Category Archives: Kids’ Health

Feature: The Prevention Plan pushes for a healthier society

By Kate Foley, Fearless Ambition


Americans are faced with a growing epidemic. It can be found in every state, in most communities, even in many homes. It is spread through social messages, advertising and simple bad habits. This epidemic is unhealthy living, and there are forces fighting against it every day.

One man on the front lines for healthful lifestyles is Dr. Sami Bég, Associate Medical Director of U.S. Preventive Medicine. A medical doctor specializing in preventive medicine, he and his team have developed The Prevention Plan, a product marketed to companies to teach their employees healthy eating and living habits. The Prevention Plan currently serves about 60 companies and their employees, but Bég says the number of companies joining continues to rise.

Right now, Bég’s team is in the early stages of developing The Prevention Plan for Kids. The concept is based on the very real situation that American kids are becoming increasingly unhealthy, which could have serious effects, both short- and long-term.

“We are facing an epidemic,” Bég said. “Kids who normally would never be at risk for diseases like diabetes and heart problems are now being diagnosed with preconditions for these diseases.”

Bég says unhealthy diets and inactive lifestyles are the main problem. One attribute to this is a child’s home life.

“Parents don’t always know what’s best [for kids’ diets]. They were never taught healthy eating,” Bég said. “So bad habits they practice become the norm for a child who doesn’t know any better.”

However, home life is not the only factor that determines what a kid eats. Bég says one of the leading factors is the food and inactive lifestyle marketed to kids through advertisements and the media.

“It used to be that TV would mimic real life, but now real life mimics TV. The media needs to be responsible for their actions, their content and what they sell to kids.”

With all the new entertainment options, Bég says, kids are not going outside as much or engaging in their community. Instead of playing sports or doing outdoor activities like children of previous generations, today’s kids spend much of their time in front of the TV, watching shows or playing video games. Though this is obviously not the case for all children, it is making a significant impact on the overall generation. Bég is concerned that the growing rate of inactivity could lead to serious results for these children later in life.

“The life span of this upcoming generation is going to be shorter than that of their parents,” Bég said. “Kids’ life spans have decreased, which means we are going backwards. The status quo was  to not take this health concern seriously, but we are now beginning to see some progress. We need to continue to educate and bring people together in order to see a movement toward a healthier community.”

This is exactly what the Prevention Plan for Kids will try to do. As a supplement to the original Prevention Plan product, it will target children of company employees, teaching the entire family healthful living and eating habits through programs and modules. Lesson plans will cover topics like nutrition, safe and healthy exercise, understanding how the body works, and other engaging topics that will be entertaining as well as informative for kids.

Bég says there will also be a parents’ component to the plan, with advice on how to raise their kids, question and answer sections, and who to contact for other questions or concerns.

“The problem of an unhealthy America needs to be evaluated from various angles in order to come up with the most comprehensive solution.  The government needs to play a role, as does the media, businesses, schools, families and doctors,” Bég said. “Only when we connect the important stakeholders and provide them with a clear road map to a culture of wellness, can we create a sort of place where kids are engaged, motivated and inspired to be healthy.”

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

Photo by Flickr
Photo by Flickr

The Benefits of a Kids Fitness Club

By Dave O’Sullivan

Many cities around the country have a kids fitness club where they can go for exercise. These clubs are beneficial for kids that have no exercise in their lives, or if they are having problems with their weight. There are so many benefits to having a child participate in a club of this type. The lack of fitness and exercise that they might be experiencing can result in an overweight child or even a child that has no energy at all. Besides proper exercise, a child needs a good diet, which can be just as hard to monitor.

Group Activities

The kids fitness club offers kids a chance to participate in group activities that are more to their liking. They can play soccer, volleyball, basketball, and other games. Although these games are a form of exercise, kids have fun and do not see it as exercise. Making kids think they are having fun is the easiest way to having healthy and fit children.

Training for Team Sports

The clubs offer performance training that kids need if they are going to try out for team sports. A child that has been sitting on the couch for years, and decides that he or she wants to participate in a team sport will have a problem. Their bodies are not conditioned to perform the moves needed to play. Their muscles need training and conditioning before jumping into the game. At a kids fitness club, they will receive all the training they need to condition the body and prepare it for the team sports program they choose.

Fitness Training

Fitness training is another benefit of the kids fitness club. Whether it is strength training or a cardio workout, kids need to have a fitness routine to stay healthy. There are even yoga classes for kids to participate in. Staying fit is not hard work, but it is something that must be done every day. Whether it is at a club or at home, kids need more to do that moves the body and gets the blood circulating.

First Things First

Kids that have little to know exercise or body movement should start out slow. Yes, kids are resilient, but even the healthiest child cannot start doing strenuous activities if the body is not used to it. The kids fitness club can be very useful for families with children who need to find alternatives to video games and television. However, jumping off the couch and running around a soccer field without any prior exercise or warm ups can result in some painful muscles and possible health problems.

The kids fitness club is a place for children to learn how to exercise, warm up before playing team sports, and for little ones that need some fun games to play with others. They will have a place to exercise and have fun doing it. The clubs also have a pre-school program, which means that you can start your kids out when they are young. This is the best time to start learning about fitness and staying active.

Written by Dave O’Sullivan Co-Creator of Team NutraFun. For more information visit them at http://www.nutritionalfun.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=David_OSullivan

How to get kids to eat healthy snacks – Healthy snacks for kids

Sounds like sneaking good foods into the foods they already like is the answer to get your kids to eat healthy.  Sometimes we just need helpful tips and reminders as parents to do it and do it regularly.  Remember: they learn from what WE do;  not what we TELL them to do.

Check out Howdini.com for “how-to” videos for more ideas like these!

Five Healthy Lunches with Five Fruits & Vegetables for Kids

Even though assembling healthy lunches for our kids to eat everyday  is crucial,  it isn’t always easy to do. Ideas are always something  a parent needs. As a busy Mother of 3 school ages kids, I found this video helpful..take note and prepare the lunches ahead of time. This is always helpful for those busy mornings you always seem to be running for the door and never seem to have enough time!

Get more recipes and ideas at :  Meal Makeover Moms.com with Liz Weiss

Kids and Breakfast

High- sugar cereals and drinks increase blood sugar rapidly, which triggers the release of high amounts of insulin from the pancrease.  Insulin promotes the movement of sugar from the blood into the cells and triggers hunger.  A measure of how fast a meal increases blood sugar is called Glycemic index.  Research has found that giving kids  High Fiber or Low Glycemic index foods (e.g., yogurt, high fiber grains, soy products) resulted in children eating approximately 60 calories less during the day.  This may sound modest but over time could add up to substantial weight differences later.  Feeding kids low Glycemic index breakfasts that raise blood sugar slowly and naturally will prevent overeating at lunch and dinner.Photo by Flickr