One of Michelle Obama’s passions in the first year of her husband’s term is promoting healthy eating… something that has become a sort of national emergency. Now she’s concentrating on childhood obesity.

“Nearly a third of all children in this country are overweight or obese… and a third will suffer from diabetes at some point in their lifetimes,” Mrs. Obama said in a speech at the Department of Health and Human Services.

“It is a major public health threat right now, so just imagine what we’re going to be facing in 20 or 30 years if we don’t get on this issue.”

Mrs. Obama went over some of the public issues associated with the obesity epidemic that includes our children:

• Long work hours for parents
• Dirty or unsafe neighborhood playgrounds
• Unhealthy take-out food

Besides expressing how she could relate, that before her White House days she sometimes struggled with food choices for her kids, she warned the audience about the dangers associated with childhood obesity should the rates continue to rise.

“What does it mean that medical experts are now warning that for the first time in the history of our nation, the next generation may be on track to having a shorter lifespan than this generation, and their parents?” she asked the crowd. “None of us wants a future like that for our children.”

(via: CBSNews.com)

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Michelle Obama Spotlights Child Obesity Epidemic

It’s not just in the U.S. – this is a worldwide debate. A Scottish couple lost custody of two of their six children because they failed to reduce the kids’ weight following warnings from Scottish social services.

In another case, a South Carolina mother lost custody of her 14-year-old son in May – he was 555 pounds. Jerri Gray didn’t help her case when she missed a court date to examine whether she should retain custody. The boy is currently living with his aunt. His mother, who was arrested, is facing criminal child-neglect charges.

“It’s happening more than the public is aware of, but because these cases are usually kept quiet [due to child-privacy laws], we have no record,” says Dr. Matt Capehorn, who sits on the board of the U.K.’s National Obesity Forum.

Authorities insist that removing children from their parents is a last resort. And since childhood obesity can lead to a host of adult health problems (diabetes, hypertension, heart disease), there is merit to the idea of putting on par with child abuse.

“Children are vulnerable. If they’re given food and told to finish what’s on the plate, they’ll eat it, and without exercise get bigger and bigger,” says Tam Fry, chairman of Britain’s Child Growth Foundation.

But there is some support for the idea that it’s not a black and white issue.

“It’s unfair to blame solely the parents, when there’s a myriad of other factors influencing a child’s weight,” says Dr. Dana Rofey of the University of Pittsburgh. Rofey runs a weight-management clinic, which is often called on during custody battles where squabbling divorced parents blame each other for making their child obese.

(via: Yahoo)

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Is Childhood Obesity Abuse?

The study examined more than 12,500 five-year-olds and found that those who had working mothers were less active and more likely to eat unhealthy food.

An estimated 60 percent of UK mothers with children up to five-years old work. Those children whose mothers were employed, even part-time, were more likely to consume sweetened drinks between meals.

The children of working mothers were also more likely to be driven to school, as opposed to the children of stay-at-home mothers who usually walked or biked to school.

“Time constraints may limit parents’ capacity to provide their children with healthy foods and opportunities for physical activity,” says Catherine Law, who led the study. “Our results do not imply that mothers should not work. Rather, they highlight the need for policies and programs to help support parents.”

As is usually the case, some experts say that more studies are needed to reassure the findings by the The Institute of Child Health.

(via: BBC)

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Working Moms in the UK Have Unfit Kids

According to the researchers, there hasn’t been much research done on these kinds of programs for severely obese children.

“Modest weight loss is associated with real health benefits. That’s the take-home message, it’s worth doing,” says Dr. Marsha D. Marcus of the University of Pittsburgh, one of the authors of the study.

The study examined children in the upper one percentile of obese children. Most weight loss was modes – just five to 20 percent of the excess weight that they carried. But what they got out of it was a significant reductions in their waist size, and systolic blood pressure.

The downside was that once the children left the intervention program, they returned to their previous weight pretty quickly – less than a year.

Dr. Marcus asserts that the only way the childhood obesity crisis can be reversed is through a synergistic approach on all levels of society – families, schools, health policy makers, and the rest of the community.

