Kids are staying heavy

FROM NBC: While childhood obesity is a serious problem, the number of American kids and teens who are overweight has remained steady over the past decade. BMI is a measurement of height and weight. Children are considered to have a high BMI if their growth chart places them at or above the 95th percentile.

10-percent of infants and toddlers have a high BMI, and roughly 18-percent of teenagers -- yet new research shows this number has remained stable for the past ten years.

The only exception is 6 to 19 year old boys -- who are heavier than ever before. Children with high BMI's often become obese adults -- leading to chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer.

My comment on this story is a little random. I was watching the sitcom "The Middle" last night and it really bothered me that the family constantly eats fast food. I understand that it's supposed to be funny and I shouldn't take what they eat seriously. However, the show gives the impression that you can eat hamburgers and french fries for dinner every night and still look like the actors on the show (who are all thin.) I am probably being too sensitive, but I just don't like that part of the show. Has anyone else every noticed that?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Should Obese kids be taken away?

My first reaction is no! How could you take a kid away from his parents just because they taught him bad eating habits? But then again, if a parent is putting the child's life in danger... maybe someone should step in. Should feeding a child fried, fatty, sugary foods be treated the same as not feeding a child? Hmm... It still doesn't seem probable, but I can see both sides. A 555 pound child seems a bit ridiculous.

FROM TIME.COM: The latest case to make headlines concerns a Scottish couple who lost custody of two of their six children on the basis of what was, their lawyer claims, a failure to reduce the kids' weight following warnings from Scottish social services.

The couple lost their Oct. 14 appeal in a case that is far from clear-cut — representatives of Dundee City say they would never remove children "just because of a weight issue." But obesity appears to be the primary reason South Carolina mom Jerri Gray lost custody of her 14-year-old, 555-lb. son in May. She was arrested after missing a court date to examine whether she should retain custody after doctors had expressed concern about her son's weight to social services.

The boy is currently living with his aunt, and his mother is facing criminal child-neglect charges.

Should morbidly obese kids be taken away from their parents?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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No Birthday Cupcakes at school!

FROM CNN: Childhood obesity is reaching alarmingly high rates. One elementary school principal is taking matters into her own hands and imposing a sugar-free zone.

When it comes to preventing obesity, Browns Mill Elementary Principal Yvonne Sanders-Butler runs a tight ship. For the past decade she's declared the school a sugar-free zone, banning soda machines and even birthday cupcakes. "Childhood obesity- it's our tsunami, it's our Katrina, it's wall street today. If we're really thinking about the best interests about the young people today then we will take a stand," she said. Promoting a healthy diet isn't her only focus; students and staff get an hour of physical activity every day. Sanders-Butler says the approach is making a difference in the classroom.

Discipline complaints from teachers are down and reading test scores are up. Don't you want to know that the children we're educating today will truly be healthy enough to lead for tomorrow? Former students like Simone Davis are grateful for the sugar-free policy. "I was one of the heavier students in elementary school so I really lost a lot of weight and just became healthier overall," she said. -An important lesson with long-lasting results.

We do tend to have a lot of birthday treats at school. I try to bring fruit and crackers instead of cupcakes/cookies/Little Debbie products when I do snack day. However, I think it's okay to have a treat for birthdays. Maybe there are just so many kids at this school being mentioned that there would be too many cupcake days. I don't know. I do like the idea of schools promoting healthy eating habits!!

Do you think it's okay for kids to bring cupcakes on their birthday?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Childhood Obesity Study

You may have heard about a new study that shows a more positive outlook in the fight against childhood obesity. I must warn you, it's not that great of news, but anything positive is a good sign.

Here's the ABC version of the story:

Childhood obesity is a serious problem that can lead to serious health problems in adulthood. In recent years the number of obese children in the U.S. has increased, but a new study looking at the national trend over the past eight years shows some positive signs.

Brian Gordon is one of thousands who battled a weight problem as a child. He says it wasn't until he became active in sports that the pounds started dropping off. He said, "I gained a lot of weight in middle school and my parents got me into soccer, baseball and wrestling. Things like that."

Doctor Cynthia Ogden is an epidemiologist with the National Center for Health Statistics. She and her colleagues analyzed data from more than eight thousand children and teens ages two through nineteen who participated in national health surveys. Looking at body mass index from 1999 through 2006 they found obesity
levels are stabilizing.

Dr. Cynthia Ogden said, "This was true for boys and for girls. For whites, for African-Americans, for Mexican-Americans, and it was even true when we picked three different levels of high body mass index." 16.3% of U.S. children and teens are considered obese. While the numbers have not increased they also have not decreased, and certain ethnicities continue to be more likely to be obese. Dr.Ogden said,"By race ethnicity particularly among girls we see big disparities where about twenty-eight percent of African-American girls, twenty per cent of Mexican- American girls and about fourteen and a half percent of white teenage girls are overweight or obese."

