Growing up Healthy: Combating Childhood Obesity

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Growing up HealthyCombating Childhood Obesity
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Did you know?

• 15 of American children are overweight.
• Overweight adolescents have a 70 chance of
  becoming overweight or obese adults.
• Childhood obesity can lead to pediatric
  hypertension, type 2 diabetes, coronary disease,
  stress on weight bearing joints, low self esteem.
• 60 of children 5-10 years of age have at least
  one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

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Definition of overweight

• Weight for Height (growth charts)
• Body Mass Index for ages 2-20
• Weight(lbs.)/Height(in.)/Height(in.)x703
• This number is charted on a BMI chart for
  children
• 95th percentile or greater is overweight
• 85th-95th percentile is at risk for overweight
• 5th 85th percentile is normal weight
• 5th percentile or less is underweight
• BMI chart available at www.cdc.gov/growthcharts

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Call for Action

• If child has a high BMI
• Dont single them out
• The main goal is to grow into their weight
• If weight loss is necessary, slow, gradual weight
  loss is desired.
• No fad diets!

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Genetics

• While genetics is a strong underlying factor, it
  is still just one factor.
• A variety of unhealthy behaviors overrides
  genetic tendencies.
• While genetics can provide a slow metabolism,
  exercise can help to overcome that.

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Unhealthy Behaviors

• Putting butter on everything
• Eating mostly meat and potatoes-rarely with a
  vegetable, fruit and milk
• Eating candy bars or chips as regular snacks
• Pig out when you eat out
• Eating or snacking in front of the TV or while
  reading
• Reaching for food due to stress, boredom, anger,
  or just because its there
• Drinking regular pop and other empty calorie
  beverages rather than milk or water.

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Unhealthy Behaviors

• Spending hours surfing the Internet
• Choosing TV over outdoor activities
• Considering exercise a chore
• Parking the car near the front door of the mall
• Taking the elevators instead of the stairs

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Why is Obesity on the Rise?

• Food selections
• Food trends
• Skipping breakfast
• Decreased physical activity
• Televisions influence

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• We spend more money on high fat, high calorie
  foods, and less on foods that will keep us
  healthy.

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• America has gotten out-of-control with portion
  sizes, and many lack self-control with eating.

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• Many children and their parents or caregivers
  live very sedentary lifestylesthe most exercise
  they get is clicking the remote button.

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• We do not hesitate to pay 3.19 for a bag of
  chips, but we refuse to spend that much on a
  bag of oranges.

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• We have larger and fancier kitchens, but we cook
  less.

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• We have pre-packaged foods, kitchen gadgets, and
  hundreds of cookbooks, but no time to cook.

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• We look to medicine to restore health, rather
  than to nutrition and healthy lifestyle to
  maintain our health.

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• We buy treadmills, exercise videos and gadgets
  but then complain about using them.

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The Influence of a Parent or Caregiver

• Children model their parents or caregivers
  behavior and eating patterns.
• Treating the parents or caregivers and children
  is more effective than directly treating the
  obese child alone.
• Parents or caregivers with poor nutrition and
  exercise habits cannot expect their children to
  eat healthy foods and exercise daily.

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Childrens Nutrition Rights

• Children have the right not to go hungry or
  endure deprivation of healthy foods.
• Children have the right to choose among healthy
  foods available.
• Children have the right to eat according to their
  hunger.
• Children have the right to enjoy their favorite
  foods in moderation.

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The influence of a parent or caregiver

• It is tough for many parents or caregivers to
  be consistent.
• For those parents or caregivers who did not have
  good parental role models themselves, the road
  ahead is even rockier.
• It takes time to plan a healthy lifestyle.
• It takes some monetary investment.
• It takes sacrifice on the part of the parent or
  caregiver.

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Parents or Caregivers Responsibilities

• Learn about good nutrition.
• Grocery shop for healthy foods.
• Create a food environment that doesnt trigger
  unnecessary eating.
• Prepare food wisely.
• Emphasize mealtimes and provide appropriate
  snacks.

