Children's Health
Ask the Task Force on Childhood Obesity to Promote Vegan Food in Schools
|
|
The Task Force on Childhood Obesity, which was established last month by the Obama administration, will guide federal agencies in the creation of a national plan to solve the childhood obesity problem within one generation. The task force is now asking the public to submit comments, so here’s your chance to remind the federal government that kids would be healthier if they ate less meat, eggs, and dairy products and more nourishing vegan meals.
We want to make sure that the task force knows that more and more American kids are obese in large part because of all the chicken nuggets, burgers, and fish sticks that they are served in school cafeterias. Vegans are, on average, significantly slimmer than meat- and dairy-eaters. A well-rounded vegan diet gives children all the protein, calcium, and vitamins that they need to be strong and healthy without all the saturated fat and cholesterol that are found in animal-derived products. According to the American Dietetic Association, well-planned vegetarian and vegan diets are appropriate for all ages and slash the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
The Task Force on Childhood Obesity should note the growing popularity of the Meat-Free Monday program in schools and urge all school districts to offer exclusively vegan meals to students on Mondays, in addition to increasing the availability of delicious vegan food during the rest of the week.
Get Schooled Can schools stop obesity? Should they even try?
|
|
As an editorial writer, I met with representatives of national groups advocating dozens of good and worthy causes, from physical fitness to drug awareness to improved civics literacy.
In many cases, ground zero for the advocacy groups was the schoolhouse. Advocates felt that they needed to reach children to achieve the necessary changes/improvements.
But if all these well-meaning groups prevailed, we’d have two options: Reduce the class time for actual reading and math instruction or expand to a 12-hour school day.
Extreme obesity a growing problem in American children
|
|
More and more cases of extreme obesity are being reported in US children, a slap in the face for a country trying to lose weight.
This news comes following a study conducted by researchers from Kaiser Permanente in Southern California, featuring more than 710,000 children between two and 19 years of age.
Many would say “why spend money on a study like this when we already know what the outcome will be?”
Childhood obesity: A growing problem
|
|
Obesity has emerged as the No. 1 health problem facing children in the United States, according to a report from the National Institute of Health.
Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the last 30 years. The percentage of obese children ages 6 to 11 increased from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
These alarming rates have pushed national organizations such as the Elk Grove Village-based American Academy of Pediatrics to team up with first lady Michelle Obama and the White House last month in launching “Let’s Move,” an initiative to reduce the nation’s population of overweight and obese children by encouraging healthier eating and increased physical activity.
Obesity inches down in young Chicago children, but rates still much higher than nationally
|
|
There’s a glimmer of hope in new data on obesity in Chicago kids.
The percentage of Chicago youngsters aged 3 to 7 who are obese fell to 22 percent in 2008, from 24 percent in 2003.
That’s according to the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children. The consortium’s Dr. Adam Becker says the 2 percent drop represents about 700 fewer obese children.
Childhood obesity gains, losses
|
|
Fewer Chicago kids entering kindergarten and first grade were obese in 2008 vs. five years earlier. But children in Chicago are still more likely to be fatter than kids nationwide and, by sixth grade, more than one in four kids here is obese.
Those are the key findings of a new study by the Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children that suggests that efforts to fight childhood obesity in Chicago might be starting to have an effect but also reflects how daunting the problem is.
Efforts here to attack early childhood obesity “seem to be making a difference,” said Adam Becker, executive director of the Chicago consortium, based at Children’s Memorial Hospital. “But we still have a lot of work to do.”
Sleep apnea as common as asthma in German kids
|
|
A new German study suggests that about 3 percent of school-age children may have the nighttime breathing disorder sleep apnea—similar to the country’s rate of childhood asthma.
The findings suggest that there needs to be greater awareness of sleep apnea as a problem among children, researchers report in the European Respiratory Journal.
Obstructive sleep apnea, or OSA, occurs when the soft tissues at the back of the throat temporarily collapse during sleep, causing repeated breathing interruptions. The major symptoms include loud snoring and daytime sleepiness owing to a lack of deep sleep at night.
Play a role in helping to end childhood obesity
|
|
First Lady Michelle Obama recently launched a new campaign, Let’s Move, designed to eliminate childhood obesity in a generation.
“It’s an ambitious goal, but we don’t have time to wait,” said Mrs. Obama.
Combating childhood obesity will be quite an undertaking, considering that the number of obese children in the U.S. has quadrupled since 1960. Most obese adolescents become obese adults, setting the stage for dangerous health conditions, such as heart disease, stroke and some forms of cancer. Currently, some 32 percent of America’s children are overweight or obese.
Striking number of obesity risks hit minority kids
|
|
The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children starting even before birth, provocative new research suggests.
The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates in minority children. Family income is often a factor, but so are cultural customs and beliefs, the study authors said.
