Archive for February, 2006
Physical education in the schools is more important than most people realize.
First, it prepares children for a healthy future. The children gain the knowledge needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle, as well as receiving the immediate benefits of exercise.
Second, studies have shown the ‘playing’ in PE class enhances their cognitive skills. Bottom line, kids just do better academically.
An article from The Herald Online ( link ) discusses how South Carolina schools plan on increasing the amount of PE in the schools. They are realizing the importance of PE, not just physically, but academically. A new state law in South Carolina mandates there must be an increase of PE in the schools.
Snip…..The law was prompted in part by studies indicating that, in South Carolina, the number of overweight children has tripled since the 1960s. One-quarter of children ages 5 to 10 have high cholesterol, high blood pressure or other warning signs of heart disease. South Carolina also ranks number one in the nation for strokes, number three for heart disease and 10th for diabetes and for overweight and obese people. The law will require 60 minutes of physical education and 90 minutes of physical activity weekly for children in kindergarten through fifth grade in the 2006-2007 school year. It will require 90 minutes of physical education and 60 minutes of physical activity the following year…..Snip
This is a great approach to the obesity epidemic facing our youth. I do not want to downplay this great news in the state of South Carolina, but it seems like the classroom teachers will be taking on some of this initiative. This is a great start, but I do think it is important that a certified, licensed PE teacher take on these extra hours, not the classroom teacher. Just like you don’t want the PE educator to teach math, you should not want the classroom instructor to teach PE! The article does differentiate between PE and physical activity, so hopefully the PE teacher is teaching the PE classes.
February 28th, 2006
by Len Saunders
Finally, an article that tells me something I already knew, but do not see in the media too often. To be honest, I am getting tired of articles that claim how overweight American children have become. I know this is a dilemma on other continents as well! Thank you to The Courier-Mail of Australia ( link ). What a surprise, Australian children have a problem too. Well, that’s two continenents with obese children.
The article entitled, “They’re heavy, and they’re our kids” states “younger Australians are less likely to eat fruit and vegetables and more likely to be overweight or obese, according to new research by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).”
Sound familiar? Same story, different country…..
The story continued by stating “According to the National Health Survey, released by the ABS yesterday, 9 per cent more people aged under 24 are living sedentary lifestyles than 10 years ago.”
Once again, support given to the theory that our youth are facing severe challenges in the near future. This young generation life expectancy will be shorter than their parents. Something needs to be done, and quickly!
The statistics do not lie. “Compared with 10 years ago, 42 per cent more people aged between 18 to 24 are obese. The research shows people aged under 24 are less likely to walk for exercise than any other age group, other than people aged 75 years or older.”
February 28th, 2006
by Len Saunders
I have been saying for years how important it is for families to exercise together! Parents should always take the time from their busy schedules to play / exercise with their children. It is recommended that children receive about 60 minutes of play each day. Many of these children are not even getting 60 minutes of play time a week…..thus, the obesity issue. A key ‘role’ in this growing problem is the ‘role’ the adult plays in the child’s life. This is where the term ‘role model’ comes into effect. If you as the adult are obese and lead a sedentary lifestyle, chances are your child will follow in your footsteps.
According to an article at STLtoday.com ( link ), more families are taking the time to exercise or play together.
Snip…..More and more families are opting to get healthy together. Programs are popping up in neighborhoods, schools, communities and medical schools. The reason is simple: The health of the family is the health of the community.
The parent controls the environment, and for children this is where the patterns are formed. Children learn these healthy behaviors when they’re young; then that translates to them as they’re adults.
At a time when childhood obesity threatens the health of America‘s future, family health is taking on new significance.
Considering that some schools have cut back on physical education classes to save money, soft drink vending machines are everywhere, and prepared foods and fast foods make meals instant, cheap and prevalent, what’s a parent to do?…..Snip
What can you do?
- Take family walks together.
- Prepare and eat healthy meals.
- Be conscious of what snacks you are eating.
- Avoid technology when possible.
- Make a plan and stick to it.
- Lead by example.
- Learn more about your child’s physical education program.
- Get involved in your recreation department.
- Monitor what your child does in their free time.
- Recruit your child’s friends to enjoy these healthy behaviors.
