Tips to Avoid Obesity in our Children

With Michelle Obama leading the charge to end childhood obesity, this serious topic is getting more attention. A new study on the subject revealed what most parents already know – there are three easy steps to keeping our kids healthy and avoiding obesity. According to the US Preventative Service Task Force, eating together as a family more than five nights per week, sleeping at least 10 ½ hours on weeknights, and limiting television and video watching to no more than two hours on weekdays, will give your child a 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity.

While these recommendations are fairly obvious, finding the time in our busy, hectic schedules to actually make these things happen isn’t easy. But, it’s necessary. The study points out that since the 1970s, childhood and adolescent obesity has increased three to six times. Approximately 12% to 18% of 2- to 19-year-old children and adolescents are obese (defined as having an age- and gender-specific BMI at 95th percentile).

Obesity can lead to other health problems for your kids, including diabetes and heart disease. Getting them on track now with a healthy lifestyle will set them on a positive path for their entire lives. In addition, all three routines also provide other benefits. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, by eating with your children, it is more likely that meals will be healthier and more balanced.

They also point out that teens who rarely have family dinners are three-and-a-half times more likely to have abused prescription drugs or an illegal drug other than marijuana. Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full-fledged anorexia or abusing diet pills. Regularly sitting down for a meal with your children is one way to connect with them and be involved with what is happening in their lives. They are more apt to tell you when they face difficult challenges or temptations.

The second recommendation, getting enough sleep, can also be easier said than done. By the time everyone gets home from work and after-school activities, has finished the family dinner and homework, getting 10 1/2 hours of sleep can be tricky. Yet, kids who get a full night’s sleep are sharper during the day, have more energy to enjoy physical activities, and stay healthier overall.

The final recommendation, limiting television and video watching, will allow your kids to spend time doing other, more productive activities. Playing a family game, exercising, Hop 66 Ball and reading, will all promote a healthy lifestyle.

Healthier Schools to Help Fight Childhood Obesity

Last Thursday’s blog talked about Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move! campaign to combat childhood obesity. Part of that campaign urges schools to provide healthier meals for students. Many schools are making this a priority.

Deborah Zee, Director of Food Services for the Voorhees Township Board of Education, points out many changes that have made school lunches healthier. “We’ve done away with frying foods and we’ve introduced salads, deli, wraps, and a lot of fruits and vegetables,” she explains.

The Voorhees School System follows the state’s Model Nutrition guidelines, which are designed to combat childhood obesity. These schools have never offered sodas either in the cafeteria or in vending machines, and all foods, including french fries, are baked instead of fried. Grilled cheese sandwiches are made with whole grain bread. Dessert items are typically healthier choices such as whole grain cookies or smart choice popcorn. Pizza, the cafeteria’s most popular item, is now topped with turkey pepperoni.

Zee says that students have been receptive to changes in food offerings because changes are made gradually. This year she introduced brown rice to mixed reviews but she is planning to offer more whole grains next year. She also believes that healthier schools are not just about the food choices.

“We’ve joined in a district-wide move to encourage students to get a lot of physical activity with the emphasis on teaching children to make good choices,” she explains. “We also teach them about gardening to let them see how it goes from seed, to plant, to actual food. We have a Greenhouse Gang in the middle school where kids can plant fruit and vegetables and watch them grow.”
The trick to healthy eating must start when kids are very young, says Zee. While schools can offer healthy choices, it’s parents who must help their children create good eating habits even before they go to school.

“People have to realize that the current eating and behavior patterns that exist are dangerous,” concludes Dr. Gidding, MD, Cardiology Division Head of the Nemours Cardiac Center at A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children. “I think it’s easy for families to be overwhelmed by this problem, but they need to remember that it’s one step at a time and setting achievable goals is important.”

Help for Parents
With 70 recommendations, parents may struggle to even know where to begin. The Letsmove.gov website offers help to children, parents, teachers, doctors, coaches, the non-profit and business communities, and others in understanding the epidemic of childhood obesity and taking steps to combat it. Parents can learn step-by-step strategies and receive regular updates on how the federal government is working with partners to reach the national goal.

Solving the Problem of Childhood Obesity

One out of every three children in the US is either overweight or obese, according to the White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let's Move! campaign to solve the childhood obesity epidemic within a generation.

The goal is to return to a childhood obesity rate of just five percent by 2030, which was the norm before childhood obesity first began to rise in the late 1970s. Let’s Move! presents 70 specific recommendations and urges parents, healthcare professionals, and schools to work together.

“This is a social problem with large-scale proportions,” explains Sam Gidding, MD, Cardiology Division Head of the Nemours Cardiac Center at A.I. Dupont Hospital for Children. The campaign will offer parents the tools, support and information they need to make healthier choices for their families. Dr. Gidding encourages families to examine the recommendations and choose a few things that they can realistically work on.

“A very good goal is weight maintenance,” he says. “Don’t shoot for dramatic weight loss or rash solutions, but get into a regular dietary pattern that allows the child to achieve weight maintenance.”

