Dr. Goutham Rao, who directs the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, says fewer than half of parents who are told their child is overweight will ever do anything about it. Some don't think their children are truly at risk, while others simply don't know where to start.

"On face, most of the advice is common sense: eat right and exercise. But for many families, the changes constitute nothing less than lifestyle upheaval... For a parent, the most difficult step is making habits that stick... 'We don't advocate changing everything overnight,' said Rao..."

Instead of advising families to implement large-scale changes, physicians recommend that they take gradual steps that can lead to long-term improvements. Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Labels: habits, healthy_living, parents

Rena Wing, professor of psychiatry and human behavior at Brown University, believes it takes more than just a switch to skim milk if people are going to effectively address the issue of obesity. Instead, it requires an entire change in lifestyle.

"'There's no way around it,' Wing said. 'If you want to lose weight and keep it off, you need to really change your lifestyle, particularly if you're overweight or have a family history of obesity.'"

Necessary lifestyle changes include a substantial increase in daily physical activity and a dramatic (but healthy) reduction in caloric intake. Often, the calorie reduction can happen when a person simply changes the types of food she eats, such as choosing fruits and vegetables instead of chips and cookies. Read more at EurekaAlert.org.

Labels: behaviors, healthy_living, lifestyle

Researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found a strong link between sleep duration and childhood obesity.

"For the study, Wang, Chen and colleague May A. Beydoun, also a postdoctoral fellow at the Bloomberg School, reviewed 17 published studies on sleep duration and childhood obesity... The results of the analysis showed that children with the shortest sleep duration had a 92 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese compared to children with longer sleep duration."

Sleep recommendations varied between studies, but researchers settled on recommendations of 11 hours for children under 5, 10 hours for children 5 to 10, and 9 hours for children 10 or older. Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Learn about junk sleep and how insomnia is common among teens at ByParents-forParents.com.

Labels: healthy_living, lifestyle, sleep

Beginning Wednesday, February 6th, a program called "Shapedown" will be offered to families in the Buffalo, New York area who are concerned about childhood obesity. The program offers a holistic approach to childhood obesity, involving the whole family in classes about eating and exercise.

"Children and parents working together is what sets the program apart, [Katherine] Streeter said. 'We don't just point the fingers at the kids and say, "You're the problem."... She said that the family is part of the feeding relationship and that the program asks the question: Who is in control?"

Parents have the greatest influence over what their kids eat, so the program teaches them how to be strict enough to manage what's eaten and how often, without becoming so strict that kids sneak "junk" food just to be rebellious. Read more at BuffaloNews.com.

Labels: healthy_living, holistic, lifestyle

For the third year in a row, The Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI) will launch a Kids in the Kitchen initiative designed to help fight childhood obesity. The initiative will begin in March, in conjunction with National Nutritional Month.

"More than 230 Junior Leagues participate in this grassroots initiative to empower children to adopt healthy lifestyles. Organized in 2006, Kids in the Kitchen responds to the staggering statistic that nearly one-third of children and adolescents in North and South America will be overweight by 2010... "

Cartoon Network plans to support the program will public service announcements, event-activation kits and an online animated educational game. Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Labels: healthy_eating, healthy_living, influences

Teaching good eating habits when children are young in instrumental in helping them develop healthy lifestyles and lifelong positive eating habits.

"Unfortunately, some parents over-think what to do about their child's eating habits, which give way to practices like forcing kids to clean their plates. And some parents don't think about nutrition at all, letting their kids eat a lot of junk food and drink a lot of juice. So, it's important to find a balance."

Helping your child develop healthy eating habits can start when she's still an infant. By introducing fruits and vegetables early, children will be more likely to eat them when their older. Read more at Pediatrics.About.com.

Labels: healthy_living, lifestyle, parents

A new book has just been released by Barbara Storper. Janey Junkfood's Fresh Adventure! is a children's book designed to make healthy eating fun for kids.

"...the book is designed like a colorful scrapbook, filled with Tobe's discoveries as she investigates the case against junk food and comes up with fun and helpful ways to help her friend eat to win."

The book also includes "14 tickets to fresh adventures" recipe cards for nutritious snacks.

Labels: books, healthy_eating, healthy_living

Though obesity rates for kids haven't been released yet, the rates for adults show promise. Based on surveys and physical examinations of about 4,400 adults, it appears that obesity rates are beginning to plateau. That's good news considering the fact that rates have steadily increased since the 1908s.

"In generalizing the results to the U.S. population, researchers calculated a margin of error that swallows up the differences between years. In other words, the increases were not considered statistically significant."

The new report compared four years' worth of data.

Read more at LATimes.com.

Labels: health_care, healthy_living, obesity_rates

On Thursday, November 29th, the National Institutes of Health launches its We Can! program across the Unites States. We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children's Activity and Nutrition) is an educational program aimed at helping young people ages 8 - 13 develop and maintain a healthy weight.

"We Can! offers parents, health professionals, youth, and community groups evidence-based programs and activities to help children ages 8 - 13 maintain a healthy weight. The program targets parents and caregivers as the primary groups for influencing youth and focuses on three important behaviors: improved food choices, increased physical activity and reduced recreational screen time.

"The national event begins in Boston with eight other cities nationwide hosting related events.

Labels: federal_programs, healthy_living, weight_loss

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona is launching its third consecutive Walk On! program, an initiative designed to promote healthier living among school children. In its first two years, the programs saw thousands of students take billions of steps, literally, toward more active lifestyles.

"BCBAZ has enhanced the Walk On! Challenge for 2008 to inspire even more Arizona fifth-graders around the state to walk. Enhancements include Walk4Life pedometers, subject-specific lesson ideas selected from submissions by teachers statewide and more incentives for participants."

Last year, 10,000 students participated in Walk On!, and walked more than 3 billion steps.

Labels: exercise, fitness, healthy_living

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: family meals, healthy_eating, healthy_living

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

The Nation Association of Chronic Disease Directors has established an Obesity Workgroup intended to focus strictly on obesity prevention in America.

"Today's environment does not always promote healthy food and physical activity choices... Our nation's children are facing a burden of chronic diseases, which will impact the quality of their lives, and ultimately, may cripple the U.S. health care system."

The Workgroup will create an open forum where health departments from various states can dialogue and brainstorm prevention and health promotion ideas. Read more online.

Still looking for a summer camp for your overweight child? Check out Wellspring Camps to find a camp near you.

Labels: exercise, healthy_living, prevention

ABC News posted ways for parents to help their children in the battle of the bulge. By using simple planning strategies provided by the American Obesity Association, families can incorporate healthy eating habits and exercise into their lives. Some of the tips include:

"'Create a family activity that involves fitness, such as walks, bike rides or Rollerblading' and 'Find other families in your neighborhood and schedule time for basketball, hide and seek and other active games.'"

Read more tips to get and stay healthy online.

Labels: families, healthy_living, tips