Slim Down, Feel Fabulous
How to Fight Childhood Obesity
- The number of obese children has tripled in the last 30 years.
- 1 out of 5 children are obese and there are many more who are overweight.
- Obese children are more likely to become obese adults.
3 Tips to Fight Childhood Obesity
Out of all the unhealthy things kids eat, pop, juice, and sports drinks are the worst to consume. They have no nutritional value, and they contain a bunch of calories which is just refined sugar. The worst kind that you can consume. The juices that claim to contain a serving of fruits and/or vegetables shouldn't replace your serving of actual fruits and vegetables. The juice is highly processed and not as healthy as eating actual fruits and vegetables. Sports drinks are overused and overrated. They can help keep you hydrated and reduce electrolytes when its really hot outside and when your exercising for long periods of time, but thats really all they do. Water will always be the ideal beverage to drink!!
Why is sugar bad? http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/why-is-sugar-bad
Is fruit good for you? http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/is-fruit-good-for-you
What to eat before, during, and after sports http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/healthy-eating/what-to-eat-before-during-and-after-a-workout
There is a direct connection with screen time and weight. Screen factor has also been proven to be a factor of ADD and other learning disorders. Screen time also allows for a greater chance to binge snack. When your focused on whats on tv, you don't focus on how much you are eating. She suggested that you limit screen time to 1 to 2 hours a day and then the rest of the day should be spent outside or hanging out with friends/family. The problem with this is that you can set a limit, but it won't actually work if you don't enforce it. Another thing she suggested is to not have any TVs or computers in the bedrooms, to not watch TV at dinner and that there are devices to help restrict TV/computer time when the parent is not home to monitor screen time.
Software app http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/free-software-to-limit-your-kids-online-time/
Other devices http://www.familysafemedia.com/tv_time_management_tools_-_par.html
Walk the walk
Be a role model for your children. If they see you watching a bunch of TV, eating like crap, and not exercising, then they will think that it's okay for them to do the same. She suggested sitting down together for dinner a couple times a week or to go on a bike ride or walk together as a family. The habits that kids develop when they are young will most likely follow into their adulthood.
How to Get Your Kids Fit
- 2/3 of children think that their parents do almost no physical activity
- Bleep Test: Common way to measure basic fitness levels. Kids did a test of their own cardio fitness and the level of fitness performed on this test was directly influenced by how active they thought their parents were. These ratings weren't based on if they thought their parents had big muscles, a skinny waist, a six pack, or whatever but whether or not if their parents did any physical activity at all.
Bleep test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-stage_fitness_test
3 Fun Fitness Strategies to Keep our Families Active by Cheryl Butler
7 Ways to Burn Calories by Standing More http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/mens-health/7-ways-to-burn-calories-by-standing-more
Play "Notice the Neighborhood"
She created a game kind of like I Spy. She'll take her dogs for a walk and have her kids come too. Before they leave, shell print of a list of items for them to find such as a certain type of tree or car, a bird bath, or a certain color door. As they are walking, they have 45 minutes to find all the items on the list. By setting a time limit, they are walking faster and they are just excited to find all the items. By making activities fun for kids, they will actually want to do them and might even request to do them more often.
Get Pedometers for Everyone in the House
She talked about how she had one to keep track of how many steps she took and then her kids started asking and wondering how active she was, so she decided to get each of them one so that they could keep track of their own steps. She talked about how you could make it a competition for your kids to see who had the most steps by the end of the day. She said that this is a great way for kids to know how active they are throughout the day and the competition also encouraged more activity.
Yard Tournaments
She talked about how her and her family are always outside doing activities. She suggested playing kickball, whiffle ball. freeze tag, volleyball, frisbee, or any other game in your backyard with your family. You could even buy cheap prizes for the winner. This allows your kids to get outside and be active and allows for the family to have quality time together.