(via: Yahoo)

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Obese Kids See Big Benefits from Small Weight Loss

1. Keep the sugar low - I remember when I was a child my mom always told me never to buy cereal with a sugar count over the magic number of “10.” Ten grams of sugar means that the box is 10% sugar, and that’s high enough for it to still be tasty.
2. Whole grains count - just like when you shop for bread and pasta, whole grains are important in cereals as well. Whole grains are processed by the body slower and keep your child from suffering an insulin crash.
3. Fiber, fiber, fiber – tastier and easier to encourage a child to eat than a prune, shoot for a cereal with about 3 grams of fiber per serving.
4. Protein is a muscle builder – protein is metabolized slower and helps to keep the body fuller for a longer period of time, crucial on school days when concentration is key. Try to find a cereal with at least two grams of protein, and remember that the milk you pour on it – be it cow, soy or a nut milk – adds additional protein, so drink up every drop.

Despite these guidelines, it can be tough to get the kids weaned off of the sugary stuff. One trick that works really well in our family is to mix one box of a very low-sugar cereal – think Cheerios, Grape Nuts, etc. – with a higher, more child-friendly request – Lucky Charms or the like.

What are your family’s favorite low-sugar choices? Mine include Mighty Bites, Kix, Life and Mini Wheats.

Also read: The Best (and worst) Breakfast Cereals

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Four Ways to Make Breakfast Cereal a Winner

On September 17, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that the USDA will partner with the NDC and the NFL on their new youth-led health and wellness program, Fuel Up to Play 60. The program, launching to more than 60,000 schools nationwide this fall, will empower youth to take charge of their own health by being more active and eating healthier foods as well as improve the overall health of their school environment and community.

The program is open to all children and participation is quite simple:

1. Kids must Pledge to make their bodies and their schools healthier by committing to eat healthy, play at least 60 minutes every day, and participate in fun activities in and out of school.
2. Kids must Track their progress online or on paper, including their new healthy eating and exercise habits.
3. Kids accumulate Points on their Fuel Meter by sticking to their healthy habits, referring their friends and getting their schools and teachers involved. Each point they accumulate increases the student’s chance to win prizes.

The competition, which starts October 15 and lasts until March 15, is divided into two terms: From mid-October to December 15 and then from February 1 to March 15, 2010. Students in each state who have amassed the most points at the mid-term will win an iPod touch and an NFL gift card.

The two grand prizes will be awarded to one individual at the end of the competition. And grand they are! One lucky and healthy child will partner up with an NFL player for a Fuel Up to Play 60 promotion and receive a healthy makeover complete with a day spent with an NFL player and his personal trainer.

The Fuel Up to Play 60 is a fun and effective way to get thousands of kids from 4th to 10th grades to improve their nutrition and physical activity.

For more information or to register your child, go to the Fuel Up to Play 60 website.

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NFL Fights Childhood Obesity with Fuel Up to Play 60

I have lots of kids. Lots of kids means lots of treats and lots of birthday parties, lots of trips to the beach with snacks and lots of visits to the movie theater where it’s much cheaper to buy the jumbo popcorn – after all, SOMEONE will eat it, right? Well, no. It’s my job as a parent to keep them healthy, and in my house, that means limited fast food, no juice (except for V-8) and cakes and cookies on special occasions.

It means finding other ways to bond with my kids that don’t include food – playing Wii, for example, or kicking the soccer ball. It means family wide participation in Muay Thai, walks on the weekend, signing up to run a 5k together and working together to make a salad to serve with dinner.

It means lessons in grocery shopping so that they learn the secrets to healthy cooking. It means trying – and believe me, I know how hard it is! – to break that “let’s reward a good day with a scoop of ice cream!” trap that so many of us fall into. It’s worth it, though. Your kids and your family and the very health of all involved is entirely worth it.

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Living a Healthy Lifestyle Begins in Childhood

But, the peer mimicking went further. Interestingly, the largest calorie intake was seen when overweight children snacked with an overweight friend.

Researchers were not surprised by the fact that kids ate more around friends than strangers. According to Dr. Sarah-Jean Salvy, an assistant professor of pediatrics at the State University of New York at Buffalo, the same holds true with adults.

Salvy believes that this all-pervading eating pattern in humans is due to the fact that people are more self-conscious around strangers. She referred to friends as “permission givers.”

The same is seen in teen’s smoking or drinking habits. A teen doesn’t have to overtly tempt a friend to to do either, but there’s an unspoken pressure to be like your friends. The positive in this, Slavy says, is that there could be a domino effect if a certain amount of children and teens are convinced to eat healthier.

via Yahoo

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Kids Mimic Their Friends’ Eating Habits

Stephanie Paul has lost 140 pounds through sensible dieting and exercise. Her weight loss story inspires others to lose weight and make long-lasting healthy lifestyle changes.

My name is Stephanie Paul and I have lost 140 pounds. I was 18-years-old when I started and now I am 21. It was definitely a journey.

As a young child I was tiny and then went on steroids when I was 7-years-old due to a health condition. I grew up a happy child and ate a lot of foods I shouldn’t have eaten. I became an obese child and let food take over my life. I ate when I was happy, sad, and any other emotion that I was feeling. I used to get made fun of in school. To me, I felt nothing wrong with eating high calorie meals and snacks.

I started getting sick of being obese and after my grandmother died of cancer I had to change something about that. I started counting calories and eating healthy. When you start measuring what you eat you figure out that you were eating too much all the time.

The pounds were coming off once I started watching what I was eating. I started using the state of the art gym at my college three times a week. I started feeling better, soon enough fitting into smaller clothes. I also enjoyed my life; I lived the life of a college student of going out and having fun. I even did the one thing most people on diets find very bad, I ate cake on my own birthday!

My journey kept continuing and it wasn’t easy. I hit bumps in the road and know how it feels to go through ups and downs. “Giving up” were never words in my vocabulary through this journey. I had a lot of motivation and support that came from my family and friends. It is not easy being on a diet, but you have to be ready to lose the weight! You can do anything you put your mind to do!

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How Stephanie Paul Lost 140 Pounds

This week at DietsInReview.com, the focus was on the kids, with Healthy Back to School Week. We invited moms, yoga instructors, chefs, nutrition experts and more to share their insights on ways to fuel kids’ minds, bodies and souls as they transition back into the classroom and prepare for a strong year ahead.

Whether it’s packing a healthier sack lunch, advocating for more nutritious school food, putting more fitness into their days, or helping them de-stress, we’ve got it covered.

Healthy Breakfast Recipes for Back to School

Send them out the door with the most important meal of the day. Make these days in advance and have on-the-go fuel the rest of the week. - Rebecca Bailey at Life With Boys

Chef Ann Cooper says the National School Lunch Program Needs a Makeover and Chef Ann Cooper’s Proposed Changes for a National School Lunch Program

She calls herself the Renegade Lunch Lady and she’s on a mission to overhaul the food being served in America’s school cafeterias. – Chef Ann Cooper

Healthy Lunch Box Swaps that are Good for your Kids

Trade the fruit snacks, snack cakes and potato chips for fresh fruit, yogurt cups and whole grain crackers. Learn easy and even affordable swaps to pack more nutritious lunches. – DietsInReview.com

Mocha Manual Mom Returns to Routine for Back to School

This busy mom of two not only has to adjust the kids’ routines when school starts, but her own gets shifted, too. Find out how she not only survives, but thrives. – Kimberly Allers Sears at Mocha Manual

National Dairy Council Promoting Healthier Kids and Healthier Schools

Discussing how we can reverse this growing childhood obesity epidemic by promoting the addition of more nutrient-rich foods and more physical activity in our kids’ diets and lifestyles. – Tab Forgac at National Dairy Council

Healthier Snacks and More Activity Make for Healthier Children

This mom has found sneaky ways to get the kids moving more and making better food choices. Disguise chores as a fun activity and grow your own small vegetable garden! – Jill Knapp at Get Up and Get Moving

4 Healthy Eating Tips for College Freshmen

Eli Sussman, co-author of Freshman in the Kitchen, offers some simple advice that college students can use to enjoy eating and avoid the freshman 15 their first year on campus. – Eli Sussman at Freshman in the Kitchen

5 Yoga Tools for Happy, Healthy School Kids

Even the young ones can draw enormous benefit from regular yoga practice. This yoga instructor includes tips for making yoga a part of pre-exam and bed time routines. – Aruna Kathy Humphrys at Teaching Kids Yoga

The ABCs of Back to School: Anxiety, Butterflies and Coping

A new classroom, new teacher, new friends and even the shock of a new schedule can put kids on the edge. Help them destress with these helpful tips. – Amy Acton at Humana’s CrumpleItUp

How to Help Your Overweight Child at Home and at School

Having an overweight or obese child can be a sensitive issue. Here’s information on how being supportive and introducing healthy lifestyle habits can influence big change. – Wendy Reinhardt Kapsak at the International Food Information Council

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Healthy Back to School Week