Vegetarian children and childhood obesity

Last month the Los Angeles Times came out with a super article regarding vegetarian (non-meat-eating) diets and the benefits for children as they grow into healthy adults.

Following are quotes from the article entitled 'Vegetarian Kids':

' Beyond doing no harm, vegetarianism may also help kids, research suggests. For one thing, cutting down on meat early in life might be one way to counter the rising rates of obesity, along with the chronic diseases associated with it.

Some evidence suggests that vegetarian kids are slimmer than their meat-eating peers and that teenagers are less likely to be overweight or obese if they don't eat meat. Studies also show that vegetarian teens eat fewer sweets and junk food and get more fruits, vegetables and fiber.

"Just by their diet alone, vegetarian children tend to be leaner," Renda says. "That helps them as adults because they're not getting the double whammy of being overweight as kids already." '

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To read further articles regarding vegetarian diets and childhood obesity, click here.

NY mom creatively helps kids create healthy eating habits

Don't you just love it when you hear a heart-warming story about down-to-earth people?

Well, in the spotlight is Debra Sullivan, a New York mother, who is deservedly featured in the Alliance for a Healthier Generation website. Not only does she take the time and energy to make sure that her own kids eat as healthfully (and creatively) as possible, but many children in her neighborhood as well...

Read more about Debra's Story ... not only will you enjoy hearing it on video, but you too will feel inspired to make a difference in your kids' and other's lives!

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General Mills pledges to lower sugar in cereals

Fantastic news received a few days ago regarding children's nutrition!

On Good Morning America, it was announced that General Mills plans to reduce the sugar content in 10 of its cereals to single digit numbers! This means that it will be between an 18-25% in the amount of sugar per serving.

Both Kellogg and Post cereals have made similar positive changes already...

Please click below to view the two related articles:.

General Mills Will Reduce Sugar in Kid's Cereals

Experts Sound Off on Cereal

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More About: nutrition · serving size · breakfast · sugar

Benefits of exercise in obese teens

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Medline Plus, a service of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Library of Medicine, recently released a video which talks about obese teen health and regular exercise. Once you are into the website, scroll down and look for the title 'New Hope for Overweight Teens' under the title of The Latest News.

Reported as part of Health day September 2009, this video states that a recent article published in the The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism indicates that exercise is beneficial for overweight teens even if they do not lose weight or even if there is no diet restriction. It was shown that even if no other changes are made, exercise prevents obesity-related associated medical illnesses such as Type 2 Diabetes! Great news for all since even lean teens receive this benefit from regular exercise!

More great resources include:

• Weight-control Information Network offers great advice on helping your overweight child or teen
• Nemours Foundation with KidsHealth and TeenHealth offers helpful information in both English and Spanish.

U.S. dinnertime poll and childhood obesity

Last month, November 2009, a great article encouraging dinnertime as family time was published in The Salt Lake Tribune. An Associated Press iVillage poll of families was taken; the results are very interesting...

60% of the families surveyed eat together at least 5 days per week

For the vast majority of these families, home-cooked meals and hand-me-down recipes topped the charts for menu selection -- even more than recipes obtained from TV shoes, newspaper, or online sites.

Families living in cities are less likely to eat with their own families compared wit those living in rural and suburban areas.

Click here to see the article and more statistics and poll results.

' "It's a lot cheaper and a lot healthier to eat at home," said Maria Lichty, who is a certified health educator. She said parents who serve dinner at home find it easier to get children to eat vegetables and understand proper portion sizes.' (A key component in the fight against childhood obesity).

Another important point was brought to light... the importance of indeed making dinner time family time -- turning off the TV, and cell phones and giving your full focus to your kids, your spouse, and anyone else fortunate enough to share in this precious time with you and yours.

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