Life Notes
By Stacy Hawkins Adams
Theme: Healthy eating and exercise begin and end at home
We’re in the throes of beach and water park season, and no doubt, many moms and dads are fretting about their swimsuit figures.
Unfortunately, their kids may be self-conscious, too.
With abundant exposure to super-thin models, actresses and other celebrities, adolescent and pre-adolescent girls struggle to like themselves when they’re feeling pudgy, or worse.
Even some boys are impacted by our image-addicted society and strive to make sure their abs and arms are in tip-top shape before they’ll take a plunge or dive.
Then there are children at the opposite end of the spectrum, who struggle with poor eating habits and weight issues.
According to numerous recent studies, one out of three American children is overweight or obese.
The issue is so worrisome that the federal government, national nonprofits and major health corporations are taking steps to help reduce, or prevent, childhood obesity and its negative consequences.
“We try to totally avoid talking about weight,” said Vickie L. James, a registered dietitian and director of Healthy Kids Challenge, a national nonprofit that helps schools, communities and programs create solutions for eating better and exercising more.
“The question is, how can we help all kids, and adults connected to kids, make good choices regarding food and activity,” said James, who is based in Kansas.
“Children are learning all the time – not just at school,” she said. “The model we recommend is to be able to have a healthy and positive influence on children in all of the environments in which they are spending time.”
It starts, says Dr. Mary Lou Gavin, by changing adult and family habits.
“We live in a world where food is always available and we’re able to eat it on demand,” said Gavin, medical editor for KidsHealth.org and a weight management pediatrician in Wilmington, Del.
“In addition, families are really busy, so they are relying on fast food or prepared food,” she said. “(Changes must occur) at the individual level, but at the societal level as well.”
What can parents improve upon this summer and beyond? Gavin and James offered some practical advice:
Gavin:
- “Parents can be role models by getting regular exercise, modeling healthy eating and looking at portion control.”
- Instead of eating (fast food) three nights a week, cut back to one night a week.
- After school, have kids go outside and play instead of turning on the TV. “Children who have less than two hours of screen time – TV or handheld video games - are less likely to be overweight.”
- Rather than buying school lunches which you have no control over, pack lunches so you’re know your children are getting healthy foods, like low-fat yogurt or carrot sticks. “Get your 8-or 10 year old involved in making lunch and they’ll feel like they’re in control of the situation.”
James:
- Plan your meals ahead. “Think things through (to avoid) ‘We have soccer practice and dance practice and I have to work late and I have no idea what is in the refrigerator.’” Put a shopping list on the refrigerator and have the kids add to it if something runs out.
- Keep healthy snacks in a cooler in the car so you don’t have to stop for fast food “The family meal may still be together; it may just be in the park after soccer practice instead of in the dining room at 5:30.”
- Allow your children to help you with menu planning and grocery shopping. “A 3-year-old can tell you whether they like peas or green beans for dinner.”
- Keep active clothes and shoes in a backpack in the car, along with a few active toys, like a Frisbee or a glove and ball, in case you have some time during a child’s practice or other activity to get physical “If you’re a mom coming from work and you’re dressed up in a three-piece suit and high heels…if you don’t have those things with you, you miss an opportunity.”
Ultimately, Gavin, James and other nutrition and health experts want parents and children to view healthy eating and exercise as a core principle of family life.
“That really can cut down on some of the issues we have about eating and activity, if it’s just something you do together,” James said. “There aren’t necessarily good foods and bad foods. It’s all about enjoying a balanced diet and enjoying being active.”
Our role as parents or caregivers is to show kids we love what that means.
“We’re trying to make it so it’s just as much a norm to bite into a fresh peach as it is to pick up a candy bar,” James said.
To steal a line from a popular kids’ TV musical, “We’re all in this together,” Gavin said, “and it’s about health for the whole family.”
