Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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Teach your children well Imagine starting your life over from the day of birth, armed with all you've learned over the years about a poor diet and sedentary lifestyle. Would you change anything? Chances are, you'd start out right by eating sensibly and exercising regularly. Now that you're a parent, that hindsight can turn into valuable foresight. Are you sharing what you've learned as you raise your children? Or do you figure that kids' bodies can bounce back from the ill effects of fast food and sugary snacks? Medical experts agree that our children are facing a national epidemic — obesity. According to one study it is estimated that 15 percent of children between the ages of six and 19 are overweight or obese. Obesity is the result of too much body fat, usually from too much food, too little activity or both. As a result, children are suffering from weight-related illnesses, particularly Type 2 diabetes which once only affected our grandparents. Overweight children may also develop sleep apnea, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. For a youngster, a few extra pounds can make a big difference. Because Body Mass Index (BMI) changes substantially as children get older, BMI for age is the measure used for individuals ages two to 20. A child is overweight if his or her BMI is at or above the 95th percentile on an age and gender specific growth chart used by health care professionals. In general, a BMI of less than 25 is considered normal. Truthfully, as an adult you're responsible for your own well-being, but as a parent, you're also responsible for your children's well-being, and that means becoming a good role model. Establishing healthy eating habits for a child in order to avoid obesity later should start on day one. New moms, that means giving your baby the best possible nutrition, preferably by breastfeeding. But even if you breastfeed, remember that whatever you eat, your baby eats, too. In order to ensure that your baby starts out right, make wise food choices for yourself. Once children are eating grown-up foods, I believe that getting them to eat wisely isn't as hard as parents think. Take a look at what your kids are currently eating and modify. Breakfasts are easy — instead of sweetened cereals, toaster tarts and doughnuts choose bagels, multigrain cereals and fresh fruits. Eating Cheerios and raisins from a zip-top bag and 100 percent juice from a box in the car on the way to school is much better than no breakfast at all. If you have a problem eating these foods, don't stand in the way of your child's health. Many times as parents, we do not give our children foods they need due to our poor eating habits. Trickier is the psychology involved behind motivating your offspring. A parent shouldn't offer their children healthy meals and then eat junk food or diet obsessively. Children notice behaviors more than what you say. Look at how you talk about your own body and your own weight. Try to be kind to yourself and your children will follow suit. Until the peer influence takes over, parents are still the major influence in their child's life. When children see their parents grazing on foods with little nutrition and not being active, kids have an unspoken picture of what's right. I am learning more and more each day that good parenting includes giving our children a healthy heritage that starts in the home. That goes for exercise, too. Structured activities such as team sports are great if your children enjoy them, but don't overlook the benefits of little ones playing hide-and-seek or knock-the-can in the back yard. If your child prefers video games and TV, make suggestions that require some type of movement — shooting baskets, flipping a tire, wrestling or bench jumps in the house. n See Teach on L10 Learning healthy eating at home can help your child when he or she moves into the world alone, where unhealthful options abound. By allowing children to eat unhealthy foods, we are prescribing a life of suffering. To help your child eat a variety of foods is to pack their lunches yourself most days and save the trip to the fast-food joint as a special treat. Try avoiding sodium and fat-laden pre-packaged meals in favor of a homemade sandwich, piece of fruit, and whole-grain crackers. If you've got a youngster who turns up his or her nose at anything but hot dogs, macaroni and cheese and chicken nuggets, be patient and keep trying new foods, while still emphasizing grain products, fruits and vegetables. Try to resist giving in if your young child flatly refuses to eat a specific homemade meal, the quality or quantity of food that is consumed over a full day or even a week counts more than what's eaten at a single sitting. Fitness instructor Natasha Brown's column will seek to provide routines, training, motivational and spiritual tips to enhance student athletes, senior citizens, physically challenged, the disabled as well as elite athletes. Natasha can be contacted at 552-7182 or at natbrostudio@hotmail or gmail.com. Always consult with your doctor before starting an exercise routine. Monday, January 11, 2010