HEALTH ARTICLES
ARTICLE INDEX
- A Growing Problem: Childhood Obesity
- Health Risks Related to Obesity
- Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
- Physical Activity Activation Plan
- Kidz Nutrition – Dietary Guidelines for Children
- The Stress-Obesity Connection
- Is your child overly Stressed?
- Insulin Resistance in Children
- Children and Religion
- Self-Esteem
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A GROWING PROBLEM: CHILDHOOD OBESITY
Childhood obesity is a real problem that is affecting all parts of the world. I don’t think anybody consciously “allows” their children to become overweight or obese. It is unfortunately something that in many cases ‘happens’ before you even realize what is going on – and when you do notice, the problem is already out of control and it’s unfortunately too late to quick fix!
The unfortunate part is the fact that obesity is not just a problem that can be seen as a child being too big or too heavy for his age per se, but many health issues walk hand in hand with obesity.
Lack of physical activity, as well as poor eating habits are amongst some of the most common reasons for obesity catching up on our youth. In some cases medical reasons can be added to this list, and it may take professionals literally years to come up with the real answer as to why this is happening to your child. (Seen from personal experience).
As already mentioned, the obesity epidemic is brought on by things such as:
- Lack of physical activity
- Excessive TV, Playstation and other Computer Games (which leads to lack of physical activity again)
- Lack of Proper Nutrition
- Consumption of too much Junk Food
- Excess Insulin production (Hyperinsulinemia / Insulin Resistance)
- Diabetes and other health issues.
In the Healthy Active Kids South Africa survey done by the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, sponsored in part by Discovery Vitality, researchers found that 17% of children under the age of nine were obese or overweight!
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HEALTH RISKS RELATED TO OBESITY:
- Shorter Life Span
- Significant risk of Heart Disease
- Colon, stomach and breast Cancer
- Hypertension
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Osteoarthritis
- Low Self-Esteem
- Depression
Regular physical activity can change all this and may alleviate the risk of these illnesses and turn back the clock to better health and weight! Unfortunately this process may take a while – the child did after all not pick the weight up overnight, so inevitably the process to repair the damage will also take a while longer than you would hope for. But with perseverance and hard work, the light at the end of the tunnel may be closer than you realize!
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BENEFITS OF REGULAR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Reduces the risk of Premature Death;
Reduces the risk of Heart Disease by strengthening the heart;
Reduces the risk of Developing Diabetes;
Reduces the risk of Developing High Blood Pressure;
Reduces the risk of High Cholesterol Levels;
Reduces the risk of Colon, Stomach and Breast Cancer;
Reduces the risk of Depression and other Anxiety Disorders;
Helps Control (and remove) weight;
Achieve and maintains healthy weight;
Promotes good posture and balance;
Improves fitness;
Increases relaxation;
Enhances healthy growth and development;
Helps build and maintain healthy and strong Bones, Muscles and Joints;
Maintains flexibility;
Promotes Psychological Well-being;
Helps them meet friends.
Physical activity should be made part of every day – it is fun and healthy!
Encourage your kids to build physical activity into their daily routine to create a pattern that may stay with them for the rest of their lives.
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PHYSICAL ACTIVITY ACTIVATION PLAN
- Encourage your children to increase their current activity level with 30 minutes per day.
- Decrease time spent on non-physical activity such as computer and TV games, TV programs, etc. with at least 30 minutes a day at first.
- Make small lifestyle changes i.e. using stairs instead of elevator, parking further from the shopping mall entrance.
- Go on family outings to the Zoo, Botanical Gardens, Theme Parks, Window shopping, etc.
- Physical activity should include: brisk walking, playing outdoors, swimming, bicycling, roller blading, ballgames, etc.
- Go for a fun walk after supper.
- Have fun and play outdoors with family and/or friends.
- Play any kinds of sports.
- Ride a bicycle or scooter.
- Dance, dance, dance!
Physical activity can, and should, be fun for the whole family. When children prefer to be sedentary, it can proof to be a problem to say the least. Children like these would need a lot of encouragement (and help) from their parents.