Costs of Obesity
Childhood obesity leads directly to other health issues in children, including hypertension, Type II diabetes, orthopedic problems, cholesterol and lipid problems, and physical inactivity.

“The costs of obesity are already with us in pediatrics,” points out Dr. Gidding. “Kids aren’t able to participate in athletics at a level that you would normally associate with being young. A lot of kids have asthma and with the obesity epidemic their asthma is much worse than it needs to be.”

Many of these problems are reversible with lifestyle changes if attacked at an early age. “Once you get into your twenties, that’s when the problems will start to become irreversible,” suggests Dr. Gidding. “For the kids who have diabetes, some of the damage isn’t reversible but at least some of the consequences can be prevented. For the garden variety kid, a lot of the stuff can be undone if they get control of their weight.”

Healthier Choices
It’s up to parents to lead by example, to model appropriate lifestyle behaviors, says Charlotte Genetta, Outpatient Dietician for Virtua Centers for Nutrition and Diabetes.

The first step parents should take is to set specific times and places for eating. While it may not happen every night, kids should expect to sit down for a meal without other distractions. “Studies prove that the psychological health of the young child and teen is enhanced by family meal times,” explains Genetta. “This also conditions them to take their time eating.”

She encourages parents to empower their kids to make responsible decisions by giving them choices in what they eat. For example, by creating a family vegetable garden, children can take pride and ownership in what the family is eating. Radishes are a particularly good example because they are fully grown in only three weeks. Parents can also have their kids accompany them to the food store to choose healthy meals, such as fruit to be made into a smoothie.
“You really can’t manage weight effectively without addressing both diet and exercise,” says Genetta. She urges kids to get at least an hour of physical activity every day, yet, many families struggle to find time to fit exercise into their daily routine.

During the summer there are lots of ways kids can be physically active, even if it’s just walking or biking through the neighborhood. When planning vacations, be sure to include physical activities such as swimming or hiking. Even the Wii system has gained popularity for its physical games. Also, try to find active ways to introduce your kids to healthy foods. Strawberry picking or visiting a farm teach children where fresh food comes from which encourages good nutrition.

“Kids model parents,” Genetta says. “If the kids see that mom and dad find exercise enjoyable, they will also view it that way. That’s important. You don’t want them feeling that exercise is akin to homework. It should be pleasurable movement through space. At every age there is something that can be done with movement.”

For severely overweight children, Dr. Gidding points out that exercise should be a weight maintenance strategy, not a weight loss strategy. “They want to get to a point where regular physical activity is part of everyday existence and they have to remember that the importance of exercise is a way to be healthier and be able to achieve weight maintenance,” he says. “But weight loss can’t be achieved without a dramatic reduction in how much the kids are eating.”

Genetta believes that parents should not restrict calories for their children unless the child is above the 95th percentile for their body mass index. Lifestyle changes in diet and exercise will help children grow into their weight. Kids will become more physically toned by losing fat and gaining muscle.

“A lot of kids are way over the 95th percentile,” she points out. “In that case, you have to restrict calories. It depends on the child’s age and how overweight they are.”

Helping our Toddlers Avoid Obesity

With Michelle Obama leading the charge to end childhood obesity, this serious topic is getting more attention. A new study on the subject revealed what most parents already know – there are three easy steps to keeping our kids healthy and avoiding obesity. According to the US Preventative Service Task Force, eating together as a family more than five nights per week, sleeping at least 10 ½ hours on weeknights, and limiting television and video watching to no more than two hours on weekdays, will give your child a 40 percent lower prevalence of obesity.

While these recommendations are fairly obvious, finding the time in our busy, hectic schedules to actually make these things happen isn’t easy. But, it’s necessary. The study points out that since the 1970s, childhood and adolescent obesity has increased three to sixfold. Approximately 12% to 18% of 2- to 19-year-old children and adolescents are obese (defined as having an age- and gender-specific BMI at 95th percentile).

Obesity can lead to other health problems for your kids, including diabetes and heart disease. Getting them on track now with a healthy lifestyle will set them on a positive path for their entire lives. In addition, all three routines also provide other benefits. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, by eating with your children, it is more likely that meals will be healthier and more balanced.

They also point out that teens who rarely have family dinners are three-and-a-half times more likely to have abused prescription drugs or an illegal drug other than marijuana. Girls who have five or more meals a week with their families are one-third less likely to develop unhealthy eating habits, which can range from skipping meals to full-fledged anorexia or abusing diet pills. Regularly sitting down for a meal with your children is one way to connect with them and be involved with what is happening in their lives. They are more apt to tell you when they face difficult challenges or temptations.

The second recommendation, getting enough sleep, can also be easier said than done. By the time everyone gets home from work and after-school activities, has finished the family dinner and homework, getting 10 1/2 hours of sleep can be tricky. Yet, kids who get a full night’s sleep are sharper during the day, have more energy to enjoy physical activities, and stay healthier overall.

The final recommendation, limiting television and video watching, will allow your kids to spend time doing other, more productive activities. Playing a family game, exercising, (check out the Hop 66 Ball) and reading, will all promote a healthy lifestyle.