Children/Teens Articles

Kids learn by example, right? Most are not getting food education in school, and with the family home-cooked meal becoming an anachronism in our fast-paced lives, where will they learn food rules for life—or at least get a framework for healthy eating habits?Carole Carson, author of From Fat to Fit: Turn Yourself into a Weapon of Mass Reduction (Hound 2007), has gathered these free interactive kids’ nutrition resources to help teach kids the basics about nutrition. Pass them along to your clients as a handout, or post them on your facility walls.

Demand always seems to beget supply. In the case of schoolchildren in the United Kingdom, that demand takes the form of plus-sized school uniforms. To meet the needs of the increasing number of overweight and obese UK children, retail giant Marks & Spencer (M&S) created plus-sized school uniforms designed for 3- to 16-year-olds. According to the Daily Mail’s MailOnline, the company stocks sizes of blazers and trousers for 4-year-olds that would normally be worn by 8-year-olds. Further, most available sizes in the “M&S Plus Fit” range sold out within 1 week.

IDEA members Tanya Colucci and Lance Breger are headed back to school. As part of their nonprofit foundation, Infinity Wellness, the inspiration-minded duo has developed an afterschool program for three disadvantaged Washington, DC, schools. “WELLKIDS comprises the five components of wellness: strength, aerobic conditioning, nutrition, flexibility and mind-body,” says Breger. They are testing two different programs: two schools will receive two 1-hour classes per week for 8 weeks; the third school will receive a single 1-hour meeting per week for 15 weeks.

Fitness professionals understand the many health risks associated with childhood obesity. However, a study published in the July 7 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology (2010; 172 [5], 540–48) finds that health is just one part of the childhood obesity puzzle. The 22-year study tracked 5,000 high-school graduates, divided into two groups. One group consisted of previously “normal-weight” individuals who gained weight gradually over time; the members of the other group had been chronically overweight since graduation.

According to the Outdoor Recreation Participation Report, 2008, engagement in outdoor activities by youths aged 6–17 dropped 11% in 2007 over the previous year. The National Wildlife Federation states that American children spend 53 hours per week plugged into electronic media. IDEA member Rosemary Hohl wants to change that.

Junk food marketers are successful with children because they make food fun and approachable. Why not use the same tactics to make healthy foods just as pleasing? A few years back, a study by Just Kid Inc. pinpointed a few common characteristics that kids identify as fun when it comes to food. Try these approaches with 6- to 12-year-olds and see if you get any added enthusiasm when serving up healthy fare that is not processed and packaged. Finger Foods. Children are tactile and like to be literally hands-on with their food. Dipping and Scooping.

Tackling a chicken-and-egg-type question that researchers are divided on, a study that first appeared June 23 in the online version of Archives of Disease in Childhood has concluded that fatness leads to inactivity, but inactivity does not lead to fatness in children.

Client: Paulina Personal Trainer: Hayley Hollander, co-owner, Advanced Training Performance Location: Las Vegas

Childhood obesity is epidemic. Fortunately, prevention efforts are yielding some success, as reports indicate that rates may have leveled. This could be thanks in part to companies that use nontraditional tactics to tackle the issue. One such company, WayBeyond, is dedicated to bringing play back into fitness.newsletter_teaser:  Way Beyond Childhood obesity is epidemic. Fortunately, prevention efforts are yielding some success, as reports indicate that rates may have leveled. This could be thanks in part to companies that use nontraditional tactics to tackle the issue. One such company, WayBeyond, is dedicated to bringing play back into fitness. “WayBeyond was designed with the idea that kids will play without knowing they’re exercising,” states Brian Blacher, vice president of program development. “Kids today don’t play, which is why we have so many issues today. WayBeyond is based on fun, with the hidden agenda of exercise.