Go outside and play! - obese children

Better Nutrition, Sept, 2001 by Liz Brown

8. Get kids moving

Increasing physical activity is crucial. Encourage after-school sports and activities, which will get them moving and keep them from plopping down in front of the TV immediately after school. A program sponsored by The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention' called Kids Walk-to-School is aimed at getting adults to walk with kids to and from school safely. Visit www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/kidswalk/index.htm or call 99% 232-4674 for more information.

9. Make exercise a family affair

Get the whole family involved in exercise together. Toss a ball in the backyard, check out tennis lessons offered through a community recreation program, take a canoe trip, walk the dog together, enter a 5-K fun run or walk or pick up a trail book and head out for family hikes on weekends. After all, physical activity habits established in childhood tend to continue into adulthood.

10. Be an advocate

Talk to the lunch program personnel at your child's school so you can find out what foods are offered, and when necessary, try to encourage improvements in your child's school lunch program. For example, if they don't offer skim milk, find out why and how you can change it. Ask teachers how much screen time kids get each day. Learn more about the physical education curriculum. Consider working with school personnel to encourage the Kids Walk to School program. When it comes to your children's health, Stadler emphasizes, "Don't lust accept less beneficial choices."

According to the CDC, our society discourages children from physical activity in many ways:

* Communities designed around the

* automobile make it difficult for children to get together to play.

* Electronic media (video, computer games, etc.) have made sedentary activities more appealing.

* States and school districts have reduced the time students are obligated to spend on physical education classes.

* Safety concerns have limited the time and areas in which children are allowed to play outside.

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Young TK, Dean HJ, et al. "Childhood obesity in a population at high risk for type 2 diabetes," J Pediatr, 2000;136(3):365-369.

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