With an estimated 13 million children and adolescents considered obese, school systems and health officials have been diligently searching for ways help kids be healthier. From changes in school cafeteria food to increased daily physical activities, the changes have been widespread and are beginning to get results.

"A recent CDC study shows that the share of school cafeterias offering their students French fries as the only vegetable item on their menus has dropped from 40 percent in 2000 to 18.8 percent in 2006... A...program in Texas, close to El Paso, has helped reduce the percentage of children with weight problems from 25.8 percent in 2002 to 23.4 percent in 2005."

There's still a long way to go, but all indications are that the health of the nation's children is slowly improving. Because children spend less than 20 percent of their time in school, it's important for parents to take positive steps at home, too.

Labels: nutrition, schools

American children and teenagers are growing up in an environment that encourages obesity, according to an extensive study at the University of Illinois/Chicago.

Researchers analyzed over 200,000 food advertisements, food choices in middle and high school cafeterias, the numbers of fast food restaurants near where young people congregate, the availability of physical education classes and other factors. They concluded, "The general environment is not conducive to a healthy lifestyle." For example, over 65% of middle schools and 84% of high schools offer sugary soft drinks, and only 20% of 17 and 18-year-old teens took physical education.

"Historically people have thought of obesity in terms of individual willpower, but there is a great abundance of environmental influence that contributes as well," said Dr. Lloyd Johnston. "Communities and schools need to look at what they are doing and try to improve it."

This study appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Labels: enviroment, healthy_living, influences

Today, "kid cuisine" consists mostly of fried chicken, French fries, and sweet drinks like soda. One result of this unbalanced diet is that we now find ourselves in the midst of a childhood obesity epidemic. Another result is that kids no longer have an appetite for food that's actually good.

"Once they get used to these flavors, the taste threshold is set so high that fresh fruits aren't sweet enough and vegetables taste too bitter... "

Instead, parents should be helping kids discover and appreciate the taste of healthy foods that have been properly prepared. Parents need to worry less about buying foods their kids like and more about teaching kids to like the foods they buy.

Looking for more free parenting tips? Visit ByParents-forParents for free advice and tips for parents.

Labels: examples, influences, role_models

Concern over the health impacts of obesity is not new. But the focus is usually on issues like diabetes and heart disease. The most recent issue of Orthopedic Nursing turns its focus to obesity's effects on the musculoskeletal system.

"Pearson-Ceol's literature review (p. 289) on the effects of obesity on the knee joint reveal the increase of osteoarthritis in the knees of obese patients and believes that future nursing research is indicated for improving this problem. Looking at the problem of how obesity is related to the health of the hip… and to the spine… also reveals that increased weight impacts and affects other areas of the body."

Many who are dangerously obese turn to bariatric surgery (an operation that reduces the size of the stomach), but studies have shown that patients also lose bone density, which can be a dangerous trade-off.

Labels: bone_density, health_risks, weight_loss_surgery

Though maintenance programs helped children lose weight and keep it off, the long-term effects are not strong or consistent. A recent study conducted at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis also found that, when left to their own devices, kids will regain weight once a weight-loss program comes to an end.

"The researchers studied obese youngsters from 1999-2004 at a university clinic in San Diego, where [Denise] Wilfely used to teach. The children weighed at least 65 percent more than their recommended weight. All of the children in the study also had at least one parent who was overweight."

Researchers discovered that the best outcome was had by kids who changed their social groups - spending more time with kids who were active and healthy.

Labels: influences, long_term_weight_loss, weight_loss

The American medical community has written a bold statement calling for widespread reform in federal food policies. The American Medical Association places much of the blame for our current obesity epidemic on the Federal Farm Bill, which creates large subsidies for things like meat, eggs and dairy products but almost none for fruits and vegetables.

"Federal law currently requires the USDA to purchase commodity foods - meat, dairy products, eggs, and other unhealthy foods - and dump them into school lunch programs. These foods are not selected for nutritional value but are designed to support agricultural businesses by removing surpluses and providing price supports. That's why lunch menus are loaded with cheeseburgers, roast beef with gravy, and sausage-and-cheese pizza, while low-fat and vegetarian options are virtually absent. In the most recent federal survey, about 80 percent of elementary and middle schools violate the USDA's own limits on fat in foods."

The problem also extends to the USDA's Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. The WIC program is supposed to provide nutritional support for at-risk populations, but supplies up two 24 quarts of milk a month while supplying less than two pounds of fruits and vegetables.

Labels: legislation, nutrition, schools

A recent study of more than 2,500 adolescents found that teasing, and pressure to lose weight often increased the risk of obesity in teens that were already overweight. The study also found that overweight teens were just as likely to use unhealthy weight-control measures (i.e. - purging, laxatives, or overuse of diet pills) as under-weight kids.

