“If kids are naturally active, they shouldn’t have to worry about what they eat. That’s how it was when we were growing up. Nobody talked to you about nutrition. You ate your vegetables. You ate what was on your plate. And you went outside and played. There wasn’t a need for structured activity,” she says in an interview from her office. “The physical education piece is about exploring that. In our nation, what happened? What have been the cultural trends that have led us away from that regular exercise and activity that kids used to get?”

I know from my own personal experience that Mrs. Obama is exactly right. As a child, I was served vegetables and fruits, we ate out very sporadically and fast food was a rare treat. After meals, I played outside. There was no television time, no computer, and definitely no indoor gaming system. I walked to friend’s houses, we rode bikes and roller skated together, and we played tag in the back yard long after the sun went down. More moms were home to keep an eye on kids.

In today’s time, many parents are working, and with the explosion of technology, kids often choose to play on the Wii or chat on Facebook rather than live actively. That’s why programs such as Fun, Fly & Fit, a project launched this year by the United Way of the National Capital Area, are so important.

Fun, Fit & Fly is a charter program that brings mobile gym classes into schools, churches and community centers. The free six-week program brings instructors and equipment to areas that might lack these essentials. By educating children with nutrition information, and stressing the importance of play, it dovetails with Mrs. Obama’s initiative. In addition, celebrity trainer Mark Jenkins is the program spokesman and speaks to the families on topics close to their interest; namely, money and success. He uses examples like Mary J. Blige to illustrate the need for fitness with the bottom line: Obese people make less money.

So get your kids out there, get them active, and move with them. Help them see that fitness is fun, not work, and vital to their health and future.

Also Read:

Burning Calories is Child’s Play

4 Ways to Exercise Like a Child

Michelle Obama Fights Childhood Obesity with New Initiative

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Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Campaign has Personal Foundation

Desperate Housewives

Founded in 1995, the organization works with communities to create safe playgrounds, skate parks, ice rinks and even to renovate aging athletic fields. Community members create videos explaining the need for a playground and can be awarded up to $5,000 in funding. In addition, the Kaboom! website offers knowledge and experience to anyone interested through online toolkits, training and technical assistance.

Cross feels that this partnership is necessary for kids, and she’s urging moms everywhere to get their kids to a playground for a fun time. She feels lucky that her girls don’t need any encouragement, adding, “I just open up the gates and let (Eden and Savannah) go.”

Why not take a few minutes yourself and join your kids on the playground – weather permitting, of course! Monkey bars, swinging, sliding – all have benefits to kids of every age! Use Kaboom! to find a playspace near you!

Also Read:

Desperate Housewife has Healthy Body Image

NFL Fights Childhood Obesity with Fuel Up to Play 60

Burning Calories is Child’s Play

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Marcia Cross Partners with Kaboom! to Promote Playgrounds

If I was lucky enough to be able to stay at Trump Towers New York, I think I’d be one of the first to take advantage of their newest exercise program geared toward kids ages six and up. After all, getting kids moving should be a primary focus for all of us, for creating good habits that will last a life time.

From the press release: “We are pleased to debut our new kids’ fitness curriculum at a time when the health of this country’s children has moved to the forefront with First Lady Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move‘ campaign,” commented Trump International Hotel & Tower New York’s own First Lady, General Manager Suzie Mills. “We deliver Five-Star service to every guest, no matter his or her age, and these additions provide an invigorating and enriching dimension to the existing Trump Kids program.”

The four programs range from swimming to boxing, Wii sports to weight training. Now, I don’t expect that one or even a handful of visits will be enough to start a child on the road to a lifetime exercise – but as a part of a daily routine, I think that the hotel chain deserves props for moving in the right direction. Ideally, I’d love to see every hotel, every school, every club, every location that kids can be found at doing everything that they can to help America’s children develop healthy habits.

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Trump New York Debuts Kids Fitness Programs

Frightening.

During a launch interview with USA Today, the first lady made it clear why using Let’s Move as a catalyst to stop childhood obesity was vitally important.

“The statistics are clear and they are shocking, and I have cited them again and again: One in three kids in our nation today are (overweight or) obese, and that figure increases for African-American and Hispanic children,” she said.