February 27th, 2006
by Len Saunders
Obesity in children is on the rise all over the world. “In boys and girls ages 6 to 19, about 30 percent are overweight and about 15 percent are obese”, as stated in The Daily News Journal ( link ) of Tennessee. Children just need to cut back on the sweets, such as chips, cookies, cakes, and sugar drinks. The consumption of caloric intake with unhealthy snacks is at all time highs with many children. Simple cutbacks of these types of food is a great start in reducing childhood obesity. Try to monitor what your children are eating.
This article also stated to “keep healthy — and portable — snacks on hand such as fruit (bananas, oranges, apples), string cheese, cheese and crackers, fruit smoothies, just to name a few. If your family is always on the go, keep a cooler in the car filled with these healthy snacks. These also work well as breakfast ideas as opposed to doughnuts and soda. Investigate how much physical activity your child gets. They need 60 minutes of moderate exercise a day, and it doesn’t have to be a full hour at one time. Also, limit “screen time” and encourage physical activity.”
Good advice for most parents. The trick, don’t start to do too much too fast. I always feel that “small steps lead to larger accomplishments.”
February 26th, 2006
by Len Saunders
When you make your child’s lunch, do you ever consider the nutritional value of the meal? Many parents are so overwhelmed these days with work, along with being so time sensitive, they are rushing to prepare their child’s lunch. This ‘no time to make lunch’ story is contributing to the overweight children all over the world. Many parents have their children buy lunch at school. They give them 5-10 dollars and trust they will choose the ‘right’ foods. Not happening….sorry. Many of the children are bringing to school those pre-made lunch products in a box. Look at the nutritional content of those meals. How about the lack of healthy snacks the children eat. It seems like there are more chips or cookies rather than carrots and apples. Remember, health habits that last a lifetime start at young ages. What can you do?
- Prepare healthy lunches and snacks. Take the time to actually shop for healthy foods, as well as spending a few extra minutes putting time and consideration into what goes into your child’s mouth.
- Lead by example. Let your children see you eating healthy.
- Talk about the importance of a healthy diet along with it’s benefits.
- This may sound ‘strange’, but let the children have their sweets once in a while. After all, they are still kids. As long as it is in moderation, it should not present a problem.
- If you live in the warmer climate, start a project. Try growing your own vegetables in a garden. Let the child take care of the plants. When the time comes, let them pick the veggies for their salad.
Many schools are starting to get with the program! They are realizing a healthier diet makes healthier children. A healthier child will also be more alert, as well as perform better academically. For example, the Bozeman Public Schools ( link ). The following is a quote on some of the changes they plan:
” Changes could include healthier snacks at concessions and new ways for students to be physically active. It could include student wellness fairs or parent workshops on drugs and alcohol. It might mean a change in the desserts sold at school fund-raisers, or even curtailing Halloween candy.”
This should be a standard for schools all over the world. The rise in childhood obesity, as well as type 2 diabetes should prove the necessity for these changes. Schools, teachers, parents, or anyone else in your child’s life need to work together on creating a safe, healthy, and daily menu for our youth.
February 24th, 2006
by Len Saunders
It is a sad state these days when very young children are diagnosed with eating disorders. According an article from The Kingsport Times News ( link ), eating disorders do not have any boundaries, and can affect anyone.
Snip…..Driven by a complex combination of genetic, psychological and societal factors, the incidence of eating disorders in the United States has more than doubled since the 1960s. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as many as 10 million young women and a million young men are fighting a life-and-death battle with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. An estimated 25 million more are struggling with binge eating disorder…..Snip
Prevention and education seem to be the best method of getting young children on the right track. Many young children these days are concerned about their appearance with regards to their weight. This is a serious issue, and should be watched carefully. The article went on to explain the dangers of anorexia. It states, “Anorexia can cause heart and muscle shrinkage; slow and irregular heartbeats; heart failure; absence of menstrual periods; kidney stones and kidney failure; lanugo or development of soft, downy body hair on the chest and arms; muscle atrophy; constipation; bowel irritation; osteoporosis and even death. Health risks associated with bulimia include electrolyte imbalance; heart arrhythmia and heart failure; teeth erosion and cavities; irritation and tears in the throat, esophagus and stomach; laxative dependence; emetic toxicity and death. Binge eating can lead to obesity, which in turn can cause high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, heart disease, diabetes mellitus and gallbladder disease.”
