Childhood Obesity Part I
Childhood Obesity: Are Our Children Getting Too Obese?
This is one problem that hits close to home. In Many 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama of the United States was in full swing with her campaign against childhood obesity. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevenetion and reports from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, the prevalence of overweight children between 6-19 years of age is between 17-18 percentile in the United States. T his is a disturbing global trend; the number of obese children has tripled over the past four decades across the world.
Why is childhood obesity a problem?
There are several medical issues directly associated to obesity:
1. Hypertension
2. Diabetes
3. Respiratory disease
4. Increased risk of injury
After a child turns 6, the chances that obesity will persist into adulthood increases by 50%. The sooner obesity is treated, the greater the likelihood that the individual can achieve a normal adult weight.
Is Your Child At Risk?
Here are the known risk factors:
- Season (winter), population density (large urban areas) are associated with higher childhood and adolescent obesity.
- Both parents happen to be obese (body frame tends to be inherited).
- Levels of parental education and socioeconomic class.
- Dietary fat intake.
- Time spent watching television. The average American child watches approximately 25 hours of television per week.
Next week I will go over factors that contribute to childhood obesity and give you a possible solution.
Thanks for reading!
Stacey, P.T.A
15 Tips for a Healthly 2012 Part II
New Year Resolution Mistakes To Avoid
Most individuals make some health-related New Year Resolutions (I will start exercising, lose weight, quit smoking, reduce alcohol intake, etc). Most people also face the same roadblocks. The good news is that all of 
these can be easily remedied.
As your physical therapists and experts in exercise, we look forward to the opportunity to serve you this year. There are three main reasons for failed New Year Resolutions and this is something we can help you with:
- Absence of a structured plan of action (a firm, focused routine will help overcome this)
- Low self confidence (we help you by setting small, progressive goals and encouraging you with positive reinforcement and accountability)
- Poor time management (we empower you to make the best use of your time, with a program personalized for your health and fitness needs)
Most Resolutions Fail Unless…
Did you know that a majority of New Year Resolutions end in failure? Manage your expectations. Remember that the road to health is a marathon, not a sprint to the finish line. Be patient and take progressive, sustainable steps towards your goal. Some examples for you to consider:
- If you are planning to run a marathon, make sure you set a short term goal – walking/running 3-4 times a week.
- If your resolution was to lose 15 lbs, a good first step is to avoid the morning bagel, cream cheese and coffee and opt for fruit and green tea instead.
- Instead of depriving yourself from your favorite foods, resolve to eat a healthy combination of fruits, vegetables and lean meats, allowing yourself to indulge in your favorite foods once every other week.
- Instead of “going to the gym to exercise”, call health professionals like us and ask for an evaluation, so and a structured exercise program under the supervision of a physical therapist.
If one of your resolutions is to improve your health and wellness this year, then we look forward to serving you as your trusted physical therapists. We will set reasonable goals, hold you accountable and empower you with confidence by designing a structured, personalized exercise program. Such a program is engineered to improve your muscle strength, flexibility and endurance. We look forward to working with you this year and will do everything we can to improve your health and well-being in 2012.
I will be back next week to start a discussion on how to get better sleep in the New Year.
Thanks for reading!
Jurgen Cowling, PT