Those statistics she sites, sourced from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, look like this:

• 32% of kids aged 2-19 are overweight or obese
• 38% of Hispanic children are overweight or obese
• 36% of Black children are overweight or obese
• 29% of White children are overweight or obese

The Let’s Move campaign aims to provide assistance and guidance to parents to support their efforts in raising healthier children, work to provide healthier school lunches, and make healthy foods more accessible and affordable across the nation.

In a nation where 8-18 year-olds spend an average of 7.5 hours per day consuming entertainment media, like TV, movies, Internet, video games and cell phones, how are kids supposed to get the minimum 60 minutes of play each day when they’re texting? One way Michelle Obama plans to do this is to double the number of child participants in the President’s Active Lifestyle Challenge, which is being modernized to reflect overall physical activeness rather than athleticism.

The launch of this Let’s Move campaign is an exciting moment in what has been a time of increasing awareness and activism toward fighting childhood obesity. This is a legitimate problem, with legitimate consequences, but it can be changed and reversed. Children need fruits and vegetables – the real kind, not synthesized in a gummy snack or fruit punch. Children need less fast-food and more real food. Children need to get off the couch and play again. Our schools need to be a safe haven where children can receive the nutrition they need to grow, learn and fuel their active minds and bodies.

We applaud the first lady on having the vision to take on this epidemic and work toward educating the public and enacting change in a positive and proactive manner.

As Michelle Obama was heard saying at the launch of Let’s Move, “We need to quit quoting statistics and get going.”

We hope you’ll join the first lady, your children, and our nation in promoting a healthier lifestyle for our youngest Americans.

Learn more at LetsMove.gov.

Also Read:

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Michelle Obama Launches Childhood Obesity Initiative with LetsMove.Gov

“We went to our pediatrician all the time,” Obama said, via ABC News. “I thought my kids were perfect — they are and always will be — but [the doctor] warned that he was concerned that something was getting off balance.”

Mrs. Obama says that she was too close to really see the changes in her girls and when the doctor suggested that Mrs. Obama look at her daughters’ BMI numbers, she made small diet changes. Those small changes that she made in their daily habits helped to pull the numbers back into balance.

Instead of being applauded for her efforts, Mrs. Obama has been the subject of controversy for her use of the word “diet.” Reports have said that by using her daughters as an example, she may have harmed their self-esteem. Some critics have said that she should have focused more on lifestyle change, instead of weight loss.

As a mom of young girls, I can see both sides of this issue. I think Mrs. Obama – and President Obama, too, for he has discussed his daughter’s weight and need to diet in the media before – meant well. They were trying to get a message across, and using he word “diet” is indeed sending a clear message.

I try really hard not to use the word diet; for me, the term “diet” demonstrates  a beginning and an end. I truly do not want my girls – or my boys for that matter, but girls struggle more with this issue – to think that healthy eating is a “once in a while, until you reach your goal weight” event. If weight was beginning to be an issue, I would work with them to make small, sustainable steps to improve their overall health – choosing water over soda, for example, or whole fruit instead of juice.

The tween/teen years are difficult enough, and hormonal changes and puberty can cause a young girl’s body to make so many changes that often, a focus on obesity becomes a focus on appearance. Focusing on appearance can often lead to eating disorders.  The take away message that I want my children to remember from our discussions on weight is, “I love you just exactly the way you are. I want you to be the best that you can be. Let’s play and eat well so that we can be at our best and enjoy our time together for years to come.”

Also Read:

Sasha and Malia Obama’s Healthy School Lunch Menu

Michelle Obama Spotlights Child Obesity Epidemic

Barack Obama Chili Recipe

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Michelle Obama’s Obesity Comments about Sasha and Malia

Image via NY Daily News

Michelle Obama’s commitment to improving the health of American families is a cause that she takes very seriously. This past Wednesday, January 20, 2010, the first lady spoke at the U.S. Conference of Mayors about her plans to launch a new federal initiative designed to reduce childhood obesity and improve the health of all American children.

According to USA Today, the initiative will involve the federal government working with local officials and leaders in the business and non-profit sectors to provide more nutritious food in schools, allow more opportunities for kids to be physically active and give more communities access to affordable, healthful food.