What is the difference between anorexia and bulimia?
Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder characterized by an aversion to eating and fear of gaining weight. Individuals with anorexia nervosa often take extreme measures to avoid eating. They may lie or make excuses for not eating. They will deny being hungry.
Those with bulimia binge on large quantities of food and then usually purge by vomiting, abusing laxatives or diuretics, or taking enemas. Some with bulimia do not purge, but compensate for eating by over-exercising or fasting. Those with bulimia can frequently hide their affliction, because bulimics often maintain a normal body weight. Physical signs may include swollen glands, discolored teeth and calluses on the hands caused by self-inducing vomiting.
February 23rd, 2006
by Len Saunders
Children do spend a lot of time on the computer, listening to CD’s, or playing video games. Some estimates tell us they exceed 40 hours a week dedicated to this technology. This is leading to a sedentary lifestyle that could potentially lead to poor health / habits down the road. There are always articles in the media pertaining to this health risk. Today, I came across an article ( link ) praising one of the activities in gaming. The truth is, the kids love it and it promotes exercise. The article praised a Playstation game called, Dance, Dance, Revolution. It stated, “The game is played using a dance mat connected to the Playstation. Players use dance moves to match sequences on the screen.” Many PE teachers across the country have brought this into their classes. It is highly successful in getting the children up and moving. The lesson here, sometimes it is better to work with your children through compromise. For example, if your child watches a lot of TV, ask them to exercise during commercial breaks. Instead of taking TV away completely, you are working with them. If your child likes gaming, see if you can purchase a game like Dance, Dance, Revolution to play once in a while to promote exercise.
February 23rd, 2006
by Len Saunders
The headlines you see all over the place state that KIDS ARE GETTING MORE OBESE. The next sentence always states, THEY NEED TO EAT HEALTHIER, EXERCISE MORE. Don’t we know this already? The problem may be parents are not listening, or just do not have the time to listen. In more and more households, both parents are working late hours. The kids take the bus to and from school, eat fast food, and live a sedentary lifestyle. Is this the parents fault, or just society today? Children need to be active everyday, for at least an hour. Studies show this reduces the risk factors for heart disease, as well as enhancing their cognitive skills.
An article in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ( link ) supports this notion. Children are being treated for illnesses usually associated with adults such as back pain, liver disease, diabetes, kidney disease, sleep apnea, and arthritis. These are all related to the fact that children are increasingly becoming overweight.
On the PoughkeepsieJournal.com ( link ) web site, it states parents of obese children really need to be concerned. Snip…..While obesity alone is a risk factor for heart disease — which includes heart attack, stroke and other ailments — the American Heart Association says most overweight children have at least one other factor that heightens their risk for heart disease, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Obesity can also cause children to develop abnormally thick heart muscle tissue, which increases their risk for heart disease as adults. According to heart association statistics, 16 percent of U.S. children ages 2 to 19 are obese. That’s up from less than 5 percent in the 1980s……Snip.
Most people do not like statistics, but we can learn from them. They may not be an indicator of what is going on personally with you or your family, but we should all learn from other peoples mistakes. The lesson here, eat healthy and exercise…..but you knew this already!
February 21st, 2006
by Len Saunders
This message is to answer Alice’s question…..
“Len, what type of exercises should my 8 year old daughter be doing at this point in her life?”
Alice, I read a book by Dr. Ken Cooper (the father of aerobics) many years ago. I believe the name of the book was called, Kid Fitness. It was a book that motivated me in many ways, and got me very interested in children’s health and fitness. Dr. Cooper strongly recommended using body weight as a resistance. What that means, no weights involved, just the body. For example, if a child does push-ups, his/her weight is the resistance.
The next question would be, how many? On a given day, ask your child to perform as many push-ups as possible until fatigue sets in. Let’s say your child was able to do 30 pushups. A good start would be having the child perform 3 sets of 50% maximum. This formula is very simple.
50% of 30 push-ups = 15 push-ups
The child should perform 3 sets of 15 push-ups every other day.
