Taking Play Seriously

This was a fantastic, thorough article (11 pages) on the extensive research that has been done regarding play and its importance at all stages of our lives from childhood into adulthood and the detrimental aspects (some vitally important) of being deprived of free, creative play. "Play, in their view, is a central part of neurological growth and development — one important way that children build complex, skilled, responsive, socially adept and cognitively flexible brains." In addition to the role that play has in preventing obesity, there are so many more benefits to this activity and it is one that is inate. New York Times Feb 17, 2008

Childhood Obesity Linked with Mother's Weight

I recently came across an article in the Pediatrics journal 2005 that is worth revisiting. The most important fact noted by the research is th following: "The results showed a significant relationship between the mother's pre-pregnancy weight and the weight of her child. The greatest determinant of a child's weight was the mother's weight during the one to two month period immediately prior to her pregnancy. If a woman's BMI placed her in the overweight category prior to her pregnancy, her child was three times more likely to be overweight by the age of seven than the children whose mother was normal weight." So, it is very important prior to pregnancy to get to within a normal BMI level and maintain it especially right before you are considering pregnancy; this is not only to your benefit as a mother-to-be, but even more important is gift if health that you can give to your baby even before he or she is born... priceless!

Mother Knows Best? Feeding Styles and Child Obesity

The January 2008 issue of Contemporary Pediatrics just came out with a fascinating article by Dr. Julie C. Lumeng regarding mothers, feeding, and child obesity. (By the way, they are quick to point out that they are not just picking on mothers; there is little to no research done regarding fathers so it is not possible to give accurate information involving them). A large part of this article is geared toward mentioning something called "Eating in the Absence of Hunger" (EAH) which is both behaviorally and genetically mediated. This is an important potential cause of obesity and it is vital to be aware of its existence. These children with high EAH seem to eat in response to social cues in the environment; they don't have to be hungry. They also have higher BMIs (body mass index) and thus more likely to be overweight. Are they truly hungry? Or are they bored? Are they tired? Are they stressed or worried? There are two important points to note: 1. It is reported that children of obese mothers demonstrate more EAH than those of non-obese mothers and disinhibition in maternal eating style has been linked to more EAH in their children. In other words, if we, as mothers, eat without any limits or structure ourselves, our children will be obese. Tricky, because is this, then, genetic (child and mother share similar genetic makeup)? Or learned? 2. The more EAH the child demonstrates and the higher the child's BMI, the more restrictive the mother tends to be in her feeding practices. This restrictive feeding style seems to lead, over time, to greater EAH behavior and greater additional weight gain. Other important factors leading to childhood obesity are: a child's temperament -- negativity, emotional, easily angered (frequent temper tantrums tamed temporarily by food), poorly adaptable, intense; voracious, disinhibited eating; cultural influences (higher in African American and Hispanic); and lower socio-economic status. Just a few more facts... Do not compare your child's weight to other children in the same class. In many communities, most children are overweight and the frame of reference for what constitutes a normal body type shifts to accommodate this norm. In addition to the fact that the children find this comparison very distressing. One last note: Between the ages of 4-6 years, most children have lost their baby fat and are as skinny as they will ever be. This matters because parents notice this decrease in their child's size and may respond by prompting the child to eat well beyond satiety. This is a natural, expected time for our child.

The Machine Myth: Get Kids Off the Machines

This article found in PFP Magazine offers the other side of the argument of "Is it safe for kids to use exercise machines or not?" There is a school of thought that believes that it is actually safer for them to use machines for working out since they eliminate some of the dangerous aspects of free-weight training. The author Brian Grasso, current CEO for the International Youth Conditioning Association, presents a very convincing argument that non-machine training is, in reality, safer and should be the preferred method for workouts in kids. Sports involves many muscle groups performing as a unit. Machine training isolates certain muscle groups which eliminates the body's natural capacity to provide mobility and stability in an interrelated manner and decreases the body's ability to protect itself. Now that this article was presented, think about it, your child, and see what interests him or her -- depending on the age and training received, machines can be an excellent complement to workouts and keeping kids and teens active and healthy.

Study says many parents of fat children are in denial about their youngsters' weight

"A startling number of parents may be in denial about their youngsters' weight. A survey found that many Americans whose children are obese do not see them that way...." says the San Diego Union Tribune in an article dated Dec 24, 2007. Many parents believe that their children will just "grow out" of this chubby or overweight stage or that something magical will "just happen" one day and they will wake up slim and fit. Sobering realization. Parents, please be aware and ask for help -- do not wait until it gets really, really difficult to make any changes in your children's health!