Smart Cycle

So Fisher Price in November 2007 has just come out with a fantastic new toy that combines video game fun with exercising fun in the comfort of your own home for your kids ages 3-6 years. There is software that you use and it functions when your child begins to pedal and is ready to exercise! It promises to be a hit and so far the reviews are close to 5 stars all around for this product and it is high on Christmas lists this year. Hopefully this "toy" will be really helpful in getting our kids moving!

Lack of Sleep May Lead to Fatter Kids

" Here's another reason to get the kids to bed early: More sleep may lower their risk of becoming obese. Researchers have found that every additional hour per night a third-grader spends sleeping reduces the child's chances of being obese in sixth grade by 40 percent. ..." Interesting! There is a definite hormonal connection between sleep and appetite regulation and this delicate balance can be thrown off by not getting enough sleep that the body needs. Ghrelin is a hormone that suppresses appetite and is increased in sleep-deprived individuals; leptin, which signals fullness, in diminished. Another contributing factor is that if they are tired, they are also more likely to sit in front of the TV or play video games and eat (in other words "veg" on the couch) and much less likely to be active. According to this study, for third graders, the magical number was about 9 1/2 hours of sleep per 24 hours (includes day time naps and nighttime). While this study is important, don't forget that this is just one aspect of many that need to be included in a child's schedule of a healthy lifestyle.

Children Regulate Their own Weight -- If You Let Them

I recently came across an article from the Nutritional Insights journal in my files that I had archived a few months ago. I thought that it would definitely be worth revisiting since it has several important eye-opening points to keep in mind. This article sites the insites of a published dietitian, Ellyn Sater, RD, BCD. It is stated that "...parents and children have a shared responsiblity for feeding, although those responsiblities change with the child's age. For infants, the parent decides WHAT the infant should eat and the infat decides HOW MUCH. As time progresses, the toddler decides HOW MUCH and WHETHER to eat and the parent decides WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE to eat. later, an adolescent gradually learns, with his parents' help, to manage independently the WHAT, WHEN, and WHERE of eating. Throughout childhood, parents must offer appropriate support to enable their children to be capable eaters. This involves choosing and preparing food, providing regular meals and sit-down snacks and not allowing grazing in between, making eating a pleasant experience, and accepting the child's size and shape."

Burger King Limits Advertising to Kids

"Burger King pledged Wednesday [Sept.12, 2007] to offer healthier fast-food items for children under 12, with plans to sell and market flame-broiled Chicken Tenders and apples cut to resemble thick-cut french fries." - Miami Herald.
They will limit advertising to kids to meals providing no more than 560 calories per meal, less than 30% of calories from fat, less than 10% of calories from saturated fat, no added trans fats, no more than 10% of calories from added sugars. Implementation date: December 2008. The sample advertised meal is: Flame broiled chicken tenders (four pieces), Mott's organic unsweetened apple sauce, Hershey's 1% low fat white milk, total calories: 305 -- Sounds delicious and a great alternative to other fast foods, even for adults! Other companies pledging to offer more healthy choices to children and limit advertising that doesn't meet new guidelines for healthier options for kids are: Kellogg, General Mills, Hershey, Kraft, McDonald's, among others.

Mandatory Daily Gym Class

Fantastic, life-changing news!!
Florida elementary students (K-5th grade) are starting back to school under a new Florida law which requires them to spend 30 minutes a day of physical activity. In many schools, PE had been significantly reduced or eliminated altogether.
Yes, one person CAN make a difference! Thank you to Shaq for his interest in childhood obesity and caring so much for kids to make a difference in their lives!

obesity virus AD-36

CBS4 News presented the information on the "Fat Virus" named AD-36 as a potential cause or contributor to human obesity and the epidemic that we are seeing today. Reportedly the research done to date has shown that when rats were injected with this contagious virus, this caused the rats to gain weight. Fat cells seemed to increase in size and number.
According a study done, 1 out of 3 obese patients test positive for this virus. And all affected are overweight and significantly heavier than those testing negative for the virus.
But the most important point was stated: the treatment and what you can do about it, whether you have been exposed and infected with this virus or not, remains the same... a healthy diet and active lifestyle.

Stuffed Veggies?

Finally! A food you CAN play with!
Yellow Label Kids has these knit vegetable and fruit rattles -- the debate is on... will these help YOUR child to like to eat their vegetables and fruits?

10 Great Lunch ideas

In the August 2007 issue of the magazine American Baby there is a great article with suggestions for finicky eaters... they are actually great ideas for any occasion or meal and any child ...

1. Give them choices. 6. Have breakfast for lunch.
2. Let your child help. 7. Go for color.
3. Put it on a skewer. 8. Wrap it up.
4. Make faces. 9. Dip it!
5. Be prepared. 10. Shape-shift.

And a few more tips included are "Kitchen Must-Haves": pre-cut fruits and vegetables; pre-cooked, pre-sliced chicken or turkey; deli meats; beans; eggs; peanut butter; whole-grain pasta and cereal; whole wheat crackers, bagels, tortillas, English muffins, waffles; tomato sauce; salsa; cheese; yogurt; low-fat salad dressing; and hummus.

Shaq's Biggest Challenge

Shaquille O'Neal takes the stage working with six overweight school kids to tackle the biggest challenge of their lives ... restructuring their lives and lifestyles to lose weight and be more healthy. In the process, by their example, many other children and teens are affected positively. That's the beauty of working with children and teens -- they will bring a friend and they together will better their world and their lives for tomorrow.

"The Very Hungry Caterpillar" book by Eric Carle

I recently came across this gem, originally published back in 1969. Here is an excerpt from the book with an important concept behind it:
"On Saturday he ate through one piece of chocolate, one ice-cream cone, once slice of Swiss cheese, one slice of salami, one lollipop, one piece of cherry pie, one sausage, one cupcake, and one slice of watermelon. That night he had a stomach ache! (turn page). The next day was Sunday again. The caterpillar ate through one nice green leaf, and after that he felt much better."

alli™

A bit about alli™ orlisat 60 mg capsules ...
alli™ is the first and currently only FDA approved, over-the-counter weight loss product for adults ages 18 and over.
I was just at a local retail store that sells this product, recently released on February 2007, and I could see it virtually flying off the shelves. It is a neatly-packaged "Start Pack" including 90 pills (1 month supply taken as indicated 3 times a day) and a full set of instructions including a meal plan based on a "...reduced-calorie low-fat diet". This fact is extremely important to know since this medication's mode of action is blocking the absorption of fat (reportedly blocks about 1/4 of the ingested fat) and if too much fat is ingested, one of the side effects is fecal soiling. The key is to limit daily fat intake of 15 grams. You also need to take a multivitamin every day.
In addition, you should not continue to take this medication indefinitely. Resesarch studies have been conducted lasting 6-12 months only. Not much is known regarding its use beyond this time frame.
One final important point is that it may affect certain medications that you may be currrently taking, making their levels higher or lower in your body, leading to potentially serious consequences. Therefore, consult your physician and have them follow with you.
Be sure to read all of the fine print before using this and any weight loss medication.
Whether or not you choose to use a medication to aid with weight loss, it is vital that you remember that longterm success will come only if you incorporate the basics -- a total lifestyle change involving healthy eating and exercise / activity habits.

BMI Calculator

Check out this simple BMI calculator from the New York Times. These calculators can be a useful tool from time to time. Remember that this is a tool which doctors use as an indicator of your current weight status and not a reflection of your total picture. What's your BMI?

Teen Diet May Affect Pulmonary Function, Respiratory Symptoms

This article from Medscape demonstrates the importance of a sound healthy diet consisting of plenty of Vitamins C and E (multivitamin daily, fruits and vegetables) and omega-3 fatty acids (found in fish, flax seeds, or over-the-counter supplements). This is especially true of all patients with asthma, bronchitis or respiratory issues.