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Parents or Caregivers Responsibilities

• Make mealtimes pleasant
• Model good behaviors
• Do not use food to reward or punish-food is
  nourishment
• Be flexible and understanding
• Provide 3 meals (and healthy snacks when
  appropriate)
• Provide a variety of foods try new foods
• Parents need to be in agreement about the plan
  for healthy eating

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The Parent or Caregiver Connection

• Parents or caregivers need to be role models for
  how to eat healthfully and how to stay active.
• When children see their parents or caregivers
  taking care of themselves, they tend to follow
  along.

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Healthy Lifestyle Changes

• Each of us can decide to make lifestyle changes
  that are healthy.
• Women are often the leaders in their families in
  regard to the food choices that are made.
• All parents or caregivers shape their familys
  health and nutrition behaviors.

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A Family Approach to Improving Nutrition

• Involve all family members, including parents,
  siblings, grandparents, and caregivers.
• Try to educate those who care for the child,
  including day care providers, grandparents, and
  friends.

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Which came first Inactivity or Obesity?

• It doesnt matter if a sedentary lifestyle and
  poor nutrition habits came first, or if the child
  is inactive because of the obesity.
• The solution is to get moving.

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Fabulous Exercise Facts

• When combined with a healthy diet, exercise is
  the most effective method of weight control.
• Burns extra calories while a person is
  exercising.
• Increases metabolism, even after exercising.
• Builds muscle (maintains lean body mass) which
  burns calories more efficiently than fat.

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Fabulous Exercise Facts

• Exercise decreases body fat.
• It improves physical fitness.
• It takes ones mind off eating.
• It may be easier to change a childs exercise
  habits than to change food habits.
• Exercise decreases stress.
• It increases self esteem.

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Fabulous Exercise Facts

• Exercise increases social contacts and improves
  social skills (organized sports).
• Combats boredom.
• Learning how to have fun with exercise helps to
  develop lifelong healthy habits.
• It allows parents to spend time with their
  children.

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The Fitness Connection

• Society as a whole must undergo a profound change
  to address problems created by obesity and lack
  of activity.
• It is not only about food, and it is not only
  about activity. Its about both eating healthful
  foods and being active.

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The Fitness Connection

• Exercise is essential because muscle is the
  biggest tissue in the body.
• Most people should work toward being moderately
  active for at least 60 minutes each day.
• Be more physically active by incorporating short
  bursts of activity into daily routines.

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Parents or Caregivers Be a good example!

• Use hand weights when reading or watching
  television.
• Take the steps instead of the elevator.
• Take 3 ten-minute walks each day.
• Deliver mail at work in person.
• Park at the far end of the parking lot.
• Return your grocery cart into the inside of the
  store, or at least put it back where it belongs.
• Buy a pedometer aim for 10,000 steps per day.

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How parents or caregivers can encourage exercise

• Limit TV, video games and computer time. (2 hours
  per day in the summer and 1 hour per day during
  school time).
• Use physical activity as a reward (fun family
  activities).
• Include children in activities that parents
  enjoy.
• Let your child win sometimes.
• Learn to enjoy exercise.
• Include physical activity in a vacation.

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How parents and caregivers discourage exercise

• Allow endless TV, video games and computer time.
• Reward a child with TV.
• Use TV as a babysitter.
• Spending sunny, cool afternoons indoors.
• Make fun of exercise.
• Plan vacations that involve mostly driving,
  eating and sitting.

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How parents and caregivers discourage exercise

• Exercise by yourself. Dont include the kids.
• Make remarks about how you cannot fit exercise
  into your already busy schedule.
• Complain about how tired and sweaty you are after
  exercising.
• Complain that you arent seeing results fast
  enough, and then quit being active.

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Dispelling exercise myths

• Exercising makes you eat more.
• No pain, No gain.
• Its useless to exercise if you cannot do it for
  30 minutes at any time.
• Some just arent meant to be athletic.
• Jogging a mile burns more calories than walking a
  mile.

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Dispelling exercise myths

• If you exercise, you can eat all you want.
• You can reduce specific parts of your body by
  doing repetitions of exercises designed for those
  parts.

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Marys Family Portrait

• TV in a prominent place in family room.
• On the coffee table chips, dip, empty soda cans,
  open container of peanuts.
• Candy bowl on kitchen table, clear glass jar full
  of chocolate chip cookies on the counter.
• Unwashed veggies in refrigerator, no fruit.
• Snack wrappers, soda cans, TV, and computer in
  her room.

