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.

Tuesday, December 01, 2009

Are Day Care Kids Spending Too Much Time in Front of the TV?

Parents who drop their children off at day care every day may think their young ones are getting hours of playtime and stimulating activity. But according to a Nov. 28 CNN report, what the children may actually be getting is a lot of time in front of a television set:
New research published in the December issue of the journal Pediatrics found that kids in child care settings could be watching as much as 2.4 hours of television on an average day.

A study from the Center for Child Health, Behavior and Development at Seattle Children's Research Institute examined 168 child care programs and found that 70 percent of home-based and 36 percent of center-based programs showed television to preschool kids.

"Most parents don't know what happens at their children's preschool," said author Dr. Dimitri Christakis, who directs the Center for Child Health in Seattle, Washington. "They really want to believe that they leave their children there, it's preparing them for school, it's a stimulating, enriching environment. And I don't know that they're aware that in fact, a lot of time is spent watching TV."

Labels: television, daycare

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

Monday, March 30, 2009

Babies in Daycare Gain More Weight

Infants who are in the care of people other than their parents gain more weight in their first year of life, according to a new study from Harvard University and the University of Illinois.

The finding was troublesome because more infants than ever are in day care, and too much weight gained during the first year of life is a risk factor for becoming overweight as an adult.

Dr. Juhee Kim and Dr. Karen Peterson analyzed data from more than 8,150 children age nine months. Half received nonparental care for at least part of their day. Infants in part-time day care gained 175 grams more than those who were cared for full-time by parents. Infants cared by relatives at least part-time gained 162 more grams. One pound equals about 450 grams.

Labels: weight_gain, daycare, babies

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments