Help
your kids say no to supersizing The battle of the bulge begins at home
The family that gets fat together should get fit together,
too The battle of the bulge is a fight more and more children are
losing.
The facts are hard to ignore:
Thirteen percent of children and adolescents are overweight or obese,
more than double the number two decades ago, according to a recent
study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The nation's surging population of Hispanic children has a
disproportionate share of obesity and other health problems, according
to a report last month in the Journal of the American Medical
Association.
The incidence of diabetes linked to obesity has jumped significantly in
U.S. children in the past few decades.
Some 1.5 million Americans are considered morbidly fat, and
nearly 300,000 die each year from obesity-related problems, according
to the American College of Surgeons.
Experts blame television, computer games, lack of safe playgrounds and
reliance on fast food as well as other factors that draw kids to
sedentary activities.
"So much of our lifestyle is about making things easy for us with
remote controls, elevators, convenient parking and online shopping,"
said Becky Melland, community health and dietetic services manager for
Pima County Health Department. "So many things are done to make life
easier for us that part of what we're giving up is being active."
Living in a culture of convenience concerns many health experts, who
say stressed-out families rely on quick trips through fast food
restaurants to feed their children, places that serve huge meals packed
with fat and calories.
The best way for parents to help a child fight back against fast food
and an expanding waistline is to develop a collaborative approach to
nutrition and fitness that involves the whole family, local
pediatricians say.
Dr. Andrew Arthur, pediatrician and chief of staff at Tucson's El Rio
Health Center, likes to give kids and their parents three goals, or
"successes," to shoot for when trying to become healthier.
The first success is ta start being active - even if it's only walking
around the block every night or swimming a couple laps in the pool.
"People who are physically active and exercise regularly - even if they
never lose a pound - tend to be healthier," he said.
He considers the second success to be weight maintenance.
"I ask children to try and stay at their current weight," he said.
"Then they can feel good about not getting heavier than they are."
After children have felt comfortable getting more active and
maintaining their weight, then he introduces the third success: weight
loss.
"A reasonable rate to lose weight is one pound a week to one pound a
month," he said. "Often eating better and developing healthier habits
becomes a lifestyle change for the whole family."
Dr. Marilyn Heins, a Tucson pediatrician, parenting expert and Star
columnist, also recommends that parents get other professionals
involved, starting with a visit to a pediatrician. She also suggests a
nutritionist to get specific advice about portions and exercise.
No matter what, Heins said, everyone in a household should be prepared
to eat healthier foods.
"You cannot put one child on a restricted diet and have everybody else
in the house eating whatever they want," she said. "You don't sabotage
a kid by asking them to eat carrot sticks and yet have potato chips in
the cupboard."
With the average American spending 4.5 hours a day in front of a TV
screen, experts also recommend setting limits with children for the use
of electronic games, computers and television to no more than two hours
a day.
Also, fast food should be eaten no more than once a week. And a treat,
like sugar soda, cookies or cake, should only be allowed once a week,
or twice a week at the most, said Arthur.
Parents should think about alternative, healthier snacks for overweight
children, like peanut butter on wheat toast, low-fat ice cream
sandwiches or juice popsicles, said Heins.
With portion sizes getting bigger and bigger, exercise is more
important than ever.
For 11-year-old Adam Duarte, taking a
physical fitness class with a nutritional component was also very
helpful.
At 6 feet and 230 pounds, Duarte signed up for a "Fit Kids" class with
Strength Wellness Athletic Training.
"He
learned a lot about nutrition and found muscles that he never knew he
had," said his father, Rudy Duarte, a firefighter.
"It was good for him. He's starting to read labels now, which he never
did before." With the school
year gearing up again, a commitment to good nutrition takes a conscious
effort and some extra time, from scheduling an after-dinner walk for
the whole family to planning healthy meals at the grocery store.
"It used to be that preparing breakfast in under 10 minutes was
considered convenient," said Lynn Perez-Hewitt, director of community
relations at the Community Food Bank. "Now, people don't even think a
breakfast that takes two minutes to make, like pouring a bowl of
cereal, is convenient enough."
