Children’s Health & Fitness » 2006

Archive for May, 2006

Parents Are The Key !

One topic that keeps coming up in this blog is the parent’s responsibility of keeping their children healthy and fit. This is a huge responsibility, but one that every parent undertakes when that beautiful baby is born. If a parent has an overweight child, but can’t seem to get the weight problem under control, a great solution would be to get properly educated from a health professional.

An article from News Blaze ( link ) states, “One of the big breakthroughs families must make is in determining the roles and responsibilities of each family member, relative to the child’s weight loss, and that varies with the age of the child.” This is very important. Even if you have one sibling in the house that is thin, but another that is overweight, the thin child must eat just as healthy as the obese child. One child can’t have all fruit and vegetables, while another has cookies and cupcakes. Consistency and follow through from the parents gets the ball rolling in the right direction.

The article went on to state that children need choices. It may not be a good idea for the parents to continually force-feed the children healthy foods. “Children ought to be given some choice in what they want to eat, but by having only good options at hand, parents set them up for success. If the available snack choices are fresh fruits, maybe vegetables and dip, even low-fat or low- calorie munchables like pretzels or popcorn, kids will choose from those. If parents don’t buy the gooey gunk and bring it home, then kids don’t see it, don’t ask for it, and don’t feel deprived when they’re told no. Mom and Dad won’t have to play the heavy because these passive controls minimize the risk of conflict for everyone. Of course, sometimes, less choice is better. If there’s a box of fat-free ice cream bars in the freezer, that’s a treat, and at dessert time, it’s an acceptable indulgence that a child will welcome with delight. A seven- or eight-year old isn’t going to turn up his nose at a 90-calorie Healthy Choice dessert pop and go on strike until someone produces a Twinkie.

Finally, it is also important to mention again that a healthy diet is only part of the equation. Exercise plays a key role in the reduction of childhood obesity. It has been proven that children are motivated to exercise if their parents get involved in the process. Again, a big responsibility for the parent, but one that is necessary to fight the obesity epidemic.

3 comments May 31st, 2006 by Len Saunders

An Interesting Concept

This is an interesting concept. If unhealthy foods were highly taxed, would it have an effect on the obesity epidemic? Would parents and children be turned off to buying their favorite junk foods? These are all interesting questions. Two things come to mind when I hear about this. First, did this work with cigarettes? Does the sale of cigarettes go down when the taxes went up? Second, is this fair to people in the lower economic bracket who maybe can’t afford various types of heath foods?

A report out of New Zealand ( link ) is entitled, “French sugar tax fights obesity.” The article starts off by stating “A sugar tax on “alcopop” drinks in France – leading to a big fall in sales – shows regulating the sales of unhealthy food and drinks can be effective.” The article also stating banning snack machines in schools a couple of years back was also effective in the fight against childhood obesity. The French government is taking a strong stand on this growing issue. “Another proposed French initiative was requiring snack food companies to put health warnings on advertisements aired in peak children’s television viewing times.” If the company chose not to put the warning on the advertisements, they would have to pay a 1.5 per cent tax on their advertising budget.

“This research shows that poor nutrition is often linked to short attention spans, disruptiveness, and other behavioral and emotional issues which can all have a seriously detrimental effect on children’s learning.”

What are your opinions on this issue?

3 comments May 25th, 2006 by Len Saunders

A New Concept

As you read from my previous post, Project ACES was a huge success. Hopefully, the links provided from the newswire in the last post are still active, and you can read some of the positive press about the program. Through the years, I have received 100′s of emails from adults praising Project ACES. One thing they always mention…..how about getting the parents involved? So, beginning in September, I will introduce a new program aimed at getting families to exercise. Potentially, the new program will become bigger than Project ACES! Stay tuned, I will post the ‘beta’ version of the web page announcing the new program here first. So, visit here frequently to view this new web site and program.

Parental involvement is a major ingredient with regards to motivating children to exercise. Proper adult role models are necessary to putting the children on the right track to a healthy lifestyle. Overweight / obese children most likely will grow up to be overweight / obese adults. This is why this new program will play a positive role in the lives of all families that participate. Stay tuned…..

2 comments May 23rd, 2006 by Len Saunders

Environmental Factors

Environmental factors definitely play a role in the rise of Type 2 diabetes. These are things within our control! I will say it again…..’within our control.’ Yet, the numbers are still soaring. Obesity is a main contributor to the rise in type 2 diabetes. So, in order to lower obesity or type 2 diabetes, you just watch what you eat and start an exercise program. Simple, right? Maybe not. Parents need to step up to the plate and monitor what their children eat and do. If not, the obesity stats and type 2 diabetes numbers are going to keep on rising. The ideal time is to start today, and not put it off for a free moment. Children need guidance in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. All they know is being a kid, which means young and healthy. They are not thinking about their health in the future. That is the parent’s job to teach!

