The average American child spends 24 hours a week watching television, plus an ever-increasing amount of time staring into a computer monitor. As getting kids up and moving becomes harder and harder, what's a parent to do?

"Make exercise a family affair. Plan active family outings, like trips to the zoo or the playground, bike rides, or playing ball together. Take long walks after dinner and set goals as a family for distance or time. It's a great way to spend time together, and including all family members prevents a child from feeling singled out."

Assign chores that are active (like washing the car or vacuuming) and provide toys that encourage activity as well. Above all, regulate television and computer time. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day. Source: Tampa Bay Online

Labels: activity, exercise, TV

A new web-based kids program is taking parents out of the kitchen and teaching young kids how to cook healthy meals for themselves. The show is hosted by children, and was created by JAG Entertainment in Universal City, CA.

"Jr. Chefs of America plans to educate and present an innovative substitute to the fast food nation that is largely responsible for the rising [obesity] epidemic... Each episode promises to teach kids how to properly and safely prepare quick and delicious recipes..."

The show was inspired by Michael Green, whose son has been helping him in the kitchen since he was five years old. Source: JAG Entertainment

Labels: cooking, healthy_eating, TV

Using a device that limits computer and TV time might help your child lose weight, according to a new study from the University at Buffalo in N.Y.

Dr. Leonard Epstein, a professor of pediatrics, studied 70 overweight children who watched TV and played video games at least 14 hours a week. He gave a monitoring device to half of their parents in order to gradually reduce "screen time" by 50 percent. The group with the monitors lost more weight compared to the control group.

This study appears in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Labels: computers, screen_time, TV

A study that was conducted in 2003-2004 and is being published in the journal Pediatrics found that advertising during kids' TV shows was almost entirely comprised of junk food ads.

"A nine-month survey of the nutritional content of food ads in 170 top-rated [according to Nielsen] TV shows with kids 2-17 concluded that 97.8% of those food ads viewed by young children (2-11) were for foods with poor nutritional content, and 89.4% of ads for teens (12-17)."

The survey did not include fast food advertisements. The senior Vice President of the American Association of Advertising Agencies has argued that the findings are in opposition to a study conducted by the FTC but, while the FTC study found that ads for junk food hadn’t increased significantly in 30 years, it also found that 95% of all ads were for restaurants, fast or junk foods.

Copper Canyon Academy all girls schools help struggling girls find their way back on track.

Labels: advertising, junk_food, TV

Most people assume that kids spent more time outdoors being active during the summer months than they do during the school year. But a recent study found that kids actually gain weight over the summer. Excessive use of and exposure to media (video games, iPods, TiVo, etc) is considered one of the most likely causes.

"Considering that the average American child will see more than 40,000 ads on broadcast television alone in one year, and that 83 percent of the food ads in kids' sows are for fast food and sweets, it’s no wonder that the amount of time kids spend in front of a screen is directly linked to their risk of being obese."

Though it's not likely that parents can get kids to avoid TV and other media altogether, now is a good time for them to set some ground rules for the summer. Read more at HuffingtonPost.com.

Labels: summers, TV, video_games

Adolescents who are very healthy get daily exercise, watch less than two hours of television per day, eat 5-6 servings or more of fresh fruits and vegetables, and eat very little fat. How does your child measure up to these standards?

If your child is lacking in one or more of these areas, he's not alone. In a study published in a recent issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, nearly 80 percent of 11-15 year old children watch too much TV, exercise too little, eat too much fat and eat too few fruits and vegetables.

The best way to turn this around? Be a good role model. The researchers found evidence that parents' health behaviors were associated with children's health behaviors.

Labels: exercise, healthy eating, TV

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association confirms earlier research that suggests that children who watch fewer than two hours of television per day are less likely to be overweight than those children watching 16 or more hours of television per week.

Coupled with less television time, those children who ate more meals with their families tended to have fewer weight problems than those who didn't eat as many meals with the family. The authors speculate that those children who eat family meals not only eat healthier foods than they might eat otherwise, but may learn more about healthy eating behaviors in the family meal setting.

Labels: family meals, healthy eating, TV