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

Another study has linked school meals with obesity among U.S. youth. According to researchers with the University of Michigan, middle school students who buy their lunch at school are more likely to be obese and to have higher levels of bad cholesterol.

• Dr. E. Elizabeth Jackson and her colleagues studied 1,300 sixth graders, asking them to report what they had eaten in one day.
  
• Among those who bought lunch at their school's cafeteria, 39 percent were obese -- compared to 24 percent of the children who bought their lunches from home.
  
• The children who bought lunch at school were more likely to consume sugared drinks and to eat fewer vegetables and fruits.

"Although this study does not address information on the nutrient content of school lunches," said Dr. Jackson, "it suggests there is a real opportunity to promote healthy behaviors and eating habits within the school environment."

The study was presented at the American College of Cardiology 59th Annual Scientific Sessions.

Labels: cafeterias, middle school

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

For the third year in a row, Londonderry (NH) Middle School is holding a silent auction aimed at raising money for the schools wellness programs. Entertainment and sports tickets and museum packages are included among the auction items.

This year's auction is set for tomorrow, Dec. 1, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in the school.

"This is the third year that the Londonderry School District has taken steps to tackle the problem of childhood obesity, the Derry News reported. The middle school was applauded for its efforts by representatives from the Foundation for Healthy Communities and Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield last year."

The Londonderry wellness committee meets several times a year to brainstorm ideas for helping kids lives healthy lifestyles, the paper reported. The committee's most recent initiative, 5-2-1-0 encourages kids to eat five servings of fruits and vegetables each day, cut their TV and computer time to two hours a day, spend one hour a day engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity, and reduce their consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks to zero.

Labels: schools, middle school, wellness

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments

For a group of middle school students in California, the days of sitting (or lying) in the grass during gym class, listening to a lecture about softball rules are over. At Antelope Crossing Middle School, physical education students don't have much time for lying around (unless, of course, they're on their backs doing so some ab crunches)

These days, you're more likely to find students checking the heart-rate monitors they've strapped on during jump rope to "stay in the zone," try for that aerobic threshold on the step trainer, and harden those abdominals and obliques with side planks. -- Source: Fort Meyers (Fla.) News-Press

In 2008, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education selected Antelope as one of the nation's four "star schools." Antelope's award-winning program is aimed at teaching students not only to engage in a lifetime of physical activity, but also to enjoy the experience.

Finding physical activities that a child enjoys is an important part of encouraging that child to get an adequate amount of exercise. Children who remain active -- and who follow a nutritious diet -- are less likely to experience the many health effects of childhood obesity.

Labels: middle school, exercise, physical_education

Posted By: Aspen/CRC 0 Comments