Food for thought…..

Forbes ( link ) reported information from the National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing nationwide in-person survey of about 40,000 households “Excess weight and inactivity are risk factors for type 2 diabetes, in which the body doesn’t properly use the hormone insulin, which is crucial for converting sugars and starches in the blood into fuel for the body. The incidence of diagnosed diabetes rose 41 percent from 1997 to 2003 among the study participants. About 20 million Americans have diabetes, although many do not yet know it, according to the American Diabetes Association. About two-thirds of American adults are now overweight or obese, according to the National Institutes of Health. In 1960, 13 percent of adults were obese, but by 2000, nearly 31 percent were.”

2 comments May 18th, 2006 by Len Saunders

Obesity Rise in Men and Children

According to an article in the Poly Post ( link ), men and children are gaining weight faster than women. While the obesity rate in men and children has gone up, the obesity rate in woman did not have any significant gain. “Researchers found that from 1999-2000 to 2003-2004 the number of overweight girls increased from 13.8 to 16 percent while boys increased from 14 to 18.2 percent. Men increased from 27.5 to 31.1 percent while women decreased from 33.4 to 33.2 percent.”

Although this is good news for woman, it is still bad news for children and men. While more and more children suffer from risk factors for heart disease and a rise in Type 2 diabetes, we will hopefully be reading articles in the future stating children are becoming less and less overweight. The important fact to take into account about this article is the knowledge that the number of obese woman was already at a high level. This article may state no significant gains in the percentage of overweight woman, but at the same time, no significant loss. This means there is still a large percentage of woman who are obese or overweight.

“When people are overweight or obese, they are more likely to develop health problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis, sleep apnea and respiratory problems, and some cancers.” We truly have a large battle ahead of us!

1 comment May 16th, 2006 by Len Saunders

CDC Article

It should be recognized by all parents that the unfortunate statistics related to childhood obesity are all factual. In fact, the only peccadillo in all these findings is something should have been done about it many years ago. A great article appears on the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) web page ( link ) which states that “an estimated 17 percent of children and adolescents ages 2-19 years are overweight.” According to these findings, the number of overweight children has nearly doubled over the last 15-20 years.

This findings tell us that ‘changes’ need to be made. These changes must be researched and put in place by the parents. Parents need to evaluate their children’s lifestyle and begin to modify some of these poor habits before severe and irreversible damage is done. A healthy exercise program and proper diet is a great start. Parents should take an interest in what their children are eating, and closely monitor what activities they are doing after school. The key to a healthy child is family support along with a good education on the basic foundations of wellness. I will be releasing a new program shortly to address this growing concern. The program will introduce families to group exercise!

5 comments May 12th, 2006 by Len Saunders

Shape The Nation Report

The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD), and The American Heart Association (AHA) just released their most recent ‘Shape The Nation’ report ( link ). To me, this report is very important. It stresses the need for quality physical education, as well as the need to reduce the obesity epidemic prevalent to children in our society today. On this web site, you will find important information such as your state PE standards, state requirements of PE, and state PE policies.

I believe the main focus of the site is to let the public know that PE is failing in most states due to low requirements, whether lack of PE time, or a qualified PE instructor teaching the class.

A problem exists because the parents of these obese or overweight children just do not have the time to work on healthy lifestyles with their children. If the states would allow the schools to have qualified PE more often, this would alleviate ‘some’ of this growing problem. The PE teachers could therefore work closer with the parents on solving the issue of children not leading healthy lifestyles.

Here are some important facts noted with references from the Shape The Nation report:

Overweight Among Youth

The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980. Among children and teens aged 6 to 19 years, 16 percent (over 9 million young people) are overweight. ¹
About 10 percent of children aged 2 to 5 years are overweight.²
Four in 10 Mexican-American and African-American youth age 6 to 19 are overweight or at risk of being overweight.²
Approximately 60 percent of obese children ages 5 to 10 years have at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor, such as elevated total cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin, or blood pressure, and 25 percent have two or more risk factors.³
Children and adolescents who are overweight by the age of 8 are 80 percent more likely to become overweight or obese adults.