When this formula becomes too easy, you can have the child perform 3 sets of 75% maximum. Use the same formula as above, but change the 50% to 75%. In this scenario, the child would perform 22 or 23 push-ups.
As far as strength training using weights, use your best discresion. This has been a topic of controversy over the years. Some professionals say it is safe, while others feel the children should not weight train at all until they are completed with their growing process. Personally, I feel weight training can be safe if done properly. This means, low resistance, high repetition. If a young child can curl a one pound weight 20 times without rest, this is probably safe for the child.
A informative web article can be found on the CNN web site ( link ). Below are a few snips…..
Snip 1…..The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Sports Medicine, and the National Strength and Conditioning Association all support strength training for kids — if it’s done properly. Today’s children are increasingly overweight and out of shape. Strength training can help put them on the lifetime path to better health and fitness. Snip…..
Snip 2…..Strength training for kids — not to be confused with weightlifting, bodybuilding or powerlifting — is a carefully designed program of exercises to increase muscle strength and endurance. Weightlifting, bodybuilding and powerlifting are largely driven by competition, with participants vying to lift heavier weights or build bigger muscles than other athletes. This can put too much strain on young muscles, tendons and growth plates, especially when proper technique is sacrificed in favor of lifting larger amounts of weight. Strength training for kids, however, isn’t about lifting the heaviest weight possible. Instead, the focus is on lighter weights and controlled movements, with a special emphasis on proper technique and safety…..Snip
Snip 3…..Strength training for kids has gotten a bad reputation over the years. Lifting weights, for example, was once thought to damage young growth plates — areas of cartilage that have not yet turned to bone. Experts now realize that with good technique and the right amount of resistance, young athletes can avoid growth plate injuries. Strengthening exercises, with proper training and supervision, provide many benefits to a young athlete…..Snip
An example certain exercises can be found at my Project ACES web site ( link ). Another site I like is provided by Amateur-Sports.com ( link ).
I hope this helps. Email me if you have any questions. Remember; always get a physician’s approval before starting any exercise program, whether adult or child.
I hope this helps. Email me if you have any questions. Remember; always get a physician’s approval before starting any exercise program, whether adult or child.
February 21st, 2006
by Len Saunders
This article will review a great web site about diabetes. It has been well documented that Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise in children. Physical inactivity and sedentary lifestyles have been a contributing factor to the growing concern. As Physical Education programs are being cut, TV / computers / video game play on the rise, more fast food being eaten, children are showing more signs for heart disease. Obese children are susceptible to diabetes. A parent may be able to lower the chances of Type 2 diabetes through a healthy diet and active lifestyle.
Many individuals do not understand diabetes. A web site I visit frequently to learn more about diabetes is called D LIFE. It is an excellent web site, and very educational. There is a lot to learn there about this serious threat to our children.
According to the D Life ( link ) web site…..
Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of the disease, accounting for 90 to 95% of all diabetes cases in America. Unlike type 1 diabetes, where destruction of the pancreas reduces and eventually stops the supply of the hormone insulin, people with type 2 diabetes are still able to produce insulin. However, the insulin they produce is unable to perform its primary job, which is helping the body’s cells use glucose for energy. Usually this is due to a problem with the body’s insulin receptors, the location on cells where insulin binds so that glucose can enter (although less frequently there may be a problem with the chemical makeup of the insulin itself). This condition is called insulin resistance.
If glucose can’t be absorbed by the cells, it builds up in the bloodstream instead, and high blood sugar is the result. The pancreas keeps increasing insulin production in an effort to keep up with rising blood sugar levels, and high circulating levels of insulin (known as hyperinsulinemia) develop. Hyperinsulinemia increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health problems.
Over time, the high blood glucose levels from uncontrolled diabetes can cause serious long-term health problems with virtually every system in your body. Eventually, they may cause damage to the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas, reducing insulin output. An early diagnosis is important to prevent some of the other more serious complications of diabetes, which include heart disease, high blood pressure, nerve damage, and kidney failure. Fortunately, in many cases type 2 diabetes can be adequately controlled through a combination of proper nutrition and exercise, which is usually the first line of treatment. However, some people with type 2 diabetes do require oral medications or insulin injections.
February 21st, 2006
by Len Saunders
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