Tuesday Trends. (it’s a long one, folks. grab a healthy snack and yer water bottle)

by

Today we are lucky enough to have the amazing Brianna from Balanced Steps seizing the MizFit reigns for a day.

I asked her to speak about a subject we are *all* concerned about: childhood obesity.

No matter whether you have your own (and really what is this (fingerquote) own (unFQ) thing?! MizFit believes it takes a village to raise a Tornado!) or not—every one of use has a child or children in our lives whom we love.

What is your reaction to the following two words?

Childhood obesity

Maybe your reaction is like mine used to be: Ugh. Enough already. We’ve heard this over and over again. Is there anything NEW to report? I take care of my body, so the statistics don’t matter to me.

Maybe your reaction is more the way mine has developed through months of research and a more thorough understanding of the issue: This is a real problem. What can I do to help?

First, it is good to have the facts. That’s probably why my initial reaction was a bit on the whiny side. I was reading headlines and getting the 30 second run-down without actually getting to the meat of the issue. The problem isn’t that nameless and faceless numbers of people are overweight and thus have greater medical concerns than those who live in a healthy weight range, the problem is that the people who struggle with obesity and being overweight are REAL people, with REAL faces, and REAL struggles (mental, physical and social!) that go beyond surface appearance.

Here are a few concrete facts for your digestion:

– Girls with a higher BMI at the age of 3 are more likely to reach puberty earlier

– There are short-term and LONG-term psychological impacts from childhood obesity

– Obesity is a problem that reaches even the youngest members of our society (More than 10% of children between the ages of 2 and 5 are overweight)

Now that you know just a few facts (supported by sound research), you are ready to TAKE ACTION:

– Get your community schools involved (many are already making GREAT strides in this area, as much as possible with limited funding – don’t get me started with funding issues, as they are a problem ACROSS the board with education, but that’s a WHOLE other year’s worth of blogs)

– Get out and move YOUR body to set a positive example

– Encourage just ONE person to integrate just ONE new healthy choice into their lives – and then have them PASS IT ON. You know the “Pay it Forward” story – and I’m sure you’ve seen it in action. It WORKS!

And most importantly, we need to remember we are all delicate beings that do best with love and support. I wrote the bilingual picture book We Are Girls Who Love to Run (Somos Chicas y A Nosotras Nos Encanta Correr) because I am passionate about helping young girls find a physical activity that fits them. I wanted to do it with grace and respect for girls wherever they are CURRENTLY on their path. I want girls of all sizes and ages to see that running (no matter the speed!) as a welcoming sport that can be part of their life-long experiences. Fitness strengthens not just bodies, but minds and spirits, too. (MizFit note: AMEN, SISTER!)

Not a runner? I wasn’t either! Running and I found one another 5 years ago. I’m sure that if someone passionate about the sport had introduced me to it when I was younger (and explained to me how to breathe while doing it!), that I would have found it less intimidating. I may have even LIKED it! But since that didn’t happen for me, I’m reaching out to help it happen for this new generation of girls – the future leaders of our communities. I worked to make the book a source of inspiration for those who love the way running makes them feel and for those who haven’t yet given it a go.

Already bitten by the running bug? Pass your torch of inspiration to others! The following programs are out there to help our youth (and moms!) embrace healthy lifestyles, using running/athletics as the hook (but also talking up other forms of fitness!):

– Girls on the Run

– Fit Girls

– Just Run

– SeeMommyRun

– Running Kids

– Moms in Motion

– GoGirlGo!

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. There are a multitude of programs across the country and our beautiful planet. These are just ones I’ve researched thoroughly.

The good news is that there seems to be a plateau in the rates of obesity. But that doesn’t mean we can sit back and pass around a bag of chips. It means that we’re just starting to find the right track and that the work of groups like the ones I listed ARE having a positive impact. We just need to keep at it!

Sorry, People, MizFit couldnt resist and had to toss in a few thoughts that have been weighing (rimshot!) on her mind with regards to this very topic:

Have you see all the recent studies with regards to infants, sleep and obesity?

Researchers (after subtracting other variables as demographics, maternal characteristics, and birth weight) found infants who slept an average of less than 12 hours per day were almost twice as likely to be overweight by preschool.

