by admin | Sep 4, 2013 | Grown Up
With the Labor Day celebrations behind us, now is a good time for families to hit the restart button. Good news! Since 2010, the month of September is dedicated to National Childhood Obesity Awareness. The hope is to spread the word by promoting healthy eating and the importance of physical activity even moreso than usual during this month. We are challenging you and your family to commit to actively participating in joining the fight against childhood obesity during this month. Following are some ways that your family can be involved if you choose to accept the challenge!:
- Family Fitness Challenge – Set a goal for each member of your family; whether it be for 5 situps or 10 pushups a day, and create a chart that holds everyone accountable. Let each member select a reward (non-food!) ahead of time and motivate one another to obtain their goals at the end of the month. A little friendly competition never hurt anyone!
- Food Taste Tests – Commit to introducing your kids to a new fruit or veggie each day or week of the month. You never know which tasty fruit or veggie may jump to the top of their favorites list!
- Post-Dinner Family Walks – Incorporate a family walk into your nightly routine even if it’s just a quick 10-15 minutes. These short increments can add up over time and it is a great way to catch up in our busy schedules.
- Weekend (Active)ities – Plan a fun family outing such as a hike or day at the park where you plan a healthy picnic and bring a soccer ball or football to play with. This is another great way to get in some bonding time while being healthy!
- Fruit for Dessert? – Instead of that ice cream, offer the kids fruit or some variation for dessert for the entire month. Eventually their tastebuds may prefer to eat this sweet treat over the ice cream (we can hope, right?). For a tasty berry smoothie idea, click here.
- Turn off the TV – Try making this a rule for the month. We are sure that you can survive! In the evenings, put on some of the kids’ favorite tunes and have a dance party instead! If you want to implement a “no technology” at night rule, we are for that as well!
- Spread the Word – Share your ideas and find out what others are doing this month by using #ChildObesity across social media. Also, challenge another family to commit to a month of healthy eating and physical activity promotion!
For more information, ideas, or resources, click here to access the official website for National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month.
What do you plan to do with your family this month to combat childhood obesity?
by admin | Aug 2, 2013 | Grown Up
August and September mean one thing for parents around the country – it’s time for the kids to go back to school! For some families, it’s a relief after juggling a hectic summer schedule and having constant complaints of boredom. For others, it’s filled with new experiences as a child grows another year older. In the hustle and bustle of gathering school supplies and managing new details, the actual celebration of a new year can easily get lost if we aren’t careful. (more…)
by admin | Jul 26, 2013 | Grown Up
Today we feature OWG guest blogger and childhood obesity consultant, Melodie Griffin. Melodie’s passion lies in the prevention of childhood obesity through the school and early learning settings. All programs Melodie promotes are fully approved by her home based lab rats, five year old son, Howie, and two year old daughter, Hope.
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by admin | Jul 24, 2013 | Grown Up
As an early riser with a packed day, my mental functioning and decision-making start to wane around 5:00 pm. So if I didn’t have a plan in place for dinner, I’d end up spending an inordinate amount of time trying to think of what to make, especially if I didn’t have all of my ingredients on hand. One of the habits I developed when my kids were little was to commit to a meal plan strategy so that I could (more often than not) make healthy, varied, sit-down meals that we could all enjoy as a family with as little stress as possible! The added benefit is that my kids often help in the prep stage which makes them more inclined to eat what is served.
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by admin | Jul 10, 2013 | Grown Up
One of the criticisms that has come along with the growing awareness of the childhood obesity crisis is the fear of younger children becoming overly anxious about their weight and developing eating disorders. In a culture saturated with celebrities and images that often dictate our image of the ideal body, it can be hard to find balance. It’s important for us to think and act in a healthy manner and to model that to our children. Here are some things you can do to encourage a positive self esteem in our kids:
- Have an honest conversation with your physician(s). Are you in a healthy weight-range? If you’re not, come up with a lifestyle plan to change that. Do the same thing with your child’s physician. We are often able to deceive ourselves about this issue but numbers and measurements don’t lie.
- Assess the way you think and talk about food. Are you at a healthy weight, but constantly feel the pressure to loose 5 or 10 pounds because of the images that bombard you in the media? Your kids will pick up on that. You want them to grow up with a positive and realistic outlook on what a healthy body looks like.
- Have conversations with your kids about making responsible decisions. If they want to lose a few pounds, make sure they are doing it in a healthy way. Rather than skipping meals, help them learn to make healthy food choices and live an active lifestyle.
- Make sure you’re modeling a healthy lifestyle. Eating right, drinking lots or water, making sure that you are physically active and mentally positive are all important things to pass along to your kids.
We’d know that this area is a struggle for many parents. We’d love to hear how you’re helping yourself and your kids think healthy, not skinny!