They examined more than a dozen circumstances that can increase chances of obesity, and almost every one was more common in black and Hispanic children than in whites. Factors included eating and sleeping habits in infancy and early childhood and mothers smoking during pregnancy
Startling obesity risks hit minority kids and troubling inflammation seen in obese 3-year-olds
|
|
The odds of obesity appear stacked against black and Hispanic children starting even before birth, provocative new research suggests.
The findings help explain disproportionately high obesity rates in minority children. Family income is often a factor, but so are cultural customs and beliefs, the study authors said.
They examined more than a dozen circumstances that can increase chances of obesity, and almost every one was more common in black and Hispanic children than in whites. Factors included eating and sleeping habits in infancy and early childhood and mothers smoking during pregnancy.
Takeaway ban near schools to help fight child obesity
|
|
Councils pledge to limit growth of fast-food outlets as nutritionists bid to make meals healthier – without customers noticing.
Councils across England are banning new takeaways from opening within 400 yards of any school, youth club or park, in an attempt to tackle the growing toll of obesity, strokes and heart disease.
Waltham Forest in east London was the first to begin turning down applications from people who want to set up takeaways near schools or young people’s facilities and now at least 15 other local authorities either have, or plan to, follow the example.
ChildCare Education Institute Supports the First Lady’s Efforts to Reduce Childhood Obesity
|
|
ChildCare Education Institute (CCEI) gives child care professionals the opportunity to aid the campaign against childhood obesity. Child care staff can enroll in HLTH100: Early Childhood Obesity, at no cost, and learn strategies for combating childhood obesity.
Child care providers are responsible for ensuring the health of the children in their care, including providing healthy food choices. HLTH100: Early Childhood Obesity provides child care staff with practical strategies to address childhood obesity in the early care setting. Students will learn to define obesity, identify the causes of obesity and determine risk factors. Students completing the course will be awarded 0.1 IACET CEU and receive a certificate of completion.
“This is an outstanding opportunity for child care staff to learn new skills and aid in the campaign to reduce childhood obesity. The knowledge gained from completing HLTH100: Early Childhood Obesity has the potential to affect over 14 million children currently in early child care settings. If every child care provider completed the course and implemented the strategies in their classroom, it would make a huge impact on the campaign against childhood obesity,” said Maria C. Taylor, President and CEO of CCEI.
Obesity Related Strokes on the Rise in America’s Youth
|
|
Strokes have always been associated with the elderly population but that is changing according to a new study. The study revealed some startling information about the dramatic increase of strokes in people under the age of 45.
The group that saw the biggest increase were young whites between 20 and 45 years old. The statistics show that 25 out of 100,000 individuals are likely to have a stroke. This number is up from just 12 in 100,000. The average age of a stroke victim in 1993 was 71, today it is 68.
Dr. Brett Kissela led the study after treating a high level of stroke patients under the age of 50. Kissela based his results on patient information collected between 1993 and 2005 from five counties in Ohio and Kentucky. Kentucky has one of the highest childhood obesity rates in the country with 38 percent of the youth considered to be obese.
Jamba Juice Jumps onto Child Obesity Bandwagon
|
|
Jamba Juice announced today a new school lunch program to help schools offer their students a better-for-you beverage alternative in the school cafeteria. The Jamba Juice School Lunch Program provides schools with the ability to purchase and sell Jamba Juice’s All Fruit(TM) smoothie line at fixed and reduced prices. Healthy, refreshing All Fruit(TM) smoothies are made with real whole fruit, juice, and ice.
Part of Jamba’s overall commitment to promoting health, wellness and physical activity among the nation’s students, the new program follows the Company’s record breaking “Jamba Jump Day(TM)” event earlier this month. Hosted by Jamba Juice in partnership with the California Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD), the event activated more than 88,000 California children and adults to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ record for “the most people jumping or skipping rope at the same time.” Today’s announcement builds upon the momentum of Jamba Jump Day(TM) with the goal of helping parents, teachers and students successfully address the problem of childhood obesity through nutrition education and healthier choices in school cafeterias.
“Jamba is proud of these innovative programs that provide a unique ability to bring health-oriented choices to our schools and students,” said James D. White, President and CEO, Jamba Juice Company. “These programs also highlight our passion to promote greater physical fitness activities in schools and communities throughout the United States.”
Childhood Obesity
|
|
It was the launch event of ‘Lets Beat It Together’ at the Moreton Community Centre in Maryland Lane today, and was officially opened by the Deputy Mayor. I was invited to attend so went with Cllr Chris Blakeley.
The aim of the event, organised by Slimming World, was to raise awareness of childhood obesity and the outcome if we do not make changes to our lifestyles. There were about 50 people present, with displays from Slimming World, the British Heart Foundation, NHS Wirral, showing ideas how to produce healthy meals on a budget; highlighting changes to a youngsters lunch box to include more healthy snacks and with the help of local leisure centres – how to encourage more activity in our lives. There was a salsa class, yoga exercises and face painting.