While Im not certain I wholly buy into the study, I do know that when I dont get enough zzzz’s Im all kinds of snack-y the next day (to be more scientific about it: it messes with my appetite hormone)—–so perhaps they’re on to something.

I wanna leave you (I know, cue the cheers that this longASS post is drawing to a close.) with some numbers:

74 (percentage of kids who watch television before they are two)

43(percentage of kids under two who watch tv every day)

51(percentage of homes where the tv is on all or most of the time)

63(percentage of homes where tv is on during meals)

??(percentage of Bumbling Band members who are duly horrified at all this and shall chime in below)

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Comments

  1. Thanks for a thought provoking article, MizFit. Despite my many moans and groans on my own blog, I think I am fortunate that I was not actually obese as a child.

    Due to poverty (parents unable to afford much food, nor even TV!) I was skinny until I was 8, and then only very slightly overweight until my teens.

    I also saw a TV programme in the UK a few weeks ago about the “climate of fear” that is preventing a lot of parents from allowing their children to have the same amounts of freedom to play outside unaccompanied. (The climate of fear I am referring to is regarding child abductions and disappearances, like Madeleine McCann, although in some inner city areas it could also be a fear of gun and knife crime — both in the UK and US.)

    Thus a generation of children is being brought up on stodgier more convenience food AND not allowed out of the house so often to go and let off steam / burn up some calories.

    And then people wonder why we are getting bigger?

    Ummmmm ………….? Go figure !!!!

    Thanks for the links, especially the one about “psychological impact” — as it is 7 pages long I will print it off and read later.

    Best wishes,
    Sharon

  2. Great post.

    Not having kids, I’m always sort of confused about how we’ve ended up in such a crisis. When I was growing up, exercise was just something we did a lot of without even thinking about it, and no one expected to get to eat junky treats all the time, because our parents wouldn’t let us. How did everything get so messed up?

    Good luck to all the parents out there coping with this really difficult issue.

  3. I’m glad that you addressed this issue, it is def a HUGE problem in our society. I wish there were a few more suggestions for moms on how to get there kids confident and moving rather than sitting and eating. I have a friend who also teaches group fitness classes and her child is overweight. I know she struggles with how to address the issue (shes found her own tips and tricks, but could always use more!)

  5. I have a teenage daughter and thankfully all of my early work has paid off in that respect. She thinks of herself as an athlete. While that doesn’t completely eliminate the appearance/self-worth issues that women seem to deal with differently than men, she does seem reasonable about most things.

    Children learn three ways:
    1) what the hear us say
    2) what they see other people doing
    3) and most importantly, what they see their parents doing.

    Be a good example for your kids and it will pay both of you dividends.

    Great post!

  6. “Poor sleep habits may be partly to blame for our expanding waistlines. Just two or three nights of little sleep can dramatically affect the hormones responsible for hunger and satiety. After a “bad” night (five or fewer hours of sleep), levels of the “satiety” hormone leptin drop and levels of the “hunger” hormone ghrelin rise. The body then craves high-calorie foods. “Restricted sleep affects the appetite dramatically,” says Taheri. “The hunger effects are similar to putting an obese woman on a 1000-calorie-a-day diet.”

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/main.jhtml?xml=/health/2006/11/06/hsleep06.xml

    Your instincts are right! Lack of sleep is ABSOLUTELY responsible for the munchies.

  7. and thanks to all YOU early morning chimer-inners.

    It’s a line we (if by WE you mean *I* which I do) all walk so carefully.

    I do 30 minutes of cardio every morning on my stationary bike while Renaissance Man hangs with the Toddler.

    (I do it 7 days a week because I really don’t have more time than 30 min in the a.m. If I do 40 on a given day then I’ll skip a workout that week.)

    All *that* clarification only because my daughter says, when I come back upstairs, MAMA BIKE!!!

    Which I love (leading by example. the same reason she next begs for some toasted chia seeds like her mama.) and don’t (will she think she ‘needs’ to do the bike? (To paint with broad brush strokes)).

    M.

  8. Great post. Being an adoptive momma – I deal with this with my oldest. She was an obese 3 year old. She has gotten taller and slimmed down a GREAT DEAL, but food affects every part of her life! Food is what she lives for. And it is so hard getting her out of that mindset and finding out there is so much more to life than food! I plan on perusing each of these links very carefully.

    THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

  9. This wasn’t too long at all – have you seen some of my posts? 🙂 JK…I know you have and you always somehow make it through them!

    This is a subject I think is much more important than most people realize. Eating habits and activity preferences are formed in childhood, just like most of our tendencies, and while they certainly can be changed later in life, it is so much harder to change them than to form them correctly, early on. I have a teenager and an 8-year-old, and somewhere between the two I learned to be healthier. I would give anything to go back and change the early food and activity lessons my teenager learned from me!

    I’m also all about the importance of sleep and how lack thereof can short-circuit weight loss. I did find that study interesting though, because my Younger Daughter, who averaged four hours of sleep a day up to age 2 (no, I’m not exaggerating even slightly) is tiny. She’s 8 years old, average height, but quite a low percentile in weight and it’s all muscle. She’s probably also the healthiest eater on the planet, by her own choice, so it’s not surprising – but she’d definitely be the exception to the rule for that study. I’m glad though! 🙂

    All in all, this is an extremely interesting post and I absolutely love Brianna’s guest post!

    V.

  10. And thats why I don’t turn on the TV – I’m been contemplating a post about that thanks for the reminder!
    Awesome post and one that is close my heart as you know.

  11. For a minute I thought you meant by “infants, sleep and obesity” that you were pointing out how having an infant makes ME lose sleep and therefore gain fat:) But I see your point too.

    Great article Brianna! I love your proactive attitude and you came up with some great suggestions. I agree that this is a very important subject.

  12. As a mom to two daughters, I am incredibly concious of (1) making sure that my girls are healthy and (2) that they do not pick up on any negative self-image that I struggle with. At this point I’m proud to say that my husband and I are doing a pretty darn good job.

    Both my daughters see us work out (our elliptical is in our bedroom sitting area) and there is a *lot* of active play on the weekends. And, when we went out to brunch on Sunday for Father’s Day, both girls ended up eating the fresh fruit off of everyone’s plates, then a bite or two of their turkey sandwich and THEN a fry or two.

    That’s not to say that we don’t ever watch TV (as evidenced by my Max and Ruby post) or that we don’t have treats, since I believe that balance is a key. But, when the healthy choices are far more prevalent than the unhealthy, it’s always a good thing.

  13. I’m right there with you Slackermama (waves to DJ Lance Rock & Muno).

    I often get calls from neighbors who want me to go to the school board for them & lobby against ANY junkfood in schools.
    Aforementioned neighbors are often surprised I’m pro-junk food in schools.
    How on earth can we teach our children to make better choices and live a healthy, balanced lifestyle if we, essentially, make all the ‘right’ choices FOR then & then push them from the proverbial nest?

    It’s teaching (which is empowering) and leading (which is, as I’ve seen from all you guys,) inspiring.

    M.

  14. I agree with being pro-junk food.. Plus, if it weren’t in the schools, they would find another way to get it in. Kids need to learn how to eat responsibly.. They need to learn it from us. My parents weren’t at all the healthiest eaters. I have been introduced to more different veggies in the past year than I’ve ever known. I don’t even think we had a vegetable with our meals half the time.

    I think if they are started on the right path, they will always have the knowledge to know what is good for them!

  15. I have to say, i am really concerned about my kids being “fat.” I was the fat kid and it sucked. More importantly, I want them to be healthy which is why I am changing MY lifestyle. I try to do a lot more physical things with them too and lead by example. We have breakdowns (as in the m&m’s for potty training) but in general, my kids eat well.

  16. Oh I could rant about this one FOREVER. It irks me to no end to be sitting in the elementary school lunchroom and hear the “pop hissssss” of soda cans being opened. My kids know not to even ask. I’m the adult and I make the rules and THEY drink milk or water. I firmly believe that it is the prevalence of crappy beverages in kids’ diets that starts this whole ball rolling.

    We just have to say NO. This past year at school when we had class parties we had milk and water and cheese and fruit and whole grain crackers. We arranged it in nice baskets and bowls and the kids liked it just fine.

