Ray McNulty from Treasure Coast Newspapers in Florida was feeling nostalgic. In his column, he reminisces about all the time he spent with his dad when he was a kid. His dad taught him to box, play sports, and enjoy being active and healthy, but few of today's kids are getting that same experience.

"...kids need more activity than the P.E. they get in school. That's the only exercise some kids get. That's got to change. And it's up to you fathers out there to change it - the way your kids eat and play and think."

Turn off the video games, McNulty encourages. Pick up a ball and teach your kids that sports can be fun, even when they're not played on a screen. Source: Treasure Coast Newspapers

Labels: activity, exercise, sports

In response to growing concerns over childhood obesity, the American Academy of Pediatrics has issued a set of recommendations regarding children's physical activity and the amount of time they spend in front of televisions and computer screens.

"Boys should take at least 11,000 steps a day. Girls should take at least 13,000 steps a day and children should limit total screen time to two hours a day."

A new study has tested these recommendations and found that children who didn't follow them were three to four times more likely to be overweight or obese. Source: Science Daily

Labels: activity, computers, exercise

Barbara Jones Slater became, at 15 years old, the youngest woman ever to win an Olympic gold medal. It's a record she still holds. Now, at 71, she's encouraging young people to be active. She recently spoke at a conference aimed at fighting childhood obesity.

"The conference - 'Healthy Cultures, Healthy Kansas: Moving Forward' - was sponsored by the Center for Health Disparities at the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. It kicked off April as National Minority Health Month, said Sharon Goolsby, program director for the Center..."

About 150 people attended this third annual conference, which included breakout sessions and a wellness center that offered health screenings and chair massages. Read more at CJOnline.com.

Labels: activity, exercise, role_models

North Carolina has unveiled a new program called "Be Active HOPS" that uses a blend of media, technology, and physical activity to help kids get more exercise.

"The program uses vibrant video presentations using music and graphics to lead students through exercise sessions, celebrities who appear as the video instructors - they coach, encourage and inspire kids to get moving... [and] a variety of activities and expertise that physical education instructors love."

A four-month impartial study of the Be Active HOPS program found that the program provides a more efficient use of physical education class time than traditional methods. Read more at WNCT.com.

Wellspring Academy of the Carolinas is a year-round boarding school for overweight and obese teens. Wellspring Academies are the world's most effective programs for weight loss. Designed for children, teens, and young adults ages 11-24, students at our Academies demonstrate the best documented outcomes of any non-surgical weight loss intervention for any age group.

There's also a summer camp option in North Carolina - Wellspring Adventure Camp North Carolina is the most fun, most effective summer program for weight loss and behavioral change ever developed for children and younger teens.

Labels: activity, exercise, technology

Mississippi is often ranked 1st or 2nd in childhood obesity. In an effort to get scales moving in the opposite direction, former Miss Mississippi contestant Catherine Carter helped develop an exercise program called "You Gotta Move."

"[Carter] says this is important because it educates children about the importance of daily exercise, and it shows them at an early age that it is fun to be fit and healthy. Pediatricians are reporting more frequent cases of obesity related diseases in children such as Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol."

You Gotta Move was created for use in kindergarten through 2nd grade classrooms. The DVD contains exercises that kids can do right at their desks. Read more at WLBT.com.

Labels: activity, exercise, schools

As the British government continues trying to tackle the problem of childhood obesity, plans are in the works to limit the amount of time children spend playing video games.

"Popular consoles such as the Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii can be fitted with devices to restrict the amount of time children use them and parents could be given advice on how to activate these limiters."

Schools may also begin enforcing nutritional standards, not just on school-provided meals, but on meals that students bring from home as well. Read more at Telegraph.co.uk.

Labels: activity, exercise, video_games

Two new studies linking overweight in childhood with adult heart disease gives "a frightening glimpse of what we have in store," according to David S. Ludwig of Harvard Medical School.

The studies are the first to confirm that children who are overweight have a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease as adults. These conclusions are important because the percentage of overweight children in the United States has tripled since 1976 and now numbers over nine million.

Researchers from the Institute of Preventive Medicine in Copenhagen, Denmark, examined the height/weight charts of more than 276,000 Danish children between 1955 and 1960, and then looked through hospital records from 1977 to 2001 to find the ones who had been hospitalized for heart disease.

"Even a few extra pounds put a child at risk," said Jennifer Baker of the Copenhagen Institute.

If the child lost weight before age 13 years and remained at normal weight, his chances of developing heart disease returned to normal.

A second study from the University of California at San Francisco produced similar results using U.S. federal statistics.

"Overweight children are losing their childhood," said Melinda Sothern, and expert on childhood obesity at Louisiana State University. "They can't do the same types of activities as healthy weight children. Now they will lose their early adulthood as well."

Labels: activity, health_risks, quality_of_life

Most teens exercise too little and eat too many unhealthy foods - according to a study of Australian teens. Despite all of the warnings about obesity and its health risks, little is changing about the eating and exercise habits of today's adolescents.

"The survey, published in the September issue of Health Promotion International, found most students did less than one hour of physical activity a day. 'We found that only 14 percent of students engaged in recommended levels of physical activity,' [Dr. White] said."

The Australian department that oversees health issues recommends at least an hour of moderate physical exercise every day, and no more than two hours sitting in front of computer and television screens. Read more at News.com.au.

Labels: activity, exercise, unhealthy_food_choices

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