Healthy tips
1. Start your day with breakfast. Breakfast fills your "empty tank" to
get you going after a long night without food. Easy-to-prepare
breakfasts include cold cereal with fruit and low-fat milk,
whole-wheat toast with peanut butter, yogurt with fruit or whole-grain
waffles.
2. Get moving. Walk, bike or jog to see friends. Take a 10-minute
activity break every hour while you read, do homework or watch TV.
Climb stairs instead of taking an escalator or elevator. Try to do
these things for a total of 30 minutes every day.
3. Snack smart. Choose snacks from different food groups - a glass of
low-fat milk and a few graham crackers, an apple, celery sticks
with peanut butter and raisins, or some dry cereal. If you eat smart at
other meals, cookies, chips and candy are OK for occasional snacking.
4. Work up a sweat. Start with a warm-up that stretches your muscles.
Include 20 minutes of aerobic activity, such as running, jogging or
dancing. Follow up with activities that help make you stronger, such as
push-ups or lifting weights. Then cool down with more stretching and
deep breathing.
5. Balance your food choices - don't eat too much of any one thing.
Your body needs nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, fat and
many different vitamins and minerals such as vitamins C and A, iron and
calcium from a variety of foods.
6. Get fit with friends or family. Encourage others to join you and
plan one special physical activity event, like a bike ride or hiking,
with a group each week.
7. Eat more grains, fruits and vegetables. These foods give you
carbohydrates for energy, plus vitamins, minerals and fiber. Try breads
such as whole-wheat breads, bagels and pita. Spaghetti and oatmeal are
also in the grain group. Bananas, strawberries and melons are some
great-tasting fruits. Try vegetables raw, on a sandwich or salad.
8. Join in physical activities at school. Whether you take a physical
education class or do other physical activities at school, such as
intramural sports, structured activities are a sure way to feel good,
look good and stay physically fit.
9. Foods aren't good or bad. Fit in a higher-fat food, like
pepperoni pizza, at dinner by choosing lower-fat foods at other
meals. And don't forget about moderation. If two pieces of pizza fill
you up, you don't need a third.
10. Make healthy eating and physical activities fun. Take advantage of
activities you and your friends enjoy doing together and eat the foods
you like. Be adventurous - try new sports, games and other activities
as well as new foods. You'll grow stronger, play longer and look and
feel better.
Set realistic goals - don't try changing too much at once.
Source: The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport
Here are a few exercise programs to check out
S.W.A.T. (Strength
Wellness Athletic Training), 4235 W. Ina in Suite 121,offers a class
called "Fit Kids" for those ages 8-13. Exercise guidance and nutrition
for children who struggle with weight-related problems. Led by a
certified personal trainer and a master's level counselor. Fun
activities that include weight training, games, nutrition workbooks and
discussion on issues such as self-esteem and peer relationships. Call
Jana Holland at 444-9188 for
more information.
The Knope Institute For Core Strength, 4562 N. First Ave., has a "Learn
& Burn" class for children with obesity problems that combines fun,
energetic movement with guidance on making healthy life choices. This
program is designed to foster a life-long love for a spirited and
robust existence, while enjoying physical play and burning calories.
Private intake sessions to determine placement in ongoing group
classes.
"Little Kicks" is a 45-minute exercise video aimed at pint-size couch
potatoes age 3 and older. On the tape, co-producer Jesse Elder leads a
group of kids in a series of easy-to-follow martial arts-based moves
with memorable names such as Tiger Claw, Pushing Palms and Starburst.
For information on the video, which sells for $14.95, go to the Web
site at www.littlekicks.com.
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The Kids Activity Pyramid
Each week you can have fun and be active by trying the following
things.
With friends:
Dance
Play games like tag and hopscotch
Join a sports team at school or the park
With family:
Go on a walk
Play at the park
Turn off the TV for a day
By yourself:
Fly a kite
Do cartwheels, somersaults, or jumping jacks
Practice sports skills
If you want to know more:
For more information about food and nutrition, call the National Center
for Nutrition and Dietetics (NCND) Consumer Nutrition hot line at (800)
366-1655.
For more information about improving your physical health, write the
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport at: HHH Building,
Room 738 H, 200 Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC 20201.
Contact reporter Elaine Gale at 573-4124 or at egale@azstarnet.com.
