Childhood Obesity - Do you have an overweight child? We offer tips to help your child lose weight and get fit!

A new study has found a strong link between family routines and the onset of childhood obesity. Researchers from Ohio State University say it's the first time three specific routines were assessed together.

According to a Feb. 8 ScienceDaily article, "in a large sample of the U.S. population, the study showed that 4-year-olds living in homes with all three routines had an almost 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity than did children living in homes that practiced none of these routines."

The following three factors were associated with a lower prevalence of childhood obesity:

• Eating dinner as a family
• Getting an adequate amount of sleep
• Limiting TV viewing time.
  

Researchers also pointed out, however, that the study doesn't confirm whether the actions themselves aid in preventing obesity, or if they indicate the presence of other preventative factors.

Labels: causes of childhood obesity, prevention, sleep, screen_time, family meals

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One in three mothers puts too much food on their childs plates, according to a report entitled "Kids and Nutrition."

Researchers surveyed 302 mothers of children ages one to seven years old, and found that 80 percent were unsure if their children's food intake met nutritional requirements. In general, the mothers put too much food on the kids' plates, and 80 percent believe that their children are "fussy eaters" if they do not eat all of it.

These finding are similar to those that were arrived at by Cornell University researchers who documented the negative impact that forcing children to clean their plates can have on childhood overweight and obesity.

Children have a "tremendous capacity" to self-regulate their food intake, and parents should not force them to eat, said pediatrician Dr. Michael Kohn. T

This study appeared in the Journal of Nutrition and Diabetes.

Labels: nutrition, parenting, causes of childhood obesity, family meals

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Three American universities conducted studies on the eating habits of youngsters. They found that kids whose families eat together regularly were healthier.

"Children who regularly have meals with their parents, according to a recent article in the New York Times about the research, 'eat more fruits, vegetables and calcium-rich foods, ingest more vitamins and nutrients, and consume less junk food.'"

Though it's tough to make time for family meals, it's worth the effort.

Labels: healthy_eating, family meals, healthy_living

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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

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A study out of Montreal, Canada, has found that an increasing number of young people are using their bedrooms as “junk food havens” where they can eat whatever they want, without any adult supervision.

In the study of 534 10- to 12-year-olds, the Universite de Montreal researchers found that 58 percent of boys eat once in a while or every day in their bedroom, compared with 48 percent of girls. And when the researchers asked the kids what they ate, they were astonished by the responses.

The boys were more likely to wolf down pastries, ice cream, hamburgers, pizza, chips, French fries and soft drinks. [Source: The Montreal Gazette]

Very few of the boys or girls surveyed ate anything healthy while in their rooms, and many of them ate in front of a television or computer screen. Researchers encouraged parents to make family meals a priority, and to make them healthy. Parents are also encouraged to replace junk food with healthier snacks like fruits and vegetables.

Labels: parenting, junk food, family meals

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 0 Comments