childhood obesity

 

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Blog for Parents of
Overweight Kids

The Nine Truths About Weight Loss

Low Carb Diets

Dangers of Over-the-Counter Diet Pills

Prescription Diet Pills and Children

Book Review: Weight Loss Confidential

Getting Past Excuses

Self-Esteem in Overweight Children

Is That Just Baby Fat?

Does Your Child Want to Lose Weight?

How to Help Your Child Eat Less Using "Stoppers"

Easy Steps to Get More Active

The Causes of Hunger

Schools & Obesity

Nutritional Tips: The Devil Is in the Details

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




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.

Monday, September 08, 2008

Multi-City Initiative Discusses Sustainable Wellness Strategies

Convened in Boston and hosted by the city's mayor, the City and School Leaders Collaborating on Local Wellness Policies initiative met to discuss strategies for citywide wellness policies that could be sustained long-term.
"One of the innovative local programs that project teams visited was the Boston Schoolyard Initiative, a partnership by the city, school district and Boston Schoolyard Funders Collaborative that has refurbished 71 public schoolyards... these schoolyards are converted into spaces in which children can be healthy and physically active as well as learn outdoor science lessons..."
Several strategies were discussed for implementing similar programs in other cities, including connecting wellness committees to existing youth programs, and partnering with a foundation or other entity to ensure implementation of citywide policies. Source: National League of Cities

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Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Retiree Begins Long Walk to Raise Obesity Awareness

David Jones, a retired North Carolina state employee, wants to raise awareness about childhood obesity. And he's doing it one step at a time - literally.
"Jones.... plans to walk the 73 miles from Snow Hill to Raleigh in October to take his message to state officials. 'I want to raise awareness that there needs to be more actions taken to defeat childhood obesity,' Jones said."
Three people are expected to join Jones in his walk. They will walk 15 miles a day for six days. Source: Kinston Free Press

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Monday, July 07, 2008

ndiana Township Recognized for Obesity Prevention

The Lawrence Township School Foundation was recently presented with a "Healthy Youth for a Healthy Future Champion Award" in recognition of its My Community Gets Healthy (MCGH) program. The award, which was presented by acting U.S. Surgeon General Rear Admiral Steven K. Galson, recognizes programs that address childhood obesity by helping kids stay active.
"My Community Gets Healthy is a comprehensive, sustainable fitness and wellness program that has expanded into all Lawrence Township public schools. MCGH involves fitness instruction during and after school and also incorporates wellness instruction for families."
More than 700 students participated in MCGH's afterschool program, Up and Running. The students trained three days a week, with a goal of participating in a 5K or half-marathon run. Source: IndyStar

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Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Obesity Prevention Reduces Risk of Eating Disorders

An obesity prevention program called 5-2-1-Go! has been found to not only help prevent obesity, but reduce the risk of eating disorders among middle school girls. About 4% of girls who did not participate in the program developed disordered eating and weight loss methods, compared to just 1% of girls who did participate.
"The results suggest that it may be possible for school-based programs to help prevent obesity and eating disorder symptoms in adolescent girls."
The authors of the study feel further research is needed to determine if other obesity programs produce the same or similar results.

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Monday, August 27, 2007

It's Never too Soon to Prevent Obesity

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.

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Thursday, July 19, 2007

NACDD Establishes Obesity Prevention "Think Tank"

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.

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Friday, March 30, 2007

A Little Exercise Goes a Long Way

Do you feel discouraged that you can't seem to get your kids to sustain vigorous exercise for longer than a few minutes? A new study suggests that even 15 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise can reduce the risk of obesity, by as much as 70% in boys and 39% in girls.

Researchers from the University of Bristol in England found that boys and girls who increased their exercise even a little bit had a corresponding decrease in fat mass, which over time, may help to prevent obesity.

While the researchers were surprised that such a small change could provide dramatic results, they caution that further studies are needed to draw a conclusion regarding exercise and obesity prevention. They also remind parents that diet plays a very important part in obesity prevention, too.

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