The statistical picture of kids’ health in this country is far from impressive. According to the U.S. government, 32 percent of children and adolescents are obese or overweight and almost 20 percent of children ages 6 to 11 and 18 percent of those ages 12 to 19 are obese.

Overweight or obese children are much more likely to become overweight or obese adults, and with those extra pounds comes a host of health conditions like high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Michelle Obama is not just the wife of the president, but she is also a mother who has firsthand experience how tough it can be to dodge the ubiquitous pressure of fast-food drive-thrus, grocery stores lined with sugary, nutrient-void processed foods and vending machines brimming with sodas and energy drinks, all of which are marketed specifically to kids and parents who are in need of something fast and flavorful to feed their hungry broods.

In fact, Mrs. Obama even admitted to being told by her daughters’ pediatrician to be more careful about the foods she was feeding her girls. So she became smarter about the meals she prepared and when she stepped into the White House last year she began the White House vegetable garden and frequently participates in physical activities, like hula hoop dancing, with young visitors, sending a strong message to Americans that healthy habits start at home.

Realizing that today’s economic times make the dollar menu enticing for cash-strapped parents, but also recognizing that American families want to do what is right for their kids, Mrs. Obama is hopeful that her obesity-fighting initiative will empower parents and communities to lead healthier and more nutritious lives:

“We don’t need to wait for some new invention or discovery to make this happen. This doesn’t require fancy tools or technologies. We have everything we need right now — we have the information, we have the ideas, and we have the desire to start solving America’s childhood obesity problem.”

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Michelle Obama Fights Childhood Obesity with New Initiative

Here are some healthy habits that you can instill in your children to help them learn the actions necessary to be healthy adults.

1. Stay active. Overweight and obesity is often caused by an imbalance of food consumption and exercise. One way to help your child is to find an exercise that your he or she enjoys. Bike riding, skateboarding, karate class, soccer – all are fun activities, often done with friends, that can help your child learn to enjoy exercise.

2. Portion control is critical. A serving of Cheetos can fit into a healthy diet; an entire bag, not so much. There are fun playing cards that can give children the visuals that they need to understand portion control or you can use this portion control chart to relate serving sizes to household items, like tennis balls, a computer mouse, or dominoes.

3. Help your children learn healthy food choices. Take those favorite snacks and swap them for healthy options. Talk to them about the difference between whole grains and refined flours, processed foods and fresh whole fruits and what effect those choices can have on their bodies.

4. Make an effort to avoid rewarding behaviors and grades with treats. Avoid tying dessert to an empty plate, good grades or a clean bedroom. Also, try to move towards more fruit and less processed treats for dessert.

5. Why not try gardening? Many children are excited to try foods that they have had a hand in growing. Teaching children about their food, from seed to table, is gratifying for both parent and child.

With just a little effort, you can be well on your way to helping your child learn healthy habits that will last a lifetime!

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

Healthy Habits Should Start Early for Children

If you have children, playing with them can be a great way to model being active, build your relationship, and burn some calories all at the same time. Even if you don’t have children at home, you can play like a child and bring some fun into your workouts.

Join a Team – Think of all the activity, challenge, and fun you enjoyed with little league and school sports teams. When you are focused on competition, you can spend an extended amount of time being active without even noticing it. City parks, Sunday school organizations, and businesses all offer intramurals. If there isn’t one near you, why not start one?

Playground Equipment – A playground can be like an obstacle course. You can climb a pole, pump your legs on a swing, or cross the monkey bars. Monkey bars also offer a great tool for pull-ups, hanging sit-ups, and more.

Wheelies – Before you could drive, you likely had experience with several self-propelled vehicles. You probably did not try Heelies, but why not now? Skating rinks do still exist and many cities have trails perfect for rollerblades and bicycles. Have you tried skateboarding? There are many ways to get from here to there that will benefit your body and the environment.

Run Around – Instead of running circles on a track, chase your kids, or just follow their lead and RUN everywhere you go. Even if you are just going to the mailbox, active children would run that distance. Play tag with a group of kids. All these short runs end up being a lot of sprints without realizing what you are doing.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

4 Ways to Exercise like a Child

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.

Post from: Diets in Review Blog

NFL Fights Childhood Obesity with Fuel Up to Play 60

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