Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Shrinking Childhood Obesity
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After-school used to be dedicated to stick ball and tree-climbing. Now kids sit in dark rooms hunched two feet away from the latest Xbox game, exercising their well-toned thumb muscles but little else. No wonder almost one in five kids is overweight and Type 2 diabetes – formerly a disease only of adults – is slamming youngsters all over the nation. Overweight kids carry their risky excess pounds around for many more years than a beer-bellied adult, and their lifelong risk of health complications like cardiovascular disease is consequently much greater.
Obviously, the childhood obesity epidemic is caused by more than just lack of exercise. The foods that surround us are unhealthful and come in epic portion sizes, and the advertisements used to convince young minds they want these foods are pervasive. When kids cry in the supermarket for the latest puffed corn vehicle for sugar, which they saw during their favorite cartoon and that comes with a free plastic advertisement for some movie, dumping a little milk on it doesn’t balance the equation. Junk and fast food is everywhere and cheap; eating healthfully takes money, planning and time that most of us don’t feel like we have.
What can we do? For starters, says Martha Schneider, a physical therapist who co-directs a program called Kids on the Move (KOTM) at Newton-Wellesley Hospital, behave the way you want your child to behave. “Research shows that an overweight child whose parents actively participate in the child’s weight-loss efforts is more likely to succeed at losing weight and maintaining the lowered weight than a child whose parents do not participate,” she says. “When a child’s parents exercise and prepare and eat healthy meals with the overweight child, the child is more likely to persist through lifestyle changes, which are often very difficult.”
Her program for overweight kids and their parents follows this tenet. Parents must be present at each of eight 1 1/2-hour sessions. They go with their kids to a meeting with a nutritionist to assess and revise the child’s diet, as well as group nutritionist sessions to learn how to read labels and plan healthy snacks. Everyone in the group listens to a child life specialist, who helps children overcome self-esteem and bullying issues. And, most importantly, everyone participates in the weekly exercise session. Parents put on their sneakers for the strength training, cardiovascular workouts, martial arts and yoga - and they have fun. “Put kids together with kids their own age and parents talk to each other, they look forward to working out together,” says Schneider.
Kids also participate in the other biggest part of being overweight – food. During the classes, they learn how to make healthy foods and then eat them afterwards.
Schneider hopes kids who like to exercise will have less “screen time” – time spent staring at a TV, computer, or handheld device – and get moving instead. Gyms for kids have begun sprouting up all over with specialized programs – My Gym has a few locations in Massachusetts and holds weekly classes using music, sports, gymnastics and dance to get kids moving with cool, colorful equipment that changes each week. Gymboree also holds fitness classes.
But going to these lengths isn’t necessary. Give your kids a basketball or rope swing for their birthday instead of a video game.
“Many adult diseases are striking kids, like atherosclerosis and hypertension. A lot of parents don’t comprehend this yet,” notes Schneider. Modeling a healthy lifestyle for your children – showing them, not telling them, how to live - can fend off a lot of terrible health problems down the road.
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Comments
Personally, I believe that the partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils are what is really behind all of this. Our bodies have a very hard time breaking down these oils and thus create build-up and deterioration in our systems. Unfortunately “we are what we eat” and thus need to pay careful attention to the foods we buy. Fresh, Fresh, Fresh!! That’s my motto!
I agree that eating fresh, locally-grown foods is always best and I think it’s important to stay away from overly processed products high in fats, refined grains, and high fructose corn syrup. Conquering the complex problem of childhood obesity requires a multi-pronged approach, and I think this is one of the key prongs.
This is a model initiative undertaken by the professionals at Newton Wellesley Hospital. I would love to hear from readers about similar programs they know of on the east coast or in other parts of the country. When I was working on Enrichment at my daughter’s school, we brought in a group that performed skits about healthy eating and exercise habits. It made a big impact on the kids. I completely agree that parents have to set a good example and model healthy behavior for their kids. That said I will NOT switch to light beer, I’d rather skip dinner. Oops, don’t read that kids.
Rachael—again, excellent article! and thank you for getting the news out about childhood obesity and about Kids on the Move. Both Boston Medical Center and Children’s Hospital offer similar programs, though without the physical activity piece. As well, many hospitals are building comprehensive medical programs to particularly address childhood obesity, through their pediatric and/or adolescent departments. NWH is one of these. Some local gyms, such as Boston Sports Club, are trying to create programs that are designed to meet the specific needs of obese kids, as they have blood pressure, heart rate, and other issues that usually do not effect normal weight children.
I saw an overweight adolescent walking down the street the other day with a t-shirt that said “MOVE”. Though he may have hoped it to scream “Get the *@!% out of my way!”, I smiled. Yes, JUST MOVE.
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