Archive for February, 2007
Childhood obesity is a worldwide epidemic! It is not just taking place in your neighborhood, city, state, province, country…but your planet. Many years ago, you read articles pertaining to this problem. Most people relaxed, because they did not think it applied to the children in their area. Now, childhood obesity is in your backyard. It is not just the children who live in the poorer sections of town (which always seems to be documented), it is all children from all environments..
Many parents are faced with the challenge of getting their children up and moving. Time sensitivity seems to be the number one issue. An article ( link ) written at playfulls.com discusses the childhood obesity problem in Hong Kong. “Two-thirds of Hong Kong parents say the only exercise they do with their children at weekends is to walk them around shopping malls, according to a survey published Monday. In a city where medical experts are expressing alarm at rising childhood obesity, the survey indicated that the attitude of parents to exercise was a major factor. Only one of 1,146 primary school children interviewed said their parents did any exercise with them and a third said their parents preferred to spend their weekends resting. Two-thirds of parents wrongly believed going shopping with their children amounted to exercise while 40 per cent said their favourite joint activity was watching television or studying. Sports ranked sixth.”
The alarming problem with childhood obesity are the numbers / percentages. In most countries of the world, you keep reading statistics stating how the number of overweight children is on the rise. Twenty years ago in Hong Kong, 1/6 of the population of children were overweight. Today, the number has increased to 1/5 of the population.
Please go visit my PACES Day web site. This program just started in February 2007, and over 400 families have signed up. The program is free, and motivates / challenges families to exercise together on the weekends. The page has free activities as well as fitness suggestions for families to follow.
February 26th, 2007
by Len Saunders
Proper communication with you children is important to building not only a positive relationship, but to help them stay healthy. Most parents understand that health habits start at a very young age, and carry out until adulthood. Teach them while they are young to achieve a higher degree of success. The Citizen-Times ( link ) suggests “A good way to begin is to sit down with your children and help them make a list of the things they feel stop them from making good health decisions. Some examples could be television, fatigue, too much homework, peer pressure and other related reasons. Help your children feel comfortable enough to think of their own personal reasons for making unhealthy decisions – don’t just give them the answers.”
Parental role models are crucial to teaching children about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The American Heart Association (AHA) states that parents should set good examples for their children by practicing smart health habits. The AHA also recommends family activities together, as well as limiting the amount of TV time. The strongly frown upon using food as a reward, and suggest selecting achievable goals for your children. This combination is a very good start at building a healthy, rewarding lifestyle for your children.
February 22nd, 2007
by Len Saunders
This message is to answer Sam’s question…..
“Len, my daughter is overweight. She does not want to be, but every time she tries to watch her eating habits, she does not lose the weight, and give up after a week. She is 15 years old, and I worry about her socially. What can I do?”
It is always tough for any child (or adult) to deal with weight issues. Children’s weight loss is always about self-esteem. Self-esteem can be low due to being overweight, but self-esteem can be what saves your child. More about that later.
First, it is always important to go to your daughter’s pediatrician. This way, they can evaluate the child and make sure the weight gain is purely from over-eating or lack of activity. The doctor would be able to tell you if there was other problems causing the weight issues. Next, it may be important to go to a nutritionist. This way, your child will be eating the correct foods. Lastly, talk to your child’s physical education teacher to get some input on a safe exercise routine for your child. Once you get the green light from all three of these professionals, the parent must work with the child on the weight loss program.
In many cases, a child will expect the weight loss to occur very quickly. They need to understand it will take a substantial period of time to lose weight. Many children get frustrated and quit after a week because they are not seeing the results they would like to see. Talk with the pediatrician to find out healthy weight loss goals per week, and set your standards from there. A good combination of healthy diet and exercise will do the trick for most children. Add in to this equation proper sleep habits, and drinking an adequate amount of water each day.
Now, this is where the self-esteem issue mentioned earlier fits it. As written, most children get frustrated when they do not see results right away. They are children, this is the only way they know how to measure success. When they start to get frustrated, talk to them about self-esteem. Ask them how they feel on their weight loss program. When they become negative about it due to lack of success, explain to them how they should actually feel proud of what they have accomplished in such a short period of time. Tell them how they feel healthier since they started to diet and exercise program. Increase and build their self-esteem through that notion. BUILD on the positive, and set realistic goals with your child. The longer the child stays on the program, the more positive results will occur. It is not going to happen overnight. Use self-esteem as a tool to motivate. Even after one week with no results, make the child feel proud about ‘feeling’ healthier, and how they showed strong will power. There has to be a starting point somewhere, and every child’s starting point will be different.