    I don’t mind the tv so much, but there is no eating in front of the tv, and there is no tv anywhere near our table.

    Don’t know about infant sleep and obesity, but I’m happy to blame my extra chub on lack of sleep!

    Have a terrific Tuesday!

  17. Great post. Her comment on wishing someone had introduced her to running (and breathing while doing it) sooner really hit home for me. I did my best to avoid all forms of running since late grade school because I though I was so incapable of running well. 20 years later, I wish I had been clued in to how much fun it could have been.

    Watching a lot (certainly and thankfully not all) of today’s parents interact with their children, I personally think things are royally screwed up in our culture. Lunchables (or sub the prepackaged, processed food of your choosing) & video games and a fear of unstructured playtime don’t make for very healthy little bodies or minds. What happened to running down the street to ask Jane if she could play until suppertime?

    *sigh*

  18. I love the concept of helping a child find a sport that fits him/her. I do get frustrated that in our schools, my kids are introduced to the basic sports. Money and time are always issues, but I’ve wondered what would happen if, in addition to the basic sports (baseball, basketball, football) we could introduce our kids to the “unknown” sports. For example I’ve tried to introduce fencing to my kids, and they really want to learn, but that means an hour drive each way through city traffic. I wonder what other sports are out there that haven’t been introduced in school and that I don’t know about. Surely, the more sports we learn about, the greater the chances that our kids will find “their” sport.

  19. I’m on the Junior Board of Girls on the Run! What a wonderful organization – empowering young girls to stand up for thmselves/say no to drugs/sex/etc, all through the high you get from completing a 5K (after a school year of training)

  20. Having no children, I don’t feel qualified to comment on this post (oh, like that ever stopped me before!!!)

    Children learn by example. I am fully aware that if you are a parent, working full-time, it is often easier to allow the TV to babysit, and pick up some fast food on your way home. Pah. How freakin hard is it to toss some veggies in a bowl, or slap a hamburger on the grill?
    We actually ate better in this household when I was working full-time because I HAD to be better organized. Now I find I get caught up working out in the garden, or *ahem* blogging, and lose track of time. Then I could teach some parents a thing or two about scrambling to make something for supper!!! (and no running out for fast food or ordering a pizza – there’s no delivery out here!)

    As for children exercising – back in the “day”, we ran around outside all day, playing and goofing – never once did we think of it as exercise! And we were all skinny as rails. Kids need some way to burn off all that energy they are blessed with, or they start getting into trouble, both health-wise and behaviourally.

    See, told you I didn’t have anything to contribute!!! 🙂

  21. I am horrified by the lack of physical activity in school. Kids need physical activity! It not only helps them stay fit, it improves classroom behavior (I’m a former teacher). Bring back gym class!

  22. All the kids in my family start out as skinny as rails, so I’ve never really thought too much about childhood obesity. It’s scary how serious the consequences of childhood obesity are! I’d definitely love to get involved with Girls on the Run or one of the other organizations!

  23. Duly horrified, right here!

    I’m with the Bag Lady- even when I was younger I spent all my time playing outside and running around being a kid. Kids don’t act like that anymore… our society has shaped them into having distorted types and amounts of energy so that they’re glued to the tv and most forms of activity are a huge effort for them. And the worst is that they don’t KNOW any better; they can’t understand the consequences of their (lack of) actions. So its up to parents and friends to get their kids away from this kind of lifestyle. If WE are the ones who have presented them with this lifestyle, then clearly, its us who has to do something about it.

  24. Just slapping back on my MizFit bandanna long enough to say I love all the insights.

    From the fact that exercise improves classroom behavior (such an AH HA! moment for me when it’s so obvious as well! My working out makes me a better (behaved) mama —Id just never thought of it that way with regards to kids) to the reminder about the FORGOTTEN SPORTS in the schools.

    From climbing to rhythmic gymnastics.

    Anyone in a district/schooling situation where unique offerings are found?

    M.

  25. I am also appalled by the lack of physical activity in the schools. I make sure that my kids see me working out and that they get plenty of exercise themselves.

    at the same time, I am also guilty of watching too much tv. I grew up with it myself and tend to have it on all day long.
    my kids definitely watch too much. ugh.

