|
|
Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child?
We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!
|
The My Overweight Child blog will help you keep informed about the latest research, findings, and resources available to parents of overweight or obese kids. There are many knowledgeable people working on the increasingly dire problem of childhood obesity - and we want to give parents a place where they can check in regularly to see the latest studies and tips available to help you help your child lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle.
We invite you to add your comments - if you have feedback for the blog, would like some specific topics covered, or you just want to share your experience as a parent dealing with childhood obesity.
A group of researchers from Harvard took a unique approach when studying the causes of childhood obesity. Rather than placing the blame on a lack of activity in children's lives because of the internet, television and video games, they looked at overall caloric intake. "Based on the rate of weight gain that occurred in children between 1998 and 1994, they suggest that reducing calories (or increasing physical activity) by just 110 to 165 calories a day could have prevented weight gain." Believe it or not, reducing caloric intake is easier than it sounds. Just one 1.8-ounce bag of Skittles or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of extra-crunch peanut butter contains between 140 and 200 calories. Cutting out just one of these per day would have the desired effect. Read more at StarTribune.com. Looking for an outdoor education program for your child this summer? Find one at Wilderness Programs Info >>Labels: exercise, healthy_eating, lifestyle
The U.S. Forest Service has recently allocated $1.5 million for a program called "Kids in the Woods". The program addresses two problems; the lack of physical activity during childhood which can lead to health problems, and a decreased interest in environmental sciences. "'We can help address troubling declines we see in the mental and physical health of our children. At the same time, we can inspire future conservation leaders, who can perpetuate the critical role nature forests play in the quality of life for Americans,' [Forest Service Chief Gail] Kimbell said at a news conference Tuesday." About 23,000 children are expected to participate in twenty-four projects in 15 states. Read more at LCSun-News.com. Labels: activity, conservation, physical_health
Because May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month, it's a great time to get your kids involved in some kind of sport or physical activity. "Although some parents try to avoid youth sports until their kids are older, like 9 or 10 years old, because they want to avoid what they think is a competitive environment for their younger children, it is important to remember that most youth sports for younger kids are noncompetitive." Even so, some kids don't like team sports. But parents should encourage their kids to try individual sports like swimming or tennis. Read more at Pediatrics.About.com. Labels: exercise, fitness, sports
Some West Virginia schools, in an effort to address childhood obesity, have begun stocking cafeterias and vending machines with "faux-junk food". The pizza is made with low-fat cheese and a whole grain crust. The deep-fried super donuts are fortified with 5 grams of protein and 14 minerals and vitamins. But does this method teach the right kinds of eating habits? "While the faux-junk food movement may be an appropriate stepping stone to healthy eating, some nutritionists say it could establish bad habits... [Dr. Stephen Daniels] worries that children who grow up eating faux-fast foods may have trouble making good food choices as adults." Other nutritionists insist that children will eat healthier foods when they're prepared right, and that this establishes better eating habits as children learn how to correctly prepare and enjoy genuinely healthy food. Read more at MontereyHerald.com. Labels: healthy_eating, junk_food, nutritionists
On May 19th, Chicago will host a Shaping America's Youth event to discuss solutions to childhood obesity. With 23 percent of Illinois kindergartners and 33 percent of its high school students overweight, the state recognizes that childhood obesity has become a crisis. Shaping American's Youth hopes to find ways to solve the crisis. "Chicago is the fourth city to host this nationally recognized event that brings together interested citizens from all demographic and socioeconomic groups. The high-tech, grass roots event engages all participants to brainstorm solutions with ideas immediately entered into a giant viewing screen and recorded for future evaluation in a petition that will eventually be sent to the White House to address this issue." The May 19th meeting will take place at the Downtown Chicago Marriott from 9am – 4pm. Read more online. Labels: crisis, research, youth
Gatorade has recently released its first sport drink aimed at children under thirteen. Called "Active Under 13s", the new drink has some pediatricians, nutritionists, and dentists upset. "...Dr. Louise Baur, a pediatrician at the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the director of the University of Sydney's NSW Centre for Overweight and Obesity, said sports drinks were unnecessary for children and adolescents, and their consumption was part of the growing childhood obesity problem." Dentists are also concerned with the high sugar content, which can not only cause problems with obesity but with tooth decay as well. Read more at SMH.com.au. Labels: nutritionists, pediatricians, sports_drinks
When Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., researched her book on teen weight loss, Weight Loss Confidential, Fletcher discovered one strategy that proved to be the most important in loosing weight and in keeping it off: "Without hesitation, I'd say exercise. In fact, exercise (or becoming more physically active) was the number one response when I asked the teens for their most important weight-loss strategies and for the most important things they do to keep the weight off. I was actually surprised to see how dedicated these teens are to exercise–strength training and running were the most common forms of activity. Less than a quarter of them were involved in team sports, so kids don't have to become "jocks" to be fit. The teens offer strategies for overcoming self-consciousness about exercising, getting started, and making physical activity fun." Read more about Weight Loss Confidential. Labels: advice, strategies, tips
In addition to working with over 100 teenagers for her book Weight Loss Confidential, Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., also interviewed parents for help and advice on teen weight loss. In speaking with parents of overweight children, Fletcher found "First, they make it clear that kids need to know that they're loved unconditionally, regardless of their weight. Both the parents and the teens also stress that the initiative for weight loss has to come from the teen–if the teen's not ready or isn't motivated, nagging, preaching, and complaining will only backfire... Parents also emphasized the importance of providing healthful foods, not having a lot of high-calorie foods around, and being role models for healthy eating and exercise. Once the teen makes a decision to slim down, parents stressed the need for providing them lots of support and praise, no matter how small the changes are." Read a full review of Weight Loss Confidential. Labels: parenting, tips, weight_loss
For years, there's been a commonly held belief that 100% fruit juice (possibly because of its high sugar content) increased the risk for weight gain among children. But the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey has shown that not to be true. "In fact, children aged two to three who drank the most juice were nearly three times less likely to be overweight than children who drank no juice at all." Kids who drank 100% fruit juice also consumed higher amounts of vitamin C, potassium, riboflavin, and magnesium. They were also more likely to consume whole fruit than kids who drank very little, or no, fruit juice. Read more at CTV.ca. Labels: junk_food, nutrition, weight_gain
Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., author of Weight Loss Confidential worked with over 100 teenagers when she wrote Weight Loss Confidential. She "turned to schools, health clubs, weight programs, friends, relatives, and colleagues, all across the United States, even in other countries, to find formerly overweight teens who had lost weight in healthy ways." Once she found teens who lost weight, she had them answer an eight-page questionnaire to learn their weight loss story. Read more about Weight Loss Confidential. Labels: losing_weight, nutrition, teenagers
British health officials are calling for routine weighing of all elementary school children. But some British researchers are claiming that there's no evidence that the routine weighing of schoolchildren actually helps fight obesity. "Indeed, even experts aren't sure which strategies are widely effective for childhood obesity - and without proven treatments, mass screening makes little sense, according to the report, which is published in the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood." Some researchers have suggested alternatives, such as school-based programs that focus on healthy living. Read more on Today.Reuters.com. Labels: education, elementary_school_students, experts
School playgrounds and athletic fields could help reduce childhood obesity by giving children near-by places to run and play. However, recent studies have shown that many of these places are closed and locked on weekends. "Girls who lived near locked schools tended to be heavier, and neighborhoods with locked schools were disproportionately poor and had larger minority populations', lead author Molly M. Scott, a RAND research analyst, said in a prepared statement." Where public playgrounds and parks are lacking or unavailable, school playgrounds can offer children accessible, safe recreation areas... if they're unlocked. Read more at BabyCenter.com. Labels: exercise, neighborhoods, playgrounds
Anne M. Fletcher, M.S., R.D., author of three best selling weight loss books for adults talks about her latest book just for teenagers and their families. Fletcher wrote the book in response to her overweight son's experience at summer camp. Anne says, "That's when it occurred to me that a great model for a book would be "teens helping other teens" with weight management. My son lost more than 60 pounds when he was 18 and, when he'd kept it off for a few years, I decided it was time to write the book." Read a full review of Weight Loss Confidential. Labels: parents, summer_camp, teenagers
|
|