Participation in Physical Activity by Young People

More than a third of young people in grades 9 to 12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity.⁴
One-third of young people in grades 9 to 12 get an insufficient amount of moderate to vigorous physical activity.⁴
Over 11 percent of high school students get no moderate to vigorous physical activity.⁴
Participation in physical activity declines as children get older. Sixty-nine percent of ninth graders participate in vigorous physical activity on a regular basis, while only 55 percent of 12th graders participate in the same level of activity.⁴
Overall, among high school students, males are more physically active than females and white students are more active than black and Hispanic students.⁴

Participation in School Physical Education

Nationwide, the percentage of high school students enrolled in physical education was 56 percent in 2003 (71% of 9th graders, 61% of 10th graders, 46% of 11th graders, and 40% of 12th graders).⁴
The percentage of students who attended a daily physical education class has dropped from 42 percent in 1991 to 28 percent in 2003.⁵
The percentage of schools that require physical education in each grade declines from about 50 percent in grades 1 through 5 to 25 percent in grade 8, to only 5 percent in grade 12.⁶
Eight percent of elementary schools, 6.4 percent of middle school/junior high schools, and 5.8 percent of senior high schools provide daily physical education or its equivalent (i.e., 150 minutes per week for elementary schools; 225 minutes per week for middle schools/junior high schools and senior high schools) for the entire school year for students in all grades in the school.⁶

Public Support for Physical Education

Ninety-five percent of parents nationwide said that physical education should be included in the school curriculum for all students in kindergarten through grade 12.⁷
Eighty-five percent of parents and 81 percent of teachers believe that students should be required to take physical education every day at every grade level and 92 percent of teens said that they should receive daily physical education.⁷
More than 75 percent of parents and teachers believe that school boards should not eliminate physical education for budgetary reasons or because of the need to meet stricter academic standards.⁸

References

Hedley, A. A., Ogden, C. L., Johnson, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Curtin, L. R., & Flegal, K. M. (2004). Overweight and obesity among U.S. children, adolescents, and adults, 1999-2002. Journal of the American Medical Association, 291(23), 2847-2850.
Ogden, C. L., Flegal, K. M., Carroll, M. D., & Johnson, C. L. (2002). Prevalence and trends in overweight among U.S. children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of the American Medical Association, 288(14), 1728-1732.
Freedman, D. S., Khan, L. K., Dietz, W. H., Srinivason, S. R., & Berenson, G. S. (2001). Relationship of childhood obesity to coronary heart disease risk factors in adulthood: The Bogalusa heart study. Pediatrics, 108(3), 712-718.
Grunbaum, J. A., Kann, L., Kinchen, S., Ross, J., Hawkins, J., Lowry, R., Harris, W. A., McManus, T., Chyen, D., & Collins, J. (2004). Youth risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(SS-2), 1-95.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2004). Participation in high school physical education—United States, 1991-2003. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 53(36), 844-847.
Burgeson, C. R., Wechsler, H., Brener, N. D., Young, J. C., & Spain, C. G. (2001). Physical education and activity: Results from the School Health Policies and Programs Study, 2000. Journal of School Health, 71(7), 279-293.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2003). Parents’ views of children’s health & fitness: A summary of results [Executive summary]. Reston, VA: Author.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. (2003). National poll shows parents and teachers agree on solutions to childhood obesity [News release]. Princeton, NJ: Author.
Strong, W. B., Malina, R. M., Bumkie, C. J. R., Daniels, S. R., Dishman, R. K., Gutin, B., Hergenroeder, A. C., Must, A., Nixon, P. A., Pivarnik, J. M., Rowland, T., Trost, S., & Trudeau, F. (2005). Evidence based physical activity for school-age youth. Journal of Pediatrics, 146, 732-737.
U.S. Department of Agriculture & U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Nutrition and your health: Dietary guidelines for Americans (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Physical activity for children: A statement of guidelines for children ages 5-12 (2nd ed.). Reston, VA: Author.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2000). Opportunity to learn standards for elementary school physical education. Reston, VA: Author.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Opportunity to learn standards for middle school physical education. Reston, VA: Author.
National Association for Sport and Physical Education. (2004). Opportunity to learn standards for high school physical education. Reston, VA: Author.
National Association of State Boards of Education. (2000). Fit, healthy, and ready to learn: A school health policy guide. Part 1: Physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco-use prevention. Alexandria, VA: Author.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (1997). Guidelines for school and community programs to promote lifelong physical activity among young people. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 46(No. RR-6), 1-36.

2 comments May 9th, 2006 by Len Saunders

I’m Back…..

ACES was a huge success. The reports coming back from all over the world have been outstanding. Michigan had over 1000 schools (450,000 children) participate, while Pennsylvania had over 1600 schools participate. The Associated Press covered the event where I was administering it in New Jersey (see links below). I will start writing new posts here on Monday.

3 comments May 6th, 2006 by Len Saunders