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Anns Family Portrait

• Bicycles, roller-blades and tennis rackets near
  the front door.
• TV in the corner, exercise bike pointed towards
  the screen.
• Bowl of fruit on the kitchen table.
• A container of washed veggies for snacks in the
  refrigerator.
• Room is a mess, but cant find food wrappers and
  sweetened beverage containers.

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Which environment may contribute to overweight
children?

• 1 Meals are served on time, everyone eats
  quickly, serving dishes are left on the table,
  conversation is not pleasant.
• Rule You must clean your plate, no dessert if
  dinner not finished.

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Which environment may contribute to over weight
children?

• 2 Dinner is never at the same time or place
  it may be a sandwich in front of the TV at 500
  pm, a regular meal at 700 pm or cereal at 830
  pm. Snacks are available before and after
  dinner. Family may/may not eat together.

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• 3 Dinner served between 600 and 700 pm.
  Family eats together, conversation is pleasant.
  Occasionally a special TV program is watched, but
  the TV is off 95 of the time. Parents ask
  children their opinions on a topic of discussion.
  Meal prep and clean-up is shared. One rule a
  new food has to be at least tasted. If a food is
  disliked, a child does not have to eat all of it.

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What is in your grocery cart?

• Did anyone plan the meals?
• Do you fly by the seat of your pants when it
  comes to meal planning?
• Did you come home with fruit and vegetables?
• Which do you have more of chips and cookies, or
  fruit and veggies?

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Whos in the kitchen?

• Do any of the children help with cooking?
• Are you teaching children to cook healthy foods,
  with low fat ingredients?
• Does the cook make meals out of necessity or
  love?
• Is there an avid baker in the house?

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Nutrition Balancing Acts

• Balance is about allowing children to eat enough
  of their favorite foods to be happy, but control
  high fat, high calorie foods in order to affect
  their weight in a healthy way.

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Nutrition Balancing Acts

• Balance high fat foods with low fat foods.
• Balance empty calories with good nutrition.
• Balance calories in with calories out.

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Breakfast Tips

• Select nutritious breakfasts that can be prepared
  in five minutes or less such as
• Instant oatmeal or cold cereal with skim milk and
  fruit.
• Lowfat muffin and fruit smoothie.
• Toaster waffle topped with yogurt and or fruit.
• Granola cereal mixed into fruited yogurt.
• Peanut butter on toast or bagel with skim milk.

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Eating Out

• Is it a treat occasionally, or a frequent last
  minute choice?
• What type of restaurants are chosen?
• Do you eat out on days and nights when you are
  rushed to get somewhere else?
• Do you order Biggie portions?

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Life in the fast lane
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Life in the fast lane
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Best Bites at Fast Food Restaurants

• Grilled chicken sandwiches w/mayo on the side,
  and a salad with dressing drizzled, not dumped.
• Small spaghetti with meat sauce
• Lean sub sandwiches 6 inches
• Frozen yogurt cones small
• Chili
• Small hamburger and small fry
• Thin crust vegetable or cheese pizza
• Chicken or beef taco

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Healthy Snacks

• Wise vending machine choices 100 fruit juices,
  low fat milk, fruit, pretzels, baked chips,
  peanuts, Rice Krispie Treats.
• Grab and Go Snack ideas String cheese, grapes,
  fruit cups, raisins, pretzels, granola bar, fruit
  juice, flavored milk, cereal bar, fresh fruit,
  light popcorn, peanut butter and celery.

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School Lunches

• Of the 21 meals a child eats per week, only 5 are
  at school.
• Children who do not participate in the school
  lunch program have a threefold increase in sugar
  intake.
• Look over the menu the night before and talk
  about healthy choices.
• Pack a healthy lunch if they do not like the
  menu.
• Ask them what they are eating at school.
• Ask if they are buying extras.

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Label Reading

• Serving size Is this how much you are going to
  have?
• Calories Amount of calories for the serving
  listed.
• Fat Avoid saturated or trans fats. Realize that
  too much of even the healthy fat means too many
  calories.

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Conclusions

• Childhood obesity is on the rise and can cause
  health and self-esteem problems in children.
• The whole family needs to be involved in a
  healthy lifestyle.
• Balancing food intake with activity will help
  promote a healthy weight.

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THANK YOU!