Health at Every Size

I recently attended a training on the Health at Every Size Approach (HAES). The idea shared was that we need to get away from the focus on weight and make our recommendations and drive for change based on health. Studies repeatedly show that most chronic dieters will simply regain the weight back and that over a 10 year period, dieters should expect to maintain a mere 7 pound weight loss. Not too encouraging, right? So is that what we want for our kids? Is that what we should have children and adolescents strive to accomplish? Instead of focusing on calorie restriction and a feeling of deprivation to reach a goal weight usually determined by society and not by health experts, we need to focus on health and healthy eating habits. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease. The HAES Approach follows this definition by focusing on promoting healthy eating habits and increasing physical activity to ensure healthy hearts (including healthy lipid profiles), as well as sustainable healthy habits. The approach is more health-centered rather than your typical weight-centered programs. It can help chronic dieters reshape their thinking, eliminate unhealthy habits, adopt new patterns of eating, become more physically active, and increase their self-esteem. This idea of preserving and even enhancing self-esteem is of special importance for children and teens. If you are interested in learning more about this approach to improving health, visit http://www.haescommunity.org/about.php for more credible information.

MyPlate for Kids

Wondering how to make your child’s meals healthier? Make half their plate fruits and veggies.  Studies show that kids don’t eat the recommended amount of fruits and vegetable, yet their consumption of sweetened beverages and high fat foods is too high.  To encourage kids to eat their veggies, it helps to make it a fun experience by involving them in the preparation and working on the presentation.  Throw frozen fruit pieces with low-fat yogurt or milk in a blender to make a delicious smoothie.  Create characters with decorated veggies and let your child name their meal.  Experiment with your cooking methods, just because your child doesn’t like steamed zucchini doesn’t mean they will not love it grilled.  And when all else fails, hide the stuff!  You can puree veggies and add them to tomato sauces for pastas or mix shredded veggies with cheese in a quesadilla; once the cheese melts it is hard to pull the healthy veggies out J.  You too can outsmart your kids!  

For more useful tips and information, check out Choose MyPlate Tip sheets at http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/downloads/TenTips/DGTipsheet11KidFriendlyVeggiesAndFruits.pdf

Rethink Your Drink!

In 2009, the California Center for Public Health Advocacy and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research released a report titled “Bubbling Over: Soda Consumption and Its Link to Obesity in California.”  The report cited a study that provided scientific evidence of a direct contribution of sugar-sweetened beverages to the California’s $41 billion obesity epidemic.  Findings reported that 41 percent of children, 62 percent of adolescents, and 24 percent of adults drink at least one soda or other sugar-sweetened beverages every day, which increased the risk of becoming obese.  For more information, check out the study details at http://www.publichealthadvocacy.org/bubblingover.html

In an effort to show parents and children how much sugar is found in sweetened beverages, the Rethink Your Drink Education Campaign was born.  The campaign began in the Bay Area and is currently used in all of California as those involved in childhood obesity prevention are promoting Sugar Free Summers, Sugar Savvy Training, Educational Displays, and Make Every Sip Count Handouts for families. 

Interested in joining the Rethink Your Drink initiative? 

Visit http://www.cdph.ca.gov/programs/wicworks/Pages/WICRethinkYourDrink.aspx for the California Department of Public Health’s Campaign resources. 

Visit www.BANPAC.org for more Sugar Savvy resources and handouts. 

Visit www.sodafreesummer.org for more information about the Soda Free Summer campaign. 

Food Ads Targeting Kids

Did you know that children are spending anywhere between 3.5 to almost 6 hours of screen time including TV, computers, phones, etc. every day.   8 – 12 year olds are exposed to almost 40 minutes of advertising a day.  Food is the most frequently advertised product with the top three products being candy and snacks, cereal and fast food.  When the nutritional quality of food ads targeting kids was assessed, to no one surprise, nutritionally poor food ads dominated.      
Are you surprised?  This is another reason why a comprehensive approach to improving health has to include policy and advocacy for healthy environments along with nutrition education and health promotion.  Our kids deserve better!  We need strong science based guidelines to direct food marketing to kids.   

There are many groups researching the impact of media and advertising on children.  There are also groups that provide media advocacy training and strategic planning support for community groups and public health advocates.  If you are interested in getting involved, check out the Berkeley Media Studies Group at www.bsmg.org.  


Source: Children Now- Ensuring a Healthy Media Environment for Children  http://www.cce.csus.edu/conferences/nhc/11/speaker/uploads/Espejo,%20E_Ensuring_Healthy_Media.pdf

The Issue of a Kid's Weight

Childhood obesity is an issue we have all been hearing about lately.  There are many varying views on the epidemic, what is causing it and what the solutions are.  What we all agree on are the associated health risks that can contribute to preventable chronic diseases.  That said; after working in the field or childhood obesity prevention for the last 10 years, I am sick of the O word.  I think it is time to place the emphasis on the H word; health.  I appreciate the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics’ focus on the “Big Picture.”  A piece on Talking to Kids about Weight encourages that the focus be on health and not weight.  If a child has a weight issue, it is the responsibility of the entire family to eat better and move more so that kid has the opportunity to grow into his/her weight as his/her height increases.  I agree whole heartedly that it is about the family’s lifestyle behaviors and modeling that can be the most positive influences on the child’s weight and overall health.  The article includes additional information like limiting screen time and seeking professional advice.  Interested?  If you would like to know more, check out the link: http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=6848

For even more information, you can purchase If Your Child is Overweight: A Guide for Parents, 3^rd Edition through the Academy of Nutrition and Academics website @ www.eatright.org

Good News! School Lunches are about to get healthier

Have you heard? The USDA has issued new guidelines for school meals.  The new standards are supposed to go into effect on July 1^st and be phased in over a 3 year period.  These new and improved nutrition standards are based on recommendations provided by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academics and come as part of an effort to slow down the childhood obesity epidemic. 

Exciting highlights from the new nutrition standards include caloric minimums and maximums per meal based on the child’s age.  Sounds like common sense, right? Well, some schools currently offer their preschoolers the same portions they offer their 6^th graders!  Unbelievable! Also, and most importantly, new requirements mean more fruits and vegetables and more whole grain! Yippee…

Want to see what these changes will look like in a meal? Check out this before and after sample lunch menu provided by the USDA: http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/Legislation/cnr_chart.jpg

Interested in learning more about these guidelines? Visit the USDA website’s School Meals at http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/regulations.htm

Schools are trying to do good... Breakfast in the Classroom

Check out this great article about a Colorado School that incorporated a Breakfast in the Classroom program. This is usually a very controversial issue in schools that perceive instruction time to be as valuable as gold. We all know that health and PE are the first to get cut when schools give all their time and resources to Math and English Language Arts (subjects that get tested). However, leaders who believe in the power of nutrition dare to bring in programs like Breakfast in the Classroom that end up improving test scores, attendance, nurse visits and behavior issues! Amazing...

Here is the article: http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_19864743. Let me know what you think!

Move More, Eat Healthy.

I really appreciate your personal stories... keep them coming :)

I can't get my kid to eat my healthy meals!

Okay, so schools play a huge role in a child’s nutrition, but so do parents!  Do you ever feel that your kid is a picky eater?  Do you slave over a hot stove to make nutritious and delicious meals only to have your kids push it away or ask for cereal instead?  Whenever I present for parents on the topic of “Picky Eaters,” I always quote Registered Dietician, Ellyn Satter.  She says, “The secret to feeding a healthy family is to love good food, trust yourself, and share that love and trust with your child… When the joy goes out of eating, nutrition suffers.”  Satter teaches that it is the responsibility of the parent to provide healthy meals, offer these meals at scheduled times, and create a pleasant eating environment.  The responsibility of the child, on the other hand, is to simply choose which of the healthy foods they want to eat and how much.  I also reassure parents that it is perfectly normal for kids to reject foods.  Research shows that it takes up to 15 tries for a child to like a particular food!  Also, food jags are perfectly normal.  Don't worry, your kid will not turn into a 30 year old who only eats hot dogs.  

Feeling inspired?  Here are a couple of great resources from credible sources for your enjoyment J. 

Choose MyPlate – resources for preschool age children that might be picky eaters @ http://www.choosemyplate.gov/preschoolers/picky-eaters.html

Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics – great article titled “why is my child a picky eater?” @ http://www.eatright.org/kids/article.aspx?id=6442467922

Nutrition & Physical Activity Help Your Kids Learn

Schools' priority is to make sure students achieve academic success. Attendance, academic standards, instructional minutes and test scores get a lot of attention, but what every educator and parent needs to remember that we need to also pay attention to the many factors that impact learning. Students that are well-nourished and who receive adequate amounts of physical activity do better in school. Evidence based research is showing a direct link between nutrition, physical activity and academic success. 

Did you know that…

·       Students who ate a school breakfast had a general increase in math grades and reading scores, increased attention, reduced nurse visits and improved behaviors. 

·       Children who start their day without breakfast pay less attention in the late morning, have a negative attitude toward schoolwork, and attain less in class. 

·       Participation in the School Breakfast Program was associated with greater improvements on standardized test scores and lower rates of tardiness and absenteeism. 

·       Iron deficiency anemia leads to shortened attention span, irritability, fatigue, and difficulty with concentration.

·       Consequently, anemic children tend to do poorly on vocabulary, reading and other tests.

·       Children who suffer from poor nutrition during the brain’s most formative years score much lower on tests of vocabulary, reading comprehension, arithmetic, and general knowledge. 

·       Even moderate under-nutrition (inadequate or sub-optimal nutrient intake) can have lasting effects and compromise cognitive development and school performance. 

·       A reduction of 240 minutes per week in class time academics to enable increased physical activity led to consistently higher mathematics scores. 

·       Physical activity is consistently related to higher levels of self-esteem and lower levels of anxiety and stress. 

·       Intense physical activity programs have positive effects on academic achievement including increases concentration; improved mathematics; reading and writing test scores; and reduced disruptive behavior. 

·       Aerobic conditioning may help to improve memory.

·       Exercise many strengthen particular areas of the brain and oxygen intake during exercise may enhance greater connections between neurons. 

This information and more can be found on the Action for Healthy Kids website @ www.actionforhealthykids.org

Making sure students are well-nourished and that they receive adequate opportunities to be physically active is crucial to preparing them for tests and overall academic success. 

Hey There!

Since we all must eat multiple times every day of our lives, nutrition is important to everyone!  In a world of mixed messages and a massive amount of mis-information, I believe that it is vital that we seek credible info from reliable sources.  My goal for this blog is to share some food info with you that is sound :). 

Thanks for visiting my blog... I look forward to our food journey together. 

Dareen