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

Weight loss programs that focus on changing behaviors can help obese children, according to a report from the United States Department of Health and Human Services Agency.

About 17 percent of American children are obese, which means that their body mass indices are in the 95th percentile for their age, weight, and height. Obesity puts these children at risk for diabetes, fatty liver disease, heart problems, and other medical maladies.

The children in the study ranged in age from eight to 16. Some attended programs that met outside of school once or twice a week for six to twelve months. The most effective ones emphasized good diet and exercise habits.

At the end of the programs, participants had lost between three and 23 pounds. Heavier children and those enrolled in the most intensive weight loss programs for teens achieved the best results.

"Obese children and their families may be discouraged about their weight, but our review found there are programs out there that can help kids to either gain weight more slowly as they grow or, when appropriate, lose weight," said Dr. Evelyn Whitlock, a director of the Kaiser Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon.

Labels: behaviors, lifestyle, therapy

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Researchers at the University of London have found that kids who don't eat breakfast are twice as likely to be overweight or obese as are their counterparts who regularly have a healthy morning meal. The study tracked the height and weight of about 15,000 five-year-olds and compared their weight with their eating habits.

"The study revealed that children who were obese were about twice as likely not to eat breakfast as children of normal weight. Researchers also found those with unemployed parents were almost three times as likely to go without breakfast as those whose mothers and fathers were both working."

Researchers speculated on reasons for the connection between breakfast and obesity, citing - among other possible factors - the likelihood that someone who skips breakfast will snack more and eat more sugary foods than someone who doesn't. They also theorized that the parents of children who skip breakfast may be less attentive to nutritional issues in general, and therefore may be more likely to provide less healthy food. Source: The London News

Labels: eating-habits, lifestyle, breakfast

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A study conducted at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Oregon, found that behavioral management can help obese children lose weight.

"Behavioral tactics include "setting goals, rewarding behaviors, planning ahead, setting up an environment for success, and planning what to do if you have a slip,' said [Dr. Evelyn] Whitlock, an investigator at the Portland research center."

Weight loss for the children who participated in the program ranged from three to 23 pounds, with higher weight loss found in kids who participated in more intense programs. These losses were maintained for up to a year after the program ended. Source: Columbian (WA)

Labels: behaviors, lifestyle, therapy

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Shirley Alexander from the Children's Hospital at Westmead (in New South Wales, Australia) believes the growing problem of childhood obesity is outpacing available resources. As a result, surgery may soon become an option.

"'The hospital has recognized, as has the state (of NSW), that we need to do something and face this problem,' she told ABC Radio today... 'Part of the NSW health plan is looking towards funding some [surgery] so we may actually see an increase in surgical measures for severely-obese older adolescents.'"

The primary focus currently is a family-based approach that teaches about healthier lifestyles and encourages changes in the whole family. Source: The Australian News

Labels: lifestyle, resources, obesity surgery

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

In an age where childhood obesity is dramatically increasing, the popularity of fad diets is increasing as well. But most experts agree that diets don't work.

"There must be a lifestyle change... Changing doesn't have to be a difficult task. Some say it takes 6 weeks of doing something continuously for it to become a habit. So just replace one bad habit at a time with a good habit."

Most experts also agree that if eating and exercise habits are changed, weight loss will usually take care of itself. Source: Associated Content

Labels: lifestyle, diets, changes

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The problem of childhood obesity stretches far and wide, reaching all the way to China. The Chinese National Task Force on Childhood Obesity has found that one in five Chinese children are overweight, and more than 7 percent are obese.

"The Chinese experts looked at 80,000 children from 11 major cities, and found an increase of 156 percent in the numbers of obese children between 1996 and 2006. Meanwhile, the number of overweight children grew 52 percent."

Unfortunately, an encroaching Western lifestyle is partially to blame for the increase. Since the country opened economically in the 1970s, people have begun making more money, buying more high-fat foods, and becoming more sedentary. Source: The Age

Labels: lifestyle, global, chinese

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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: healthy_living, behaviors, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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: sleep, healthy_living, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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: holistic, healthy_living, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

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, parents, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

This winter, the Canadian Ski Council is again offering its Grade5 SnowPass program. The program, aimed at 10-year-olds, gives kids a free, day-long skiing or snowboarding pass at each of the participating resorts.

"The Canadian Ski Council is launching this year's annual SnowPass program in an effort to expose kids to winter sports, and in particular to skiing and snowboarding. Skiing and snowboarding can provide a full day of fun and exercise for the entire family. In fact, a day on the hill can burn up to 2000 calories. Studies also show that involving kids in outdoor sports leads to active lifestyles later in life."

Obesity rates are steadily increasing in Canada, and kids especially at risk of developing unhealthy lifestyles during the winter when most would choose to stay inside and play videogames. Applications for the SnowPass program are available online at ww.snowpass.ca.

Labels: exercise, lifestyle, winter_sports

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

The Health Commissioner of the European Union launched the "European Day of Healthy Food and Cooking", as a way to promote healthy eating and living amongst children. Fourteen member states are participating in the Day, sponsoring activities that range from cooking demonstrations by top chefs to workshops promoting a healthy lifestyle.

"Commissioner Kyprianou said 'Good habits practiced from an early age are more likely to continue into adulthood. Through this partnership with Euro-Toques, the Commission aims to promote the importance of healthy eating to children in a fun and interactive way. Encouraging children to enjoy healthy eating and physical exercise is the best investment that we can make for their future."

One of the events was an interactive cooking lesson hosted by four professional chefs in Brussels, who talked with 60 children about the benefits of eating well.

Labels: nutrition, healthy_eating, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Surgery is becoming an increasingly popular recommendation for the morbidly obese. The challenge is that surgery alone is not enough to make a lasting difference in someone's life  or weight.

"Although patients have a smaller appetite following the surgery, Ms Mathewson discussed their emotional needs surrounding food, and other psychological issues related to their eating habits such as body image."

People who struggle with obesity often have extremely low self-esteem, are depressed and socially withdrawn. If not addressed, these traits can continue even after a successful weight-loss surgery.

Labels: weight loss surgery, lifestyle, obesity surgery

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A team from the National Institutes of Health recently reported that the current teen generation is likely to be the first generation whose life expectancy will not increase. This fact is largely due, they say, to the surge in childhood obesity.

"'Obesity prevention starts prenatally,' [Mary Margaret Gottesman, RN, PhD, CPNP, PNP] says. 'Although we don't understand exactly the mechanism, we have found that maternal overweight is a big predictor of overweight children.'"

Gottesman and others recommend that nurses, who perform height and weight checks during office visits, should input the data into a BMI (body mass index) calculator and keep an on-going record of each child's BMI, alerting a parent or guardian if the child is at risk of becoming overweight or obese. She also supports nutritional discussions with the whole family during wellness check-ups. Read more at News.Nurse.com.

Labels: prevention, body_mass_index, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A study from the University of Florida has found that kids of parents who are distressed or depressed often have a lower quality of life, which can hinder an overweight child's attempts at weight loss. Emotional factors caused by things like peer bullying also make it difficult for a child to adopt a healthy lifestyle.

"From the study, the researchers concluded that tending to the needs to distressed parents could be one of the best ways to help children."

Talking about quality of life also gives kids a better focus for weight loss when fears of developing health problems like type 2 diabetes don't motivate them.

Read more at AndhraNews.net.

Labels: parenting, influences, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

Shaq has a new television show. Titled "Shaq's Big Challenge", the first episode aired last Tuesday, with the goal of motivating kids to lead healthier lives. Six Florida middle school students participate in the Big Challenge and the show tracks their progress.

"To combat complacency among his six young participants, O'Neal enlisted a 'dream team' of experts, including his own physician and trainer, Dr. Carlon 'Doc' Colker, personal trainer Tarik Tyler, nutritionaist Dr. Joy Bauer, and childhood obesity expert Dr. William Muinos."

O'Neal and his team hope to be a catalyst for young people, their communities, and the shows viewers. Read more at OCRegister.com.

Wellspring Family Camp is the world's first weight loss camp for young children and their parents. Children ages 5-13 attend Family Camp accompanied by one or more parents or grandparents for a two-week session or an intensive one-week session. There are still openings at camps starting later this summer. Visit www.wellspringfamily.com to learn more.

Labels: healthy_eating, exercise, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

With the onset of warmer weather and time off from school, now is the perfect time for parents to help their kids make some healthy lifestyle changes. The changes they make now can go a long way towards combating childhood obesity which can lead to significant health problems later in life.

"Make activities fun. Exercise shouldn't be a chore, especially for children. With warm weather outside, kids can do a variety of activities that involve both fun and fitness. [Dr. Amy Bohn] recommends jumping rope, swimming, skateboarding, and bike riding as alternatives to inside play."

Dr. Bohn also recommends keeping healthy snacks in the house, and having the whole family take walks or bike rides together. Read more at NewsWise.com.

Labels: exercise, summers, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments

A group of researchers from Harvard took a unique approach when studying the causes of childhood obesity. Rather than placing the blame on a lack of activity in children's lives because of the internet, television and video games, they looked at overall caloric intake.

"Based on the rate of weight gain that occurred in children between 1998 and 1994, they suggest that reducing calories (or increasing physical activity) by just 110 to 165 calories a day could have prevented weight gain."

Believe it or not, reducing caloric intake is easier than it sounds. Just one 1.8-ounce bag of Skittles or 1 and 1/2 tablespoons of extra-crunch peanut butter contains between 140 and 200 calories. Cutting out just one of these per day would have the desired effect. Read more at StarTribune.com.

Looking for an outdoor education program for your child this summer? Find one at Wilderness Programs Info >>

Labels: healthy_eating, exercise, lifestyle

Posted By: Aspen Education Group 0 Comments