Friends…..Due to Project ACES taking place next week, there will not be any new posts to this site until after May 3rd. I apologize for this, but hope you enjoy all the articles posted so far. Things should slow down again after ACES takes place. Please leave a comment when you get a chance. Thanks for your understanding. In the meantime, you can visit the Project ACES web site at: http://www.projectaces.com
2 comments April 24th, 2006 by Len Saunders
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out the youth of the world are increasingly becoming more overweight. The statistics do not lie! According to kidshealth.org ( link ), “In the last 30 years, a growing number of kids and teenagers have developed weight problems. Today, 9 million kids ages 6 to 19 are overweight. Many grown-ups understand what it’s like to have weight problems. More than half of adults are overweight or obese, which is a word that means very overweight.”
Obesity can lead to so many other health problems. Parents are the key to motivating their children to get up and get moving. Without parent involvement, it is going to be a losing battle. They need to motivate children to be active, while acting as a healthy role model.
“When people talk about being overweight they mean that someone has more body fat than is healthy. Everyone has some body fat, but when someone has excess fat, it can affect the person’s health and ability to walk, run, and get around. It also affects the way they look and may cause them to be bigger and rounder than other people.”
If a parent is not sure whether or not their child is overweight, simply bring them to the pediatrician. The doctor may be able to perform a test such as a BMI (Body Mass Index) to see which direction the child should go. The BMI is the number derived by using height and weight measurements that gives a general indication if weight falls within a healthy range.
1 comment April 20th, 2006 by Len Saunders
This weekend, I just got recertified in CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation ). Knowing CPR is such an important step to ensure the safety of everyone around you. Wouldn’t it be great if everyone around us knew how to administer CPR? As a parent, wouldn’t you feel comfortable knowing everyone around your child knew how to give CPR? Parents of very young children most likely wake up a few times during the night to check on their children, mostly to see if they were still breathing. Yet, how many of them would know how to administer CPR if their child was not breathing nor had any circulation?
KATC 3 ( link ) (out of Louisiana) states, “Only one out of every twenty people knows CPR, and with Louisiana’s heart disease rate ten percent above the national average, experts say it’s more important now than ever to learn CPR. Experts agree. Doctors say if someone has a heart attack or a stroke, the first few minutes are vital. Knowing CPR could mean the difference between life and death.”
The Star Ledger in New Jersey ( link ) reports on a local high school girl who saved a teachers life through CPR. If you have the attitude that you will never need to know it, you are wrong. Lives are being saved frequently from individuals who took the time to learn CPR. If you are a parent, health professional, or teacher, you should consider learning this life saving technique!
In Texas ( link ), almost 300 people trained in one of their ballparks in a massive training session. The event took place at the Ameriquest Field, home to the Texas Rangers. The next goal of organizers is to certify 36,000 people from nearby Arlington, about 10% of the population. “Statistics show that about 80 percent of the heart attacks happen in the home with someone else present, heart association officials said. They said that CPR could double or triple a victim’s chance of survival. and reduce the 350,000 people who die annually from heart disease before reaching a hospital.”
4 comments April 17th, 2006 by Len Saunders
I have been writing this blog now for about a month. Thank you to all the positive feedback from the frequent visitors. There are so many times I start to write an article, get brain block, go out for a job and begin writing again. Why am I wasting your time telling you this, you ask? To prove a point! Exercise enhances cognitive skills. The cutback of PE and recess is detrimental to the growth and development of young children. The overload of work could potentially have a damaging effect on education. An article from ‘MCall’ ( link ) points out that recess is being cut quite frequently in many countries. “Sacrificing recess to gain a few more minutes a day for math or reading is counterproductive. Studies have shown that students who get recess are more focused and less fidgety when they are in class than those who don’t.”
A main concern of many schools around the globe are the problems that arise during recess due to the unstructured nature of the play, and lack of adult supervision. This is a problem is many schools. The article goes on to state that children need time to socialize without the adult presence. “All day long, kids have parents, teachers, coaches and other adults telling them what to do. Children have lost the time and space that most of us had while growing up to call our own shots and create our own kid-ruled world — for a few hours a day. When kids run their own games, sometimes they’re fair, sometimes they aren’t. But how do you learn to trust own judgment if you never have to?”
