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Help your Kids Stay Feet and Ready to Learn
Along with increased weight have come other serious health problems. Among overweight children there have been related increases in Type 2 diabetes, early signs of heart disease, elevated blood pressure and cholesterol. Another less publicized, but equally alarming side effect of childhood obesity and general state of health is its negative impact on learning. For example kids who are overweight due to a lack of physical activity: • Can have breathing problems that result in less oxygen reaching and fueling their brains. • Are often less able to sit for comfortably for lengths of time and be less able to hold their arms in position to write, type and take notes. • Can lack the upper body strength needed to hold themselves upright to listen and make proper eye-contact with teachers. Poor eating habits in general can also negatively affect children's behavior in and out of school, as well as their ability to concentrate and perform complex tasks such as problem-solving or computing. During the middle school years, when fitting in and having friends is so important, a weight problem can become an emotional health concern as well. Family fitness There are many things families can do to help their children stay fit, healthy and ready to learn. Here are some suggestions: • As they hit puberty, many teens will eat with abandon and even lay on a few extra pounds in advance of a major growth spurt. For pre-adolescent girls, an extra layer of fat is necessary for healthy reproductive cycles. Before you implement an exercise program or limit their diets, plan a visit to your family doctor. He or she can let you know whether your children's weight is within a healthy range and suggest a safe program of diet and exercise. • Practice yourself. When it comes to good health and nutrition, kids do learn by example. Though they may gravitate towards chips and sugary drinks when they are not at home, you can set the standard for good nutrition by serving wholesome foods when they are with you. Be a role-model and learn about the types of foods that make up a healthy diet. • Make exercise a family affair. Parents who regularly exercise with their children reduce their risk of becoming overweight. This might mean volunteering as their basketball coach or simply taking a bike ride together after dinner a few nights a week. Not only will you be setting a good fitness standard for your family (and getting some exercise yourself), you will gain some precious time together with your kids. • Encourage their interests and try something unusual. Kids that are not fans of organized sports and activities might go for something more individualized like Tae Kwon Do or Pilates. The main thing for parents here is to awakening interest in kids. • Make time for breakfast. Having a well balanced breakfast at home or school, they have more lasting energy for learning than those who eat on the run and/or choose high fat and sugar items like doughnuts and sweet juice drinks. Remember that your children are still growing and regular eating is very important for them - you should know that skipping breakfast may be the cause that your child does not perform well with test-taking. • Sit down to a family dinner. It will not only help you be healthier by eating home-cooked meals. When families eat together, they take time to stay in touch with each other. Eating at a slower pace also allows kids to listen to their bodies' signals that they've had enough to eat. Limit your children's combined television and computer game time to 1 to 1-1/2 hours daily. Watching television, using computers (other than for schoolwork) and playing video games limits the amount of time kids might otherwise spend with physical activity and sports.
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