUR CHILDREN documentary. Bolaji-Olojo is also a Health and Weight loss Coach at CoachE’ Nation. She writes via coachesquad@gmail.com and bit.ly/wellnesschampionbook .