Cut the Calories 3 Easy Methods
August 9th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Here are a couple of quick and easy ways to reduce the calories your child consumes:
Change to diet drinks
When I counsel my patients and their families, I stress the importance of making small changes slowly to maximize your chances of long-term success. A relatively small change that offers great rewards is simply changing from regular sugared drinks to sugar-free.
Every 8-12 ounce serving of a sugared drink (like regular soda, juices, powdered flavored drinks, etc.) contains 140 to 180 calories. Four sugared drinks can have as many calories as a Big Mac!
Only eat at the table
Most junk food snacking is done either on the couch or on the run. Make a rule that all food must be eaten while seated at the table.
If your child is watching television and wants a snack, she’ll have to get up and eat in the kitchen. This can translate into less snacking as well as less time in front of the tube.
Drink lots of water
Have your child drink a glass of water just before sitting down to eat snacks and meals.
Drinking a glass of water first will help the stomach send your child the “I’m full” signal quicker and should cut down on second and third helpings.
Cutting out needless calories is a great first step in helping your child achieve longer term goals of weight control and physical fitness. Make sure that you discuss any weight management program with your health care professional.
Michael P. Scaccia, MD, FAAP is a physician, author,
speaker, and child health expert whose goal is to help
families live healthier and more satisfying lives. For
more information, go to:
http://www.UltimateParentGuide.com
Would you like a speaker who is knowledgeable, dynamic, and
entertaining? Dr. Scaccia speaks on a variety of child health
topics. For more information, send an email to:
speaking@ultimateparentguide.com
Tags: calorie, child, diet, health, healthy, kid, nutrition, obese, obesity, over weight, overweightUse It or Lose It!
August 5th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Who can forget that song from the 1980s about nobody walking in L.A? It turns out that far too many seemingly took it to heart. People just don’t walk that much these dayslet alone bicycle, swim or engage in other forms of movement that does a body good. America has become a car driving, desk riding, TV watching, video game playing, Internet surfing, elevator taking, fast food eating society. Is it any wonder that we are fighting a veritable epidemic of obesity, when pressing the buttons on the TV remote, clicking the mouse, and handing the fast food drive-thru clerk money is the extent of our “exercise.”
Researchers, again, have recently underscored the severity of the problem this lack of activity is posting to our nation’s collective health. According to an October 2005 press release issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ National Institutes of Health, a recent Framingham Heart Study shows that “we [Americans] could have an even more serious degree of overweight and obesity over the next few decades” and that “If the trend continues, our country will continue to face substantial health problems related to excess weight.” In response to these findings, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Director Elizabeth G. Nabel, M.D. boils it down to this: “taking simple steps to make sure that the overall the number of calories you consume do not exceed the amount you burn can play a major role in lowering your risk for many chronic conditions. How is this done? You guessed itexercise!
Even with the knowledge of study findings and other health news-making events, it seemingly goes in one ear and out the other. People continue on the same unhealthy track despite medical warnings about lack of activity. The study’s leading researcher and Boston University Medical Professor, Dr. Ramachandran Vasan, cited a litany of dramatic, life-altering conditions that can be experienced from lack of activity. Even with the threat of high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and osteoarthritis, most of us still do not budge from the sofa unless we absolutely, positively have to.
For those who really do wish they were more active, it can, admittedly, be difficult to put that desire into action. In today’s fast paced society, many of us cannot find time to sit down as a family for dinner let alone get in the car and drive to and from the gym. Even with the best of intentions, many with home gym equipment end up using the devices as (very expensive) clothes racks. With enough stuff piled on it and shielding it from view, perhaps they don’t feel guilty when passing it by on the way from the couch to the refrigerator to bed.
Others who do have the time to get to the gym may feel intimidated by all of the strange equipment. Some feel uncomfortable next to the cute girl in spandex who looks like she doesn’t even belong at the gym, not to mention the beefy guy snarling in front of the mirror as his biceps appear poised to explode. And, while some can afford to hire a personal trainer, many must venture into this unfamiliar territory on their own. This can lead to ineffective workouts, a serial lack of motivation or, worse, injuries. Soon after any of these events, enthusiasm naturally drops and it’s just your credit or debit card that it’s getting a workout as the gym continues to charge - whether you show up or not.
On the upside (sort of), the spike in gasoline prices has got a few people moving a bit more. Recent news reports indicate more people riding their bicycles to work and, yes, even walking! So if medical advice is not enough motivation, maybe a dent in our collective pocketbooks is enough to get America on its feet.
At the end of the day, it’s all about making time for something you want - make that NEED - to do. Even a minimal amount of time and effort can make a real difference when compared to no body movement whatsoever. In this case, something is indeed better than nothing.
Child health advocate, weight-loss industry veteran and former bodybuilding champion Merilee A. Kern is co-founder and CEO of Healthy Kids’ Catalog
Tags: child, childhood, children, diet, exercise, fat, fitness, health, kids, nutrition, obesity, overweight, weightWhat Can Be Done About An Over Weight Child
June 13th, 2008 by Go Weblog
Children that are over weight, are in most cases victims of there parents love. Parents are all the time giving there children the wrong thing to eat. Not because they don’t care. It’s mainly because they display there love for there child in the wrong way.
The most common trait with almost all over weight children is there parents, and there financial back ground. Growing up in a financially stable environment is a good thing. But it also has its draw backs.
The dilemma is that if both parents work all the time. They fell guilty about the lack of time they spend with there child. So to make up for that guilt they often give there child what ever they want as far as eating is concerned. This is where the child starts to develop the eating habits. That’s what creates this predicament of being over weight, and it’s this kind of love that causes damage not only to the child but to the parents as well.
Another type of a bad display of love for your child is just giving them what they want. You do this to your child because they are your child and you love them. So you just want to give them every thing they want chocolate, cookies, candy bars, ice cream. What ever they want they get. This will also cause the child to have an over weight problem.
Then you have the parents who are always on the run. They don’t have the time to see that the child gets the rite national foods. The child is always eating things like pizza or
Mac Donald’s. A fast food diet is a fat food diet for your child.
These are only some of the symptoms of over weight children. I’m sure you know a few others. No matter what the reason is. Or how the child got that way you should do what ever is necessary to make it rite. Over weight children suffer tremendously at the hands of there peers. Not to mention that resent studies have shown that over weight children are more susceptible to diabetes later in life.
If you truly love your child you should help them now. By changing your child’s eating habits. You can change your Childs life. There are a lot of foods that can take the place of the foods your child is eating that is healthier and tastes good to. Give your child the love your child deserves.
Robert Emler: My heart goes out to these children who have this problem. When I see an over weight child I feel sad because I know this child doesn’t have to be this way. What bothers me even more is that I can’t do anything about it.
http://loseweightpains.com
