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Where Have the Active Children Gone?
By Janet Little CN
You've heard the news, "Today's children are declining in health and gaining more weight than ever before." Childhood obesity has tripled within the last thirty years. Currently one child in four is overweight. In addition, up to 80 percent of obese youth continue this trend into adulthood, becoming obese adults. Although there are many factors influencing a child's weight, studies show that a child's activity level has a greater effect on his or her weight than food consumption.
The current epidemic of inactivity and the associated epidemic of obesity are driven by multiple factors such as inadequate physical education opportunities in school, reduction of designated open spaces, lack of recreation facilities, lack active role models and lack of direction from parents and guardians to encourage activity over sedentary pursuits. All of these factors add up to the fact that childhood obesity is now a major national medical concern.
Activity is the Key:
Did you know that on average Americans spend about 60 percent of their waking time sitting? It's true. Whether it's watching TV, surfing the net or sitting in our cars, we expend very little energy these days.
Kids at Risk of Decreased Physical Activity:
The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994) reported that 26 percent of American children watched at least four hours of television per day, and the more hours that the children watched, the greater their BMI (Body Mass Index), especially when compared to those children who watched less than two hours of television per day. The bottom line: the more hours spent watching television, the fatter the child. But, getting kids off the couch and outside to play does take some planning.
Be a Role Model:
According to recent studies, a child who grows up with at least one obese parent has a 79 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese. Regrettably, 60 percent of American adults are either overweight or obese. It's understandable that hectic work schedules and family commitments make it difficult to plan family-focused activities, but given the alternative, is there really a choice? My advice? Ditch the Blackberry and grab the ball for some family fun of playing catch or go for a walk after dinner. Soon, exercise and physical activity will become a fun family routine.
Promoting Physical Activity at Home:
The best place to start promoting physical health is at home and it must start with the parents. For children, the goal of getting exercise should be fun while exploring new places, playing games and riding their bikes-anything that gets their bodies moving.
Age-Appropriate Activities:
Infants and Toddlers
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children younger than 2 years should not watch any television. Infants and toddlers should also be allowed unstructured exploration of the outdoors while under the supervision of a responsible adult. Such activities include walking in the neighborhood, unorganized free play outdoors and exploring a park or zoo.
Preschool-Aged Children (4-6 Years)
Preschool-aged children should take part in unorganized play that encourages fun, exploration and experimentation. Appropriate activities might include running, swimming, tumbling, throwing and catching. Preschoolers should also begin walking tolerable distances supervised by family members. In addition, parents should reduce sedentary transportation by car and stroller and limit television and/or DVD watching to less than two hours per day.
Elementary School-Aged Children (6-9 Years)
In this age group, children improve their motor skills, visual tracking and balance by walking, dancing, jumping rope or participation in organized sports such as soccer or baseball. However, parents should focus on enjoyment rather than competition, since children in this age group have a limited ability to learn team strategy.
Middle School-Aged Children (10-12 Years)
At this age, physical activities that focus on enjoyment with family members and friends should be encouraged. Middle school-aged children are better able to process verbal instruction and integrate information from multiple sources which means that participation in sporting events like football, basketball, ice hockey is good option. Running events and weight training may also be initiated, provided the program is well supervised.
Adolescents
Adolescents are highly social and influenced by their peers. Identifying activities that are of interest to the adolescent, especially those that are fun and include friends, is crucial for long-term participation. Physical activities may include dance, yoga, running, skateboarding, cycling, and competitive and noncompetitive sports.
Conclusion:
Making physical activity as fun and exciting as video games can be a difficult challenge. But a little planning, encouragement and patience will result in a lifelong love of physical activity with benefits that outweigh achieving the top score for Super Mario! Plus, you'll find that your children are in better health and in better spirits, and you just might find that you and your children enjoy it more than you thought.
How to Help Your ADHD Child
By Dr. Gary Erkfritz
For those who are pregnant, experts urge you to watch your diet, rest, exposure to chemicals, stress level and avoid tobacco, alcohol and drugs. The best start you can give your child begins with taking care of yourself.
Your child's diet and exercise has a tremendous impact on brain development. There are many resources available to help understand normal healthy diets for children. There has also been much written about special elimination diets. The Feingold Diet discusses elimination of artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives. If your child is sensitive to these chemicals, altering their consumption should help. Also well known is the Gluten-Free/Dairy-Free diet. Try to be aware of how your child's diet affects them and eliminate the problem foods whenever possible.
Do you remember the day after Halloween? Think of that and then think about the sugar - especially high fructose corn syrup - and other refined carbohydrates your child consumes. Some parents have found that restricting these items helped improve their child's behavior and mood swings. Look for healthy substitutes. Many locations now provide specialty diets that are very tasty for all! Locally is Your Dinner Secret which provides gluten-free, ready-to-cook meals that kids really enjoy (www.gfmeals.com).
Does your child have a specific routine that they follow? They will respond better if you clearly discuss their daily routine and put it up so they can refer to it. Posting a TASK ACHIEVEMENT CHART identifying their Responsibilities, Privileges and General House Rules will help keep them on track. Divide the responsibilities up between MORNING, AFTERNOON, and EVENING and list things like the times set for waking up, eating meals, playing, doing homework, chores, TV & computer time, extracurricular activities and going to bed.
Agree on what rewards the child should receive for successful completion of their responsibilities and obedience to the house rules and write those under Privileges. (If you would like a sample copy, please email Westlake@BrainBalanceCenters.com and put TASK ACHIEVEMENT CHART in the subject.)
Since the child is now comfortable with their routine, make sure to discuss any changes in advance.
Spend designated "special time" with your child and let them pick what activities interest them. Find the positive things your child does and reinforce that behavior. Some experts say to notice the child's good behavior at least five times a day and acknowledge them.
Make sure that any Responsibilities are age-appropriate. Start with a few and add as the child masters them. Since they have helped select the Privileges, it is THEIR program.
Do they know what the negative consequences are? Are you consistent and does the degree of the consequence match the child's actions? Make sure they understand the positive consequences of their actions in addition to the negative. Never be harsh, cruel, abusive, or act in anger.
Visit the Task Achievement Chart with your child to give them feedback and enter the Privileges they have earned. Change the Privileges regularly so that they continue to reflect the current interests of the child.
You can help your preschooler develop skills by playing with them (blocks, puzzles, and games), reading to them and including lots of affection and physical contact so that they associate a good feeling with the skills they are developing.
Children should have limit SCREEN TIME (TV, computer and video games). Reinforce physical play. They need to be moving their body for development of proper neural pathways. Associated with ADHD is "Functional Disconnection Syndrome" which involves one hemisphere of the brain maturing at a faster rate than the other. When the brain is not "balanced" certain skills are far more advanced than others and others can be woefully behind. Activities like video games primarily stimulate one hemisphere and increase the imbalance.
To learn more about ADHD and "Functional Disconnection Syndrome" please read Dr. Robert Melillo's new book, DISCONNECTED KIDS or go to www.BrainBalanceCenters.com.
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