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

Restricting access to snack foods in schools leads children to eat slightly increased amounts of vegetables and fruits, according to a new study from the University of South Carolina.

Wendy Gonzalez analyzed data from 10,285 fifth graders at 2,065 schools. Those schools that restricted the availability of snacks such as ice cream, baked goods, and candy had a 21% increased consumption of vegetables and a 15% increase for fruits.

Gonzalez, writing in the Journal of Nutrition, said that restricting availability of snacks is a better policy than limiting the number or types of snacks at schools.

Labels: vegetables, junk_food, snacks

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As the problem of childhood obesity becomes increasingly serious, more parents are reading labels to choose the right foods for their kids. Now, a team from Nationwide Children's Hospital has developed a website that calculates a food's "health".

"Keeping track of all that information can be confusing, which is why http://www.snackwise.org was designed to do it for you. Dr. Robert Murray, Director of the Center for Health Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children's Hospital says it's information some parents have gone too long without."

A parent who wants to test snacks or other foods simply needs to go to the website and enter some information from the food's label. The website then puts the food in one of three categories: red - choose rarely, yellow - choose occasionally, and green - the best choice." Read more at MediLexicon.com.

Labels: calories, snacks, tools

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"Mindless eating" is a phrase used to describe the idle snacking that many people do throughout the day. It is also the title of a book by Cornell professor Brian Wansink that explains the psychological cues behind mindless eating and offers suggestions for combating those cues.

"Hide the cookies; uncover the carrots. You eat what you see. If you have to look at soda every time you open your refrigerator, you will spend more time thinking about soda and, ultimately, will drink more of it. So keep the sweets tucked away, and move your carrots and celery from the vegetable crisper to the top shelf of the fridge, where they will be at eye level."

Other suggestions include making healthy snacks easier to eat by, for example, washing and cutting carrots and celery. The stomach isn't sensitive enough to register in "real time" what's been eaten, so using the other senses is important. Put food on smaller plates so that it looks like you're eating more. And put sweets or other unhealthy snack food in places where they can't be easily seen.

Labels: healthy_eating, snacks, grazing

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Believe it or not, children gain more weight during the summer than they do during the school year. Though kids are outside playing more, they're also snacking more and eating fewer structured meals. Keeping healthy snacks in the house will help your kids not only eat well but avoid the customary summer weight gain.

"With simple substitutions, brown rice instead of white, wheat pasta with cheese instead of that orange and blue mac and cheese box, children will stay fit and healthy this summer."

Do your best to avoid enriched flour and use things made with whole wheat instead. Also consider mixing some dark green veggies into a standard iceberg lettuce salad. Read more at 9WSYR.com.

Summertime is great for getting outside to play and exercise. Get an Education in Fitness from the WeightLossHelpDirectory.com.

Labels: weight_gain, snacks, unhealthy_food_choices

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More bad news when it comes to teens, weight problems and sleep deprivation: A new study has found that teenagers who get less than eight hours of sleep on weeknights are more likely to eat fatty and high-calorie foods than are teens who get eight hours of sleep or more. Over time, the unhealthy patterns can become habits and lead to weight gain.

“It’s not clear why sleeping less may send teens to the fridge more often. One explanation involves the hormones leptin and ghrelin, which regulate appetite. Not getting enough sleep has been shown to reduce the production of these hormones, which can make a person feel hungrier and fuel cravings for high-calorie snacks.” [Source: Health.com]

Cultural and social norms affect teens eating habits as well, but this latest study makes a compelling case for the importance of getting a good night’s sleep.

Labels: weight_gain, sleep, snacks

Posted By: Stefanie Hamilton 1 Comment