3 comments April 14th, 2006 by Len Saunders
Scotland has a new controversial plan to measure all 5 year olds in kindergarten to see if they are obese ( link ). “EVERY schoolchild will have to undergo an obesity test in their first year at primary school, in the latest controversial attempt by ministers to force Scots to improve their health. Five-year-olds will be weighed and measured by health workers to assess whether or not they are clinically overweight. Those who fail the test could be referred to a dietician for instructions on what to eat, while parents will be told how to prepare food to reduce their children’s weight.”
I do have mixed feelings about this decision. In some ways, it may help out parents who are deeply concerned over their child’s weight, and need help getting their children healthier. On the other hand, it may insult parents who feel it is no business of the school / government to get involved. I do hope professionals out there voice their comments here on this issue.
The ministers department will start by trying to ban all ‘junk food’ from vending machines and lunch programs. “The latest figures reveal that obesity levels in Scotland’s schools are soaring, with 20% of 11 to 12-year-olds now grossly overweight compared with 16% five years ago. Obesity is a huge problem that will not be tackled overnight, but we must draw the line at dictating what people should and should not do. Parents themselves have got to take responsibility for their children’s health.”
Overall, it is the responsibility of the parents to get involved in this initiative. Educate your children and be good eating role models. Start at a young age, since this is when most habits start!
3 comments April 10th, 2006 by Len Saunders
Project ACES takes place on the first Wednesday in May as part of National Physical Fitness and Sports Month along with National Physical Education Week. It has been labeled as “the world’s largest exercise class” by the media. Since 1989, millions of children from all over the world exercise together to promote proper health and fitness habits. With the obesity epidemic facing the youth of the world, children’s fitness plays a major role in fighting heart disease.
Each May, on a designated date and time, millions of school children all over the globe will exercise simultaneously in a symbolic gesture of fitness and unity to show the world that they do not fit into that negative stereotype of being “physically unfit”. This non-competitive program has proven to be educational, motivational, and fun. When I created Project ACES back in 1989, I had no idea that it would reach the magnitude and success of today. The program has been praised by Presidents of the United States; such as Bill Clinton, George Bush, and Ronald Reagan. The program has also received praise from Governors, Senators, and celebrities from sports and show business. Starting its 18th year, Project ACES has reached millions of children, parents and teachers all over the world, including participants from over 50 countries.
This year, ACES falls on May 3, 2006. Please join in to help promote children’s health and fitness around the world. To find out more about the event, please visit the ACES web site at: http://www.projectaces.com The web page will give you all the information you need to start an ACES event at your faculty. Find all the answers you need, plus letter of support, testimonials, and news clips about the event.
4 comments April 7th, 2006 by Len Saunders
This children’s health and fitness blog has discussed the importance exercise, diet, and sleep. What about liquid intake? It is very important that your children hydrate throughout the day with water. Drinking the sugar drinks should be done in moderation. Remember, approximately 1 in 5 calories digested comes from a liquid source, so reducing the sugary drinks makes a huge difference in calorie intake. Water is one of the most essential nutrients a living being needs to survive. Nothing can substitute it to help us live productive lives.
The majority of the human body is water. It is in your blood, digestive system, and helps keep body parts lubricated. Water also helps to maintain the temperature of the human body. “People’s bodies like to be at about 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius). But if you’re out running around or exercising in warm weather, you can feel pretty hot. And sometimes you don’t even need to be exercising – if the weather’s warm enough, you can feel hot just sitting still. And that’s where water comes in, by cooling you down with sweat. When your body generates a lot of heat, water comes up through your skin as sweat, and it evaporates into the air. (Evaporation happens when a liquid changes into a vapor – like when water boils and turns into steam.) As the sweat evaporates, it cools down your skin, which cools down your blood. When your blood is cooler, your insides become cooler, and your whole body cools down. It’s like your body’s own personal air conditioner!”
The wonderful Kids Health ( link ) web page discusses the importance of replenishing the body with water. Snip…..On a regular day, your body loses 2 to 3 quarts of water – enough to fill a 2-liter soda bottle. You probably guessed that water is lost when you pee, have bowel movements, and sweat – especially on a hot day.
But your body also loses water in an almost invisible way – evaporation. Water escapes from your body through your skin and in your breath. How? Your breath contains droplets of water that are usually too tiny to see. They become visible for a quick second in the cold when you can “see your breath.” But water evaporates this way all year round.