Even though activities such as computers, TV and computer games, etc. can be educational and contribute to intellectual development, all children need physical activity for healthy physical growth and development.
Participation in sports is encouraged, but not all children enjoy competition and team sports (especially not if they are overweight and/or shy). These children can still enjoy physical activities such as cycling, household chores, hiking, walking as well as others.
As a parent, it is your responsibility to encourage healthy behaviours in your children. Physical activity should be started as early as possible, otherwise an inactive kid will most probably turn into an inactive adult. It is important to be a role model yourself, as you cannot expect your child to be active if you sit in front of the television every evening.
Work on a reward system, as giving rewards for good, healthy and active behaviour will inspire and motivate your children to more physical activity. Do not reward your children with junk food or sweets, but rather reward them with a fun family outing, a pair of shoes she really wants, or even better, a piece of equipment that will encourage even more activity (such as a new bicycle, exercise clothes, etc.)
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TYPES OF EXERCISES:
ENDURANCE
Endurance activities that strengthens the heart and lungs such as swimming, running, cycling & jumping.
FLEXIBILITY
Activities that encourage children to bend, stretch and reach such as gymnastics, yoga and dancing.
STRENGTH
Activities that build strong muscles such as climbing playground equipment, or swinging across the playground ladder.
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KIDZ NUTRITION
Dietary Guidelines for Children
A healthy diet for children:
- allows for good health and growth,
- satisfies the appetite,
- encourages good eating habits,
- allows for varied and interesting meals and snacks,
- accommodates the child's usual routines and activities,
- maintains a healthy body weight.
Children need a wide variety of nutritious foods to grow and develop to their full potential. You can help your children by ensuring that you -
- offer your children whole-grain breads and cereals, vegetables and fruits to eat,
- include lean meats, fish and dairy foods in their daily diet,
- encourage children to drink plenty of clean and safe water,
- follow these guidelines yourself, so that your children can imitate you!
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THE STRESS-OBESITY CONNECTION
Ever wondered why your child is overweight even though he/she is eating nutritious foods and staying away from sweets and refined carbs?
The answer might lie in the stress-levels. Read for yourself and make your own decision...
"Stress does more than make you feel bad - it can also cause or worsen weight problems. The hypothalamus, the part of the brain that regulates appetite, is also part of a pathway known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (or HPA axis). When a stressful situation occurs, the hypothalamus sends signals to the pituitary gland, which secretes a hormone known as ACTH. The ACTH in turn triggers the secretion of the stress hormone Cortisol by the adrenal glands.
Cortisol is called the stress hormone because it signals the liver to produce glucose, which generates the energy that would theoretically allow someone in a stressful situation to escape the source of danger. This survival mechanism works great when stress is temporary and short-lived. But when stress becomes chronic, the HPA axes goes into overdrive and produces too much Cortisol. As a result, blood glucose and insulin levels become continuously high, resulting in increased fat accumulation around the abdomen. Other physical impairments, such as a lowered immune response, are also linked to chronic stress..."
From: The Everything Parent's Guide to The Overweight Child
by Paula Ford-Martin
Typical signs of childhood stress:
Emotional signs -
- Increase in time spent alone
- Irritability
- Difficulty sleeping and other sleep disturbances i.e. nightmares
- Shyness
- Unsocial behaviour
- Anger
- Sadness (depression)
Physical manifestations -
- Headaches
- Stomach cramps and aches
- Bed-wetting
- Body aches and pains
- Blushing and flushed looks (especially in face)
- Sweating
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IS YOUR CHILD OVERLY STRESSED?
1. Are you pushing your child too hard to achieve - at school, in sport, or in any other activities?
2. Is your child's schedule too crowded? Does he or she have too many planned activities and not enough "downtime"?
3. Are conflicts in the family - such as problems between you and your child's other parent, if there is one - stressing your child?
4. Have any major changes recently occurred - like a move to a new house, the death of a pet, a serious illness of a family member?