"Pushing diets won't help. Neither will teasing about weight. Instead parents should focus on having frequent family meals, creating a positive atmosphere at mealtimes, promoting physical activity and building self-esteem, the researchers recommend."

About one-fourth of the overweight girls in the study reported using extreme measures to try and lose weight. The study emphasizes the fact that body-image and self-esteem issues lie at the heart of weight problems at both ends of the spectrum.

Labels: body_image, self_esteem, unhealthy_food_choices

Today's teens are taller and heavier than their counterparts in the 1960s, and that may be due to better nutrition, according to a study in the BMC Public Health journal.

However, the researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology who did the study cannot explain why more of today's teens are at extremes of overweight and underweight.

Sigrid Bjornelv and her colleagues went through charts from the years 1995-1997 of 6774 teenagers and charts from 8378 teens in 1966-1969. Heights and weights increased for all ages and both sexes. This study, like many others, found an increased percentage of teenagers who are obese. However, there was also an increase in the percentage of very underweight teens.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, nutrition

Parents who find themselves at a loss for ways of helping their overweight children become healthier can rest easy. The results of a new study show that just two simple changes can help; increased physical activity by 2,000 steps per day (equals approximately one mile), and elimination of just 100 calories from the daily diet.

"This family-based study showed that, over six months, 67 percent of overweight children... maintained or reduced their percent BMI-for-age..."

Conducted by the University of Colorado at Denver, the study shows that managing a child's weight and overall health is easier than most parents think.

Labels: exercise, healthy_eating, parenting

Weight loss surgeries seem, to many, to be a quick and easy solution to being overweight or obese. But along with the surgery come complications - over sixty of them - including diarrhea, depression, infections and weight regain. The list of complications has become so long that many primary care physicians are looking for alternatives to weight loss surgery.

"On October 18th, at the University of San Diego and on October 22 at the University of California, Los Angeles, [Laurel] Mellin and colleagues will launch a nationwide series of conferences for health professionals on a method that was developed at the University of California, San Francisco and which equips patients with the developmental skills to nurture and set limits from within, easing stress and enhancing joy. Research on its use with both adult and childhood obesity has supported its effectiveness."

Most attribute the rise in childhood obesity to fast food and video games, but Mellin and her colleagues have found that the availability of these new coping mechanisms is only effective because we've forgotten how to cope with negative emotions in healthy ways. Their seminar helps people learn to be more aware of their emotions and gives them five tools to help them not only cope, but move their stress level from a five down to a one. Margaret Suddeth, a program graduate, lost 60 using the method.

Labels: alternatives, pediatricians, weight loss surgery

Halloween is fast-approaching; a time for candy bars, caramel apples and popcorn. During a time of growing concern over childhood obesity rates in America, Healthyroads, Inc. offers some healthy alternatives to the standard Halloween treats.

"Set a good example by giving out healthy treats or treat alternatives to the neighborhood kids. Healthy treats might include nuts and seeds, sugar-free hard candies, sugar-free hot chocolate or apple cider, or juice boxes."

Consider feeding your kids a healthy meal before they go trick-or-treating to limit the amount of snacking they do while they're out. Give them smaller collection bags. Smaller bags mean fewer treats.

Parents can find other tips, articles, and helpful information at ByParents-forParents.com.

Labels: holidays, tips, treats

The No Child Left Behind Act currently speaks only to academic education, but some members of the House of Representatives would like to add physical education requirements to the Act's upcoming reauthorization. To that end, they have introduced the Fitness Integrated with Teaching Kids (FIT Kids) Act, H.R. 3257.

"The bill would add physical education to the multiple measures for determining accountability under NCLB, offering schools another way to meet their adequate yearly progress while promoting physical activity and nutritional education for students. States would be measured on their progress toward meeting a national goal for required physical education recommended by the Centers for Disease Control of 150 minutes per week in elementary schools and 225 minutes per week for students in middle and high schools."

School districts and states would also be asked to report on students' physical activity and help promote healthy lifestyles. Studies have shown that the most physically active and healthy students often achieve the greatest academic success, which is what prompted the introduction of the FIT Kids Act.

Labels: legislation, physical_education, schools

Researchers have found that children as young as eight-years-old who are overweight or obese are seven times more like to be at risk for heart disease when they're teenagers. Risks like high-blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and elevated blood sugar were found in overweight or obese children who were just 15-years-old.

"The current results also suggest that doctors need only measure children's weight and height, and not their waistline, to get a good picture of their future heart risks. Childhood body mass index (BMI) - a measure of weight in relation to height - was more strongly related to future cardiac risk factors than waist circumference was."

The findings, which were published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, were based on observations of 172 children who had their BMI and waistline information documented at age eight, and then again at age fifteen. At fifteen, the children were also assessed for heart disease risk factors.

Labels: blood_pressure, heart_disease, pediatricians