Key points:
- Always get approval from your pediatrician to start any child on a diet
and exercise program.
- Monitor what your child eats.
- Monitor your child’s activity level.
- Let them know they are doing well because they are starting to feel
healthier.
- Results will not happen overnight.
- Children’s weight loss be not occur right away. Sometimes, building
muscle mass and drinking more water may give the illusion of no weight loss. One goal of an exercise program is to build lean body mass while reducing fat mass. Lean body mass weights more.
- Use self-esteem in your favor, not against you.
February 21st, 2007
by Len Saunders
My apologies to my regular visitors for this site being inactive for the last couple of days. As some of you may know, I use Word Press for this blog. A new release of the program came out a few days ago, so I had to upgrade. The problem, when I upgraded, the site got completely disorientated!
It is unusual for me to write about something that is not really fitness related, but I am doing that today. I take great pride in all my websites, but I only work on my sites as a hobby. I am no expert. In many cases, I have to rely on others for support.
Today’s post is about the ‘gift of time’ to other people. I met a couple of great people on-line the last couple of days named Steve and Brandon. These two gentlemen helped me through my Word Press issues. Brandon jumped in right away on a forum, and gave me a quick fix to a specific issue. Steve, well, helped me through pretty much everything.
Steve and I corresponded about 20 times over the weekend. When I needed him, he was there in a split second with the correct answer. He amazed me with his knowledge and patience with a beginner like myself. He said he enjoyed helping me, because it helped him as well. Quite remarkable in my opinion. I am going to make sure I keep his email address for future problems I encounter…..lol.
How does this relate to children’s health and fitness? There is a correlation. These two men took a small amount time to help me. They planted a seed to fix my problem, and I carried out their work. Children’s health and fitness follows a similar process. Parents / adults need to plant a seed with their children. Teach them at a young age about living a healthy lifestyle, and let them finish the work. Be a great role model for them, and they will lead a long and productive life.
Thank you to Steve and Brandon!
February 18th, 2007
by Len Saunders
The debate always arises on whether TV is making children unfit. Of course, if this is all the child does all day, it will cause the child to become sedentary and unfit. What if…a child watched a lot of TV everyday, but took the time to play for over an hour each day as well? Some experts say this is not a problem. This debate may continue for a while. Now, Health 24 ( link ) writes “If your child isn’t getting enough exercise, don’t blame the ‘idiot box.’ New research suggests that the amount of time teens spend watching TV bears no relationship to their levels of physical activity.”
What is interesting to me was a post to my blog last week which quoted an article stating “too much television caused high blood pressure” in children. As a parent, conflicting reports can literally drive you crazy. The bottom line, you know your children. As a parent, you can see what their needs may be, and changes that need to be made. If your child is watching a lot of TV, and they seem unhealthy to you from being sedentary, then yes, a change must be made. The opposite holds true for those children who watch TV, but make time to be active, and seem to be leading a healthy lifestyle.
The article went on to say, “The finding, which was published in the February issue of Pediatrics, runs counter to a commonly held couch-potato theory -embraced by many obesity-prevention programs – that the more time children spend in front of a TV show or video game, the less time they’ll play sports or exercise. Changes in television viewing do not necessarily predict changes in physical activity – increases or decreases- so we cannot just assume that if we can get kids to reduce their television viewing it will automatically result in increases in their physical activity.”
This story was responded to a study that included thousands of children aging from 10-15. The authors of the study stated that “each additional hour a week that a child spent watching TV, their involvement in either moderate or vigorous exercise increased by just .03 hours a week. The researchers concluded that changes in television viewing habits year to year did not appear to be substantially related to changes in exercise habits.”
Many researches have concluded that socio-economic background has a larger impact on children exercising than TV. A poor household may not be able to send their children outside alone to play since a neighborhood just may not be safe. These same families may not be able to afford private basketball lessons or recreational sports. In conclusion, each child is different. Parents have a tough job ahead of them trying to find ways to keep their children active in any environment. They have to be creative and supportive!
February 12th, 2007
by Len Saunders
We all know that leading a sedentary lifestyle is damaging to your health. Many children use technology to have some fun and to keep them busy. Some of the children think since they are still eating properly, and getting small doses of exercise, it should not be a problem. Not the case. Science Daily ( link ) is reporting “Teenagers who spend a lot of time planted in front of the TV are more likely to have higher blood pressure, regardless of whether they are overweight. This is the first research to show a direct and independent connection between TV watching and higher blood pressure among adolescents.”