5. Does your child get enough rest? Does he or she have too little sleep or poor quality sleep?
6. Do you or your child's other parent have trouble managing your own stress? Do you have trouble keeping emotions under control when interacting with your child?
7. Does your child engage in a lot of overstimulating activities - ones that put him or her on the edge?
From:
Help for Worried Kids, by Cynthia G. Last PhD - Guildord Publishers
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INSULIN RESISTANCE IN CHILDREN
Insulin Resistance in Children, not possible, right? Wrong!
If you also thought that Insulin Resistance was an adult onset condition like Type 2 Diabetes, you are not alone! It took us over two years to find a health professional who went the extra distance to try and find an explanation for our daughter's sudden weight gain - She was only four years old at the time... (We will gladly share this specialist's details with you - e-mail us if interested).
Everybody else thought that it was due to bad eating habits (which it wasn't), or serious lack of physical activity, (which it was not).
So what is Insulin Resistance, and what are the symptoms?
Both genes and environment play a role in insulin resistance!
With Insulin Resistance, the body is insensitive, or basically 'deaf' to insulin. The organs and tissues that ought to respond to even a small rise in insulin remain unresponsive. The body tries harder by secreting more insulin to achieve the same effect, just as you might raise your voice for or shout at a heard-of-hearing person. Thus high insulin levels are part and parcel of insulin resistance.
Studies show that a low GI diet does not only improve body weight and blood glucose in people with diabetes (being overweight or even obese is usually one of the symptoms of Insulin Resistance), but also improves the sensitivity of the body to insulin.
Insulin Resistance Syndrome (sometimes called the metabolic syndrome or syndrome X), is a collection of metabolic abnormalities that can silently increase your risk of serious health problems i.e. heart disease.
Your best defense or advice in order to reverse Insulin Resistance, is a healthy diet which mainly consists of Low-GI Foods; restricted sugar, fat and refined product intake; and plenty of physical activity!
For further details on Insulin Resistance, have a look in our Shopping / Recommended Reading Section.
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CHILDREN AND RELIGION
In Elizabeth George's book: "A Mom After God's Own Heart
- 10 Ways to Love Your Children",
she says the following:
..."A child after God's own heart is shaped and formed as the Word of God becomes embedded into his or her heart, mind, and character. As a poet expresses it,
Whatever you write on the heart of a child
No water can wash away.
The sand may be shifted when billows are wild
And the efforts of time may decay.
Some stories may perish, some songs be forgot
But this graven record - time changes it not.
Whatever you write on the heart of a child...
Will linger unchangeably there..."
Proverbs 3:3
..."My son, do not forget my teaching,
but keep my commands in your heart,
for they will prolong your life many years
and bring you prosperity.
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
bind them around your neck,
write them on the tablet of your heart,
Then you will win favour and a good name
in the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight..."
The Holy Bible
International Version
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SELF-ESTEEM
Watch this space for great ideas on how to lift your child's spirits, and help him or her build a healthy self-esteem!
You can get started by following the advice of Pastor Marius Nel in his book 'Leef met Selfvertroue':
* Maak jou kind groot met respek en liefde - jy werk met iemand wat na God se beeld geskep is.
* Aanvaar jou kind onvoorwaardelik, met ander woorde, sonder om eise te stel of te verwag dat jou kind moet word wat jy wil he hy of sy moet wees.
* Bied aan jou kind die ondersteunende struktuur van redelike reels en verwag van hom of haar wat haalbaar is.
* Waak daarteen om jou kind met weersprekings in jou gedrag of besluite te verwar.
* Moet nooit tot die vlak van spot, hoon, vernedering, sarkasme of vernederende fisieke aanranding daal in 'n poging om jou kind te beheer nie.
* Aanvaar jou kind se intellektuele vermoens sonder om dit met die van ander te vergelyk.
* Projekteer voortdurend aan jou kind dat jy in sy goedheid en vermoe glo.
Respekteer jou kind se uniekheid!
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e-mail: healthykidz@vodamail.co.za
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