  26. Great post! I don’t have kids (yet) so I’m glad to hear other people talk about how to help kids be healthy and make good choices.

    My Mom is an elementary PE teacher, and she’s noticed over the years that kids are less familiar with sports like tennis than they were years ago. Also, she’s seen an increase in children who don’t know how to do things like skip, or hop, or even (and this is the one that gets me) how to *run*.

    But they can tell you every detail about the latest Hannah Montana episode. And they have their hair highlighted.

  27. DARN YOU Gena and your THUMBTYPING INDUCING comments!

    so interesting about your mom.
    another mother stopped me the other day at the playground and asked how long the Tornado had been able to jump (?).

    She then continued saying her four year old couldnt yet (!) and, when she pointed her out (sitting on the ground and not playing. broke my MizFitHeart) the poor girl was so very overweight.

    we need your mama up in herre, G, for a guest post!

    M., who may have muscles but her hair is definitely crying out for some highlights as well. Get me to an elementary school I guess….

  28. I feel the same as Julie. Being the fat kid really did suck and I never ever want my daughter to go through what I went through. But I try to be careful, because I also don’t want to push her to the other extreme either and have her end up with an ED like i did…that would KILL me! I’m actually in the process of getting a youth fitness certification and was thinking of starting something in my area…

  29. Excellent post. I agree with Brianna in that we as a society need to “re-program” children to a healthier lifestyle.

  30. Great post mizfit (and Brianna!)! I think you hit on something big at the end mizfit – the correlation between tv watching and obesity. Television is a force I deal with regularly — especially with my daughter. I sometimes think I’m constantly monitoring her and reminding her to get off the couch and get outside. Don’t get me wrong, she is active, and plays many sports – she is definitely not overweight. But I don’t want to see her develop bad habits today that will affect her later in life. Our boys (2 of them) are better about being active, but can still get caught up in too much tv (or computer).
    Brianna — I really like the idea of encouraging others to make healthy choices. I need to be better at this, and to a greater extent, if we can get our kids on this bandwagon to encourage their friends, that can also be a great step. Sometimes it’s better to hear these things from your peers instead of your parents. Great list of links as well.
    As a family, we try to do a couple of 5K races each year – fun ones that have prizes at the end, or include running in a pro stadium. The kids usually enjoy these quite a bit, and if there aren’t a lot of participants, they’ve each one a medal at these as well – that’s great motivation for them.
    In any rate, I see childhood obesity as a problem that relates to a)television (or computer) b)advertising c)easy availability of poor food choices, and d)overeating and lack of proper exercise.

    Great stuff here, thanks for putting this out there!

  31. one of my client’s husband is an orchestra teacher at the school across the street from my house. they are really frustrated because due to a lack of funding, kids have to choose between Phys Ed and the arts. Obviously since he teaches music, none of his students can take PE and are considerably more overweight than the average kids.

    its sucks, but it seems like its more of a parental issue 🙁 im off to check those links now and see if there is anyway a non-mommy can get involved.

  32. Thanks for the detailed post. This is some thought-provoking stuff, and obviously there are a multitude of reasons why more children are overweight and there will be no silver bullet to get kids in better shape.

    In so many ways, it starts with the parents though. Kids are like little sponges that just absorb, absorb, absorb. I used to be a habitual dieter with negative self-talk out the yin yang. I got my issues in check, adopted a healthy lifestyle and outlook, started taking time out for myself (instead of drowning my concerns in a tub of ice cream) and feel the best I ever have.

    In the group ex classes I teach, I try to get that message out to others as much as I can. There is no easy fix; it has to be a fundamental change in how you treat yourself–inside and out.

    If we all set a good example, the kiddos will follow.

  33. Great post… Lack of sleep and the munchies definitely go hand in hand. Our bodies never fail to amaze me. The body knows that snacks (especially carbs and sugar) are a way to fuel (energize) the body, so when we miss out on sleep and we feel tired our body tries to “fix” the problem by creating a desire for energy (calories). Little does our body know that we are no longer chasing dinner… it’s not more energy that we need, it’s more REST!!

  34. My sweet boy is already a stress eater at the age 9.75

    I was after him to clean his room recently, and he kept running to the fridge and wishing for something. I told him to quit because he was just feeding his stress. He said, “It makes me feel better.” AAAAGHHH.