Alisa Rank is worried about obesity problems. She said,"It's really important to get the education to kids to let them know what can happen if they're not getting exercise in the future. I don't think there's enough emphasis on that."

Dr. Ogden said, "The main concern for teenagers is that if you're too heavy as a teen you're likely to be obese as an adult and that can be a problem." Researchers are encouraged by the findings. they say the public health message remains the same. children and teens need a well balanced diet and regular physical activity.

The study appears this week in JAMA, Journal of the American Medical Association.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Parents doing a better job

There's new information on what we're doing right as parents and what we need to work. Here's the story from ABC News:

We're taking a closer look at encouraging news about the lives of children in America. A Duke University researcher pulled together data from the Ceners for Disease Control, the census and other sources. And while not all the news is good, point after point is positive-- improvements in death rates, school scores, lead poisoning rates, and many more.

It is a promising portrait of America's children. The first decade of life is getting better. Until now, there's been so much focus on teen years, but THIS was different. When you look at children's health, education, their time at home, by nearly every measure, things are improving. Mortality rates for children between 1 and 4 have
dropped by a THIRD since 1994. Researchers point to advances medicine and
safety; car seats, safer toys and playgrounds.

Another hopeful sign came straight from the children themselves who were asked how safe they feel at school. The question: Are they fearful of an attack or harm? Even with all of the images of school violence, 36 percent fewer children said they were actually fearful in the classroom or the playground.

The study also looked at television. Parents are now paying closer attention to what their children are watching. Take children from 3 to 5. SEVENTY percent of parents now have 3 or more rules about what their children can watch. Up from just 54 percent a decade ago. And the number of parents READING to their children is up slightly, but still up.

The one area-- where researchers say -- the MOST needs to be done-- is obesity. Children from 6 to 11 years old are growing wider. Close to 13 percent were obese in 1994. Now it's 20 percent. And child advocates simply say THIS is what we tackle next.

So I guess we're doing some things right!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Kids and Food Labels

Here's a story we ran on WHOI this week that I thought you might want to read:

Excess weight continues to be an important health concern for many of America’s children. And the problem starts at a young age.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Nearly 14 percent of two- to five-years olds are overweight.


• Among those 6 to 11, nearly 19 percent are overweight.


• Over 17 percent of the 12- to 19-year-olds are overweight.

Overweight children are more likely to keep those excess pounds and remain overweight as adults. In addition, overweight children have many of the same health issues seen in overweight adults (like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol).

Weight gain occurs when the body takes in more calories than it uses. The ideal way to lose weight, or maintain a healthy weight, is to balance calories and energy expenditure through a healthy diet and regular exercise. The CDC reports many children don’t eat properly. Only 20 percent of American children eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables a day. Fewer than 40 percent meet fiber recommendations. And 85 percent of adolescent and teen girls don’t get enough calcium.

Keli Hawthorne, R.D., a Registered Dietitian with Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, says the best way to gauge how well you meet dietary guidelines is to use a nutrition facts label found on packaged foods. Food labels are based on a 2000-calorie/day diet and are relevant for most Americans four and older. (Parents who have a child with specific nutritional concerns should seek advice from a registered dietitian.)

Hawthorne says there are several important things to look for on a nutrition
facts label. First is serving size. The top line lists the amount per serving as well as the number of servings in the container or package. This number is important because looks can be deceiving. A food that appears to be a single-serving package may actually contain one-and-half or more servings. Thus, if a package contains two servings and all of it is consumed, the nutritional values must be doubled. Second, check the number of calories and calories from fat (the second line). According to the FDA, 100 calories is a considered a moderate amount. 40 calories is low and 400 calories is high. The number of calories from fat is important because even low calorie foods can have high amounts of fat.

The next few lines list the amount of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Hawthorne recommends consumers follow a “5 and 20 rule,” with five percent being a low amount of the nutrient and 20 percent being a high amount. Fat, cholesterol and sodium are nutrients that, in excess, can increase the risk for cardiovascular disease. So less is better – aim for 5 percent. There is no percent value for trans fat. However, this fat should be limited because it has been linked to an increased risk for heart disease.

The next lines list carbohydrates, fiber, sugars and proteins. Look for foods that are low in sugars and high in fiber. Children need protein to build and repair muscle, blood and organs.

The last few lines list important nutrients, like vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron. Using the same 5- and 20- rule, look for foods that have more of these ingredients – aiming closer to 20 percent. Health experts say it’s important to teach young children the importance of good nutrition because poor dietary habits in childhood can have lasting effects, leading to significant arterial plaque by 30 or 40. Hawthorne says children as young as 9 can be taught to read and understand a food label, enabling them to make wiser choices in the foods they eat.

Children’s Nutrition Research Center
Make Your Calories Count
Cartoon Network

It makes sense that kids need to be taught how to eat healthy and they learn from example. I guess some of us aren't setting the best example. I can barely get my four-year-old to eat anything, but my one-year old eats everything. I think the way the child naturally eats should be taken into consideration when we teach kids how to eat.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen