Sep
04
2009
The conclusion of a recent study from the University of Missouri has added validity to the concern most of us who care for children share, “Overweight Kids Experience More Loneliness, Anxiety.”
We all grew up with the realization that the obese child in school was generally excluded from sports and parties. But there was a general perception that they were the jokesters and the life of the classroom. Maybe not the one you would expect to be homecoming queen or king, but happy and fun to be around with the “good personality”. However, this new study sheds light on the true impact that being obese has on a child’s emotional spirit. “As childhood obesity rates continue to increase, experts agree that more information is needed,” this University of Missouri study found. In addition, the study determined that, “overweight children, especially girls, show signs of the negative (emotional) consequences of being overweight as early as kindergarten.”
This study gives the evidence we need to push for more resources to understand why these children became obese in the first place. More effective intervention needs to be implemented before the psychological trauma of loneliness and depression advances. Once a child is on the path to becoming obese, behavior patterns have already been set in motion.
The University of Missouri-Columbia study found that, ” both boys and girls who were overweight from kindergarten through third grade ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
7 steps for a Healthy Start to the new school year!
Physician well visit- Make sure your child’s vaccines are up to date. The list of required and recommended vaccines keeps growing and requirements have continually changed. Additional shots added to the list of requirements in many states include the second Varicella (Chicken Pox vaccine) and the Meningococcal vaccine, especially for college bound students. Try to schedule your child’s annual doctor’s visit ahead of the usual preschool rush. Check your insurance policy to understand how often your plan covers a physical examination. Generally speaking, it is once a calendar year and you need to be aware of some of the time frame requirements from many local schools. They might overlap with insurance requirement and you may have to discuss this problem with your child’s school administration. This year there is added concern because of the possibility of having to get two flu vaccines. Make sure you keep current with the recommendation of the CDC and your physician regarding the necessity, availability, and safety of the seasonal flu and H1N1 vaccines.
Sports, fitness and forms. Most school sports teams require a separate participation form. Make sure your child’s physical exam is up to date and current, at least within the last 6 – 12 months for this form. Consider having an EKG if your child we be playing a particularly intense sport. Ask ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
Daddy Duty
A call to duty for dads. What is the revised job description for fathers today? Provider, sports enthusiast, household helper? The primary nurturing role still seems to be mom's domain. So what is our role? We are there to have fun, do some chauffeuring and help pay the bills. Everyone keeps telling us we should be more involved with our children, more hands on. But what does that mean? I don't see the moms giving up their day job of child rearing, food selection, taking care of the kids when they are ill, and comforting their emotional needs. As a matter of fact in my Pediatric practice, I rarely see the dads. The doctor visits are primarily under the auspices of mom. Anything dealing with health, vaccines, behavior, nutrition and development is generally supervised and determined by mom. “Not that there is anything wrong with that”. Even in households, where both parents are actively involved in child care, when I call a house and the dad answers the phone, he always puts his wife on the phone when the conversation's focus turns to his child's health. I would say with very few exceptions, the dad's are involved with the discussion, but the moms are the hands on decision makers. When I do finally meet a father in my office it is usually because mom cannot make it to the ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
Remember the first time your baby started to cry and scream from hunger pains? You were so nervous that you only wanted to make her happy and stop crying. You followed all the instructions from the baby book to calm her down. Then you fed her and the crying suddenly stopped with the muffled sounds of her swallowing down the milk one loud gulp at a time. Now that was gratitude for food. You lived from feeding to feeding. A big burp after eating was like music to your ears. It didn't get any better than that.
Where did those magic moments go? Now you are grateful if you can get your children to the table away from their many distractions long enough to eat. You are happy if they will eat their meal without a struggle. Dinner is just another chore on the long list of things to do. With all the effort you put in, you would think they would appreciate the food you make for them or at least remember what they ate for the last meal. Have you ever asked a child what they had eaten for the most recent meal? Nine times out of ten they do not remember what they ate let alone be grateful for it. Certainly you want your children to eat healthier and be aware of the benefits of eating well, or ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
Everyone is welcome at the Family Dining Table; the best place for fun and friendly family health. There are no requirements or special eating habits at our table. Just pull up a chair, sit down and relax. “Our table is your table”. Our mission is to reinforce the importance of family time in influencing our children's health and nutritional choices by bringing as many families and friends to the table as possible. Our table is not just about the food we eat, but the nourishment we provide as parents and caretakers. The table is also a place to listen to the concerns of the people we care about. Problems are solved, bonds are reinforced, and dreams are encouraged at the table. We will be here to guide and support you on your quest for better family health and nutrition.
With families being fractured into so many directions by our over scheduled lives, it is not surprising to find that the influences on our children from outside sources are growing. The media, in the form of television, internet, marketing, and celebrity worship, has taken a surrogate role in guiding many of our children's choices. The average child spends considerably more time in front of the television or computer than they do interacting with their parents. So, where are they getting their health and nutrition information? It needs to be from us, the ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
Using the Public School System to Identify Obese Children
Issue for discussion- Using public schools to calculate BMI and determine the obesity level of students.
Method: Starting in the state of Arkansas in 2003 (Governor Huckabee), schools weighed, measured and charted student's BMI ratio. They sent this information home with the students along with a guide on nutritional advice. In addition the schools removed sweet drinks and snack sales.
BMI- a scale to chart the ratio of weight to height across age ranges for children. Children at or above 85th percentile are considered overweight while those charted over the 95th percentile are considered obese and correlates can be made for related health risks including type2 diabetes and later development of cardiac disease.
Pros- This creates a uniform measurement for doctors to evaluate where a child's weight and size correlate at their visit. BMI can be a tool for a comprehensive program to identify at risk children in the public.
Cons- Taken as a single factor in a setting such as the school could call attention to the problem but end up only serving to label child at the expense of privacy.
Results to date: More awareness of the widespread nature of obesity and the ranges of overweight children have been established. Only anecdotal evidence of parents using the information sent home by these schools to improve weight related health issues.
Is it a good idea to use ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
Sep
04
2009
What is the politically correct way to speak to your children regarding weight and health related issues? How do you keep from crossing the fine line between your concerns for their health and well being and alienating them? As parents there is fear and guilt associated with doing the wrong thing and pushing them too strongly in one direction or the other. How do you as caring parents, introduce the conversation to your children regarding their health, nutrition, and eating habits without calling undue attention to their appearance and becoming obsessed with their weight? How do we accomplish our goal of helping them get in better shape for the long term without affecting their self esteem now? A positive caring environment is a good place to start. Create a comfortable atmosphere and establish an open forum for the family to discuss weight issues. . A simple straight forward health conscious approach is usually the best way to introduce the topic. The message should be about fitness and health, inside and out. Not what you look like but how you feel. Use the following list as a guide for discussion.
The unspoken language- Role modeling-. Leading an active and healthy lifestyle yourself is the best way to communicate the message you want your children to appreciate regarding fitness. “Do as I say not as I do” attitude – absolutely does not work ...
Posted in: Parent, Nutrition & Kids