    It’s a hard thing to help kids make sense of the harm they do themselves when we allow them to eat badly – weird wording I know. When we bring the stuff in the house we set them up. It’s a real challenge to undo that.

    I’m going blah blah blah, I guess. Still tired from flood relief, but it’s a beautiful day and I’m heading for the gym.

  35. Brianna, I love that you wrote that book, I am going to have to find a copy. I certainly don’t have any children, as some people might say I’m still a child, ha. Anyway, this post has inspired me to find somewhere to volunteer. To be honest I’m not much for hanging out with children, but I think this sports angle could be really cool. Thanks 🙂

    Oh, and I always get 8 hours of sleep, its was a must/rule for me when I started training again and I know its a luxury.

  36. Enjoyed learning about the sleep study. It’s a constant learning process for the kids. Learning about being healthy. I wanted to say local YMCA usually offer tons of great community outreach programs for getting kids fit and involved (ours does a good job IMHO). Volunteers always welcomed.

    My 7yr old daughter was reading over my shoulder and loved checking out the links that were offered.
    Thanks!!!!

  37. I got Brianna’s book for my nieces. It’s great!

    This is such an important topic and makes me sooooo fired up. I don’t even have kids, so I can’t really comment. The TV stats really get my juices flowing.

    Great topic, as usual.

    OH- and yes I think a nickname contest might be in order (after I supply you all with the first date details). Great idea.

  38. The childhood obesity epidemic is so troubling. I am a veteran TV news health reporter and covered this problem for so many years – seeing pre-teens who already had diabetes because of their weight made me so sad. This trend has got to be reversed, and I agree, it takes a village. Even small changes can help, so let’s all do what we can.

  39. Hey MizFit, guess what I found in the bulk food section at my local market…between the chives and the celery seed…

    CHIA! And since it’s in bulk I can just buy a tablespoon or so to try out:)

    No kids but I have a pre-teen cousin who is so overweight, can’t run half a block, drinks soda and is constantly snacking on processed/sugary/fatty snacks. We only see him once or twice a year, but the problem has been getting worse by leaps and bounds recently. We try not to allow it in our home, but can tell that he and his parents aren’t buying what we’re trying to sell…

  40. Wow. I knew it was bad but not that bad. My 4 year old is the worst eater in the world and it’s totally my fault (and his dad!), he is not heavy at all, and probably won’t be as he is way tooo active, but that doesn’t mean I am not clogging his artieries with grilled cheese and chicken nuggets. I will actively change this as the 8 month old is just learning to eat. It’s my goal for 2008 to turn my 4 year into a better healthier eater, myself included.

  41. the thing is, i look at my dad’s girlfriend who’s daughter is 11. for the record, i cant stand my dad’s girlfriend, and heres part of the reason why. She WAY too hung up on her child’s weight. One saturday, she kept telling her, “we need to go out, you havent moved all day!”. And i know she’s super controlling over what she eats too, i am in culinary school and she never lets me cook for her (even though i promised to make something healthy). She signs her up to all these activities like volleyball, tennis, ballet, basetball, and never lets her eat “junk food”. So this girl, when mom’s not around, sneak up into the kitchen and takes some crackers and begs me not to tell her mom. I am kinda bad in that when i get called to babysit, i make her pizza because i but she and i both know mom would have a cow about this. Her mom’s got issues too, shes not uber thin but she barely eats and takes diet pills. Plus, this girl goes on the tredmill! shes 11! i think theres just a limit on kiddies going machines. machines are for adults who are maybe a bit to chicken to go out and play dodge ball for cardio. I am all about getting kids active, but i think we need to be careful we aren’t over-doing it, i am just afraid this girl is being bred into disorder of somesort.

  42. Ah, MizFit…you know it’s a subject near and dear to my heart. To me, it’s all about example. I worried SO much about this when I was writing the Weight-Loss Diary column for Shape last year. Personally, I think the healthiest example falls somewhere in the middle between coach potato and health nut. Yes, we move our bodies and yes, we try to eat healthy foods every day, but we also have time to watch our favorite TV show and have an occasional treat. It’s at the extremes (on either end) where things get dangerous.

  43. My oldest girl is in a teen Fitness class that keeps her busy 3 nights a week other wise…probably minimal activity! You bring up so many fantastic points! Great post!

  44. ok, speaking of Hannah Montana (because we were, right?) anyone see this article claiming she’s good for our tweens’ body image?

    (CLICK HERE.)

    thoughts?

    M.

  45. Erica mentioned that she is interested in finding more ways to get kids active (beyond great programs like Girls on the Run, etc.) and it dawned on me (*duh*) that I forgot to add a really awesome resource:

    http://www.kidsrunning.com

    You’ll find great games to play with kids, links to other resources and groups (organized by region, even!), and a plethora of other running/fitness/health/FUN related stuff. Really, check it out!

    Those of you who were inspired to see about volunteering to help get youth active will be especially interested in visiting the site to possibly connect with something in your area. These orgs are MORE THAN HAPPY to get new volunteers on board.

    And I’m thrilled that MizFit and I could get you all so fired up about passing your own passion for health and fitness for the benefit of our community as a whole!

  46. Hi, just checking in today. So, what’s my opinion? It takes a village to raise a child. The parents can only do so much or so little- then it’s up to the other adults in the child’s life as well. As a former phys ed teacher in the ghetto here, obesity was prevalent in the communities here. The are raised in an environment of “lock down” after school hours cheetos and movies were their comfort zones. When I was a teacher, I talked it up till I was blue in the face, but, it falls on deaf ears when they go home to overweight parents.

  47. It’s up to parents. We need to model good eating habits and engage in regular exercise. We need to fill our weekends with physical activities that the entire family can do together, such as biking, swimming, and skiing.

    I think that raising awareness, so that as many families as possible would adopt a healthy lifestyle, is a huge priority. Thank you for this interesting article!

  48. I am not really affected by the words childhood obesity.

    I am affected by seeing it every day! Knowing that these kids are setting themselves up for quite a challenge in their future life! I want to use the “Reality Ray” and kick some serious fast food and fast food eaters butt…but enough about me.

    Back to my happy place 🙂

    Until tomorrow, when I see it again 🙁

  50. My thoughts on Hannah Montana: I heard that my 5-year-old niece loved her, and I’m wary of the types of role models that kids are exposed to, so I checked the show out. And I think she’s great! Maybe not perfect, but considering her popularity, I was pleased. The character is a tough, down-to-earth girl. She has good relationships with her family. She doesn’t seem concerned at all with how she looks, because she’s busy having fun with her friends.

    Granted, I’ve only seen two episodes (really, I swear! I don’t watch every day!), but I think the best thing is to show role models who have a healthy attitude towards their bodies (as in, they are fit but don’t obsess about their looks!)

  51. Jumping in (late) to say that my concern is less with the size of children than with the lifestyle. To me, it’s about the lack of sleep, the obsession with video games and TV, the complete lack of awareness about food as fuel, choosing beverages filled with chemicals and sugar instead of water to hydrate their bodies, sitting still instead of doing what should come naturally and playing (I can’t imagine ever encouraging my children to “exercise”) . . . . it’s all a lifestyle they’re learning from adults, and far scarier to me than the body size that is sometimes a symptom (because we’ve all seen “skinny” kids who eat horribly and never play actively–I’m just as concerned about their lifestyle, even if they have a “skinny” gene pool).

  52. What a great post! I’ve been thinking about this recently. Those statistics and facts are really interesting. Especially about girls reaching puberty and TV use.

  53. As a parent of 5 and an educator, this topic has been all over me. Man, if we only could rewuire parents to give healthy meals and a healthy lifestyle to children, then we wouldn’t be in this crisis…It’s really sad to see that one of the big reasons our children are obese is because of our inability to keep them healthy.

  54. heather, I really like your sentiment about more being focused on LIFESTYLE than SIZE.

    Really, really good reminder.

    M.

  55. I love that Governor Schwarzenegger is forcing CA schools to change their foods for kids. We can’t expect our kids to understand the ramifications of their choices at such young ages. So, we have to help them make smarter choices about the foods they eat. People that let their children become obese by eating junk foods should be arrested for child abuse.
    Keep smiling
    Rich at Diet777.com
    Discount Herbalife

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