I have been waiting for a report like this for a while. My contention has always been, do things in moderation. Too much of anything just cannot be that good for you. Children need a balance of eating right, exercise, proper amounts of sleep, adequate fluid intake, and less amounts of technology. There is nothing wrong with your children watching some TV, as long the duration is not too long. Some experts say children should not exceed 2 hours of TV per day, other experts limit it to one hour per day.
Snip…..The team reported on their study of 4,500 American adolescents in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. They found that sedentary activities and higher body mass index (BMI) were associated with higher systolic blood pressure. Systolic blood pressure is the pressure found when the heart pumps, in contrast to diastolic blood pressure, the pressure between heart beats…..Snip
As many know, when you have any type of physical activity, blood pressure will become lower. When you lead a sedentary lifestyle, the opposite holds true. When you lower your blood pressure to acceptable levels, you lower your risk for any signs of cardiovascular disease later in life.
Snip…..The researchers studied nationally representative data from 4,500 U.S. adolescents, aged 12 to 19, who participated in the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Interviewers assessed the adolescents’ nutritional intake and activities. Measurements of blood pressure and BMI were adjusted for gender and age. Within the 12- to 15-year-old age group, the study team found higher blood pressure to be especially associated with higher levels of watching television and video. “Although the association between sedentary activity and systolic blood pressure was rather small, most adolescents spend several hours per day in sedentary activities.”…..Snip
February 7th, 2007
by Len Saunders
This blog has discussed many times the role of the parent with regards to their children’s wellness. Parents need to teach their children at a very young age about eating nutritious meals and getting exercise. It is very important to do this during the impressionable years before adolescents sets in and bad habits are formed. There are many cases where a parent may try to do this and nothing works, their children are overweight, and the parent feels helpless. Is this parent at fault? Many would say yes, but I would disagree with them….to some extent. To me, only the parents of overweight children who do nothing about it are at fault.
First off, obesity is a disease. Sometimes, it is out of the parents control, and the pediatrician must get involved with some healthy solutions. Second, heredity plays a factor in some children being overweight. Children cannot control what is in the gene pool, so again, the pediatrician must become active, or the school nurse. Socioeconomic background may contribute to this, where families just cannot afford some of the healthier foods, and fast foods tend to be an option. When I blame parents in this blog, it is not directed at these situations, but, the parents who just don’t seem to care. The parents who do not encourage their children to eat properly or go out to play are the ones to blame. The parents who do not lead by example or support their children are the ones to blame. There are many single parents out there doing the best they can, but many cannot do it alone. Take advantage of the schools, recreation departments, YMCA’s, and other programs available to your child.
Here are 20 tips for parents concerned about children’s obesity.
- Start teaching them about healthy lifestyles at a very young age. Once there age reaches double digits, habits are already formed.
- If you are a parent that works late and cannot supervise your child, make sure you leave healthy snacks around the house so they avoid the junk food.
- Try to limit the amount of time your child spends on using technology. Television, computers, cell phones, video games, and DVD’s all teach them to lead sedentary lifestyles.
- If you get home late from work, try to arrange for your child to get involved in recreation or school enrichment programs.
- Lead by example. If you eat healthy and exercise, most likely they will.
- Talk to your school nurse / guidance counselor about any concerns you have with your child.
- Support your schools physical education program.
- Limit the amount of times your child depends on the fast food restaurants.
- Make eating nutritious foods and exercise part of your daily routine.
- Make sure your child gets plenty of water each day.
- Teach your children about getting to bed on time each day.
- Make sure meals are properly portioned.
- Teach your children safe and fun exercises they can do in the home. (Commercial-CIZE)
- Always start the day with a healthy breakfast.
- Let children sometimes plan their meals.
- Never reward your children with food. Instead, complement them on doing something well.
- Cook the foods healthier. Bake or boil the food, instead of using the frying pan with a lot of fatty oil. If you do fry, use olive or sunflower oils which are lower in fat.
- Try to read all food labels to make sure they are not full of unhealthy substances.
- Limit soft drinks. One in five calories for children come from liquid intake.
- Plan family exercise time. (PACES Day)
These are just suggestions. They are not the answers to solving the childhood obesity problem, but just some ideas that may help you. Parents are the key to success when it comes to their children’s wellness!
February 1st, 2007
by Len Saunders