Daily Archives: May 21, 2012

What Causes Childhood Obesity? – Part 2

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As many of my regular viewers to this web blog know, there are many factors contributing to childhood obesity. I post daily here about it, whether news print articles, opinions, feedback, or just personal opinion.

Recently, I wrote an article for Yahoo! (click here) about childhood obesity. I started searching for sources for this article, and received over 100 responses to the question, “What do you think caused the rise in childhood obesity?” Responses came from professional and Olympic athletes, fitness experts, health experts, nutritionist, and parents.

I was unable to use everyone’s feedback, but thought it would be great to post some of their responses on my blog in a new web series, “What Causes Childhood Obesity.” I hope that you enjoy the opinions here from various individuals. Please remember, my including their posts does not necessarily mean I agree or endorse their opinion, rather, a place to share other people’s thoughts.

Keeping Kids Fit

Opinion: Dr. Dan Kirschenbaum

Those who struggle with weight problems are struggling with a disease of prosperity. In countries with an abundance of riches, children tend to become incredibly sedentary. Smarter and smarter phones lead to less and less movement, with some studies showing many hundreds of texts per month as the norm for teenage communication, for example. Couple sedentary living with an obesogenic food environment and you get a recipe for obesity among those who are biologically prone to develop it.

Although this may seem radical, it is also a simple solution. If parents aimed to eliminate fat in their diets, in their homes, that could have dramatically positive effects on preventing obesity and even help reduce excess weight. A zero fat goal would be an aspirational goal. No one would achieve it, but just striving for it would promote eating of very low fat foods (e.g., fruits and vegetables; lean meats; fat free cheeses and other tasty products). The programs I’ve helped develop, Wellspring Camps and Academies – and Wellspring Journey (a self-help groups initiative), we also emphasize another eating principle, “Find lovable foods that love you back.” This encourages weight controllers to aim for very little fat, but also to try to find very low fat foods that they really like. Deprivation does not facilitate lifestyle change.

Dr. Dan Kirschenbaum, Wellspring

What Causes Childhood Obesity? – Part 1

Posted on by
Reply

As many of my regular viewers to this web blog know, there are many factors contributing to childhood obesity. I post daily here about it, whether news print articles, opinions, feedback, or just personal opinion.

Recently, I wrote an article for Yahoo! (click here) about childhood obesity. I started searching for sources for this article, and received over 100 responses to the question, “What do you think caused the rise in childhood obesity?” Responses came from professional and Olympic athletes, fitness experts, health experts, nutritionist, and parents.

I was unable to use everyone’s feedback, but thought it would be great to post some of their responses on my blog in a new web series, “What Causes Childhood Obesity.” I hope that you enjoy the opinions here from various individuals. Please remember, my including their posts does not necessarily mean I agree or endorse their opinion, rather, a place to share other people’s thoughts.

Keeping Kids Fit

Opinion: Brandon Henry

I believe that childhood obesity is on the rise because it is a function of how the the parents choose to live their lives. The parents make poor choices when it comes to food, exercise and outdoor activity and it carries over into what they model for their children. A parent who drinks soda creates an environment where the children want soda. A parent who doesn’t drink soda, minimizes the exposure their children have to soda. You can carry this over to the foods they choose to eat for both snacks and meals. Couple this with children who do not see their parents exercise, jog, run, bike, etc., and they learn that it is ok to sit inside and watch TV or play on the computer.

One easy change is to eat healthy foods with your children. Make it a point to introduce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. Encourage them to try them more than once, but once your child has expressed a dislike of some foods, do no continue to force them to eat the given food. Wait a bit and try introducing it again later. When your children see you eating and drinking healthy, they are more likely to learn those habits themselves.

Brandon Henry, Owner ­ Performance Strength & Conditioning

www.performancestrengthconditioning.com

The Role Model In You – Laura Williams, Founder/CEO of GirlsGoneSporty

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Role Model

Laura Williams


As part of my new web series, The Role Model In You, here is my most recent interview. The Role Model In You series discusses how individuals were influenced as a child to lead a healthy lifestyle. It covers who influenced these individuals, the changes they made in their life to be healthy, and the message they would like to convey to the youth of today. Our guests include doctors, soccer stars, Super Bowl champions, NBA players, Olympic gold medalist, entrepreneurs, celebrities, and just regular people looking to share their story. I hope you enjoy it!

1. Your name, title, and age? What do you do (or did you do) for a living?

Laura Williams, M.S.Ed., Founder/CEO of GirlsGoneSporty, 30 years old; Currently I manage and run the GirlsGoneSporty website, dedicated to helping women and teens pursue an active, healthy lifestyle. In addition to my work on GirlsGoneSporty, I’m a freelance writer and editor. Prior to taking the leap to self-employment I managed fitness and recreation centers for eight years.

2. Who was the person that inspired you as a child to eat healthy and stay fit? What was their relationship to you?

I was lucky to have parents that valued fitness, sports and healthy eating. By prioritizing a healthy lifestyle, they set a solid example for us kids. Later in life, after high school, I stopped exercising and was eating poorly. It was right around then that I met my husband, and he held fitness and nutrition in such high esteem, that it reiterated the good habits I acquired growing up and helped me get back on track.

3. What did they do to inspire you?

I remember my dad challenging me when I was only about six years old to see how fast I could run a mile, promising me $20.00 the first time I could run it under eight minutes. It took years for me to reach that goal, but I finally did.

All of us kids were encouraged to play sports, and by default, we were served healthy meals at home. My dad was always running, cycling and trying new activities like windsurfing, which was such a good example for us to see. Similarly, my mom’s walks and swims were such a priority to her that it was clear that no matter what else was going on in our lives, our own health should always be important.

That kind of early influence helped significantly once I was old enough to make my own food and lifestyle decisions. But, that doesn’t mean I didn’t “fall off the wagon” of healthy living. When I graduated high school, I was done playing competitive sports and I started taking advantage of the freedom to eat what I wanted. I put on some weight and wasn’t feeling happy, but didn’t really have the motivation to start up my own workout plan. It was then that I met my to-be husband, and his internal motivation inspired me. Seeing him hit the gym, track and field (he was a D1 baseball player) gave me the inspiration I needed to start exercising and eating right again.

4. How did their lesson change your life?

Not only did the inspiration of my parents and husband make me a healthier, happier person, it also changed the course of my career. After discovering my personal motivation and love for fitness, I decided to pursue a career in the field. I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in exercise and sport science and managed fitness, aquatics and recreation centers for eight years. Now my passion is sharing my knowledge and voice with other women who enjoy living the active, sporty life. Everything I do found its foundation in the inspiration I received from my parents and husband.

5. Do you convey their message to kids in your life presently?

I’m not currently around kids that much, although when I was working in fitness and recreation management, I regularly helped coach youth basketball teams and swim lessons, which was an extension of the things my parents did for me. But, my entire life’s work is a reflection of what my parents instilled in me and how they helped shape my life. Every time I write an article on healthy lifestyle choices for women and teens, it’s in part because of the inspiration they gave me to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle myself.

6. What would be your main message to children today to lead healthy lifestyles?

Find an activity that you love, and pursue it wholeheartedly. Just because your friends are playing soccer or running track, doesn’t mean that that’s the right choice for you. Experiment – take a hike, get your parents to take you to a rock climbing gym, go kayaking as a family. When you find something that makes you smile, stick with it! And, always remember that food is fuel. Healthy foods may not have the same draw as fast food hamburgers and candy, but they taste delicious in their own way, so don’t be afraid to test them out. Just remember – try to appreciate them for their own flavors and textures, rather than comparing them to other foods.

7. Do you have a web site you would like to promote….web address only?

Yes! GirlsGoneSporty