Your skin also contains water, which escapes in tiny droplets that go into the air. If you set a wet sponge on the kitchen counter, after a while, the sponge will dry out as the water evaporates. Likewise, the water in your skin evaporates into the air, but fortunately, your body can replace the water it loses so your skin doesn’t dry out.
Eating and drinking is one way to replace the water your body loses. Most foods have a lot of water in them, especially fruits and vegetables. Grapes, watermelon, oranges, and cantaloupe are delicious and full of water. On the veggie side, lettuce, cucumbers, and celery also are full of water.
But you can’t rely on food alone to get that water back, and that’s why it’s also a good idea to drink water every day. You might have heard someone say that people need to drink 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) of water each day. Depending on how much water you’re getting from foods and other liquids, 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters) might not be necessary. If you’re eating a lot of fruits and veggies, or you like to eat soup every day, you’ll be getting some of the water your body needs.
But drinking water is a healthful thing to do – and although you might not need 6 to 8 cups (1.4 to 1.9 liters), water contains no calories, no matter how much you drink.
And what about using other liquids that you like to help you get that water back? Low-fat milk is a good bet, or you can mix seltzer water with juice to make a tasty, sparkling drink. Try mixing half water and half juice for a delicious water-juice combination. Soda and iced tea are OK every once in a while, but you shouldn’t drink them too often because they usually come with lots of sugar and caffeine.
If you’re exercising and sweating, drinking water is doubly important (cold water is better). When you sweat a lot, your body loses even more water than normal. The more you exercise and the more you sweat, the more water you’ll need to drink. When it’s hot or humid, it’s even more important to drink water, because you are at a higher risk for heat exhaustion. Here are some guidelines for the amounts of water you should drink before, during, and after exercising:
When you’re exercising, don’t wait until you’re thirsty to drink up. Did you ever get a very dry mouth and suddenly feel very thirsty? That’s because your body already needed water and was trying to tell you by keeping water from going to the salivary glands (these glands make saliva, or spit, which is made from water, remember?). So your mouth felt all dried out, and you had a drink.
But when it’s hot or you’re exercising a lot, it’s much better for you to drink even when you’re not thirsty. You’ll feel better and have more energy.
Water is great – it helps every cell in our bodies, keeps things moving the way they should, and even cools us down when we need it! Keep your body healthy by drinking enough liquids all the time and especially when you’re exercising. With water working for you, you’re sure to feel H20-so-cool!…..Snip
2 comments April 5th, 2006 by Len Saunders
So you’re not convinced there is an obesity epidemic facing the youth of the world? Think again. A report just came out of the UK ( link ) stating two million children are overweight, and 700,000 are obese in that country. A related report is claiming that American children are too ‘fat’ to fit into their car seats ( link ). A good majority of children in the United States who are 6 years old and younger need ‘sturdier” models to ensure their safety. What is going on here? For the first time in decades, the life expectancy of children will be less than their parents. That should frighten most of you.
With diabetes on the rise in the UK, more and more children are developing many risk factors for heart disease. The rise in cholesterol and blood pressure is sky rocketing among UK youth. “If this trend towards more obese and overweight children continues, the UK could be facing a serious national health crisis in a decade’s time, say researchers. With fewer and fewer playing fields in the UK, in comparison to ten or twenty years ago, British children are becoming less physically active at school. Add to this the change in eating habits among young children, and the reasons for this growing childhood obesity problem becomes evident. British children are eating more and more of the wrong foods and doing less and less exercise. The number of hour’s children spend either watching TV or sitting in front of some kind of screen at home has increased.”
It is not much better in the US, where children are experiencing similar problems. “Over 250,000 American children under the age of 6 are too heavy for car-safety seats designed for their age-group. Makers of car-safety seats are having to make sturdier models to ensure levels of safety for these seriously obese and overweight children are maintained. As the American obesity epidemic gains pace and spreads through all age groups, the number of children under 6 who are obese is growing at an alarming rate.”
There are many people who just don’t believe the children’s obesity epidemic is so bad. It is ! The main key to reducing it is not diet, not exercise, not PE class, not reducing TV time, or stopping video games. The main key to reducing this growing problem is education. Educate the parents, teachers, counselors, and children on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
2 comments April 3rd, 2006 by Len Saunders
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