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WEIGHT-WISE KIDS - April 2006 Issue
Welcome one and all to the exciting first issue of
WEIGHT-WISE KIDS! Thank you for subscribing, and kudos for
actively seeking ways to support your family's health,
wellness, happiness and longevity. Your efforts will NOT in
vein!
In This Issue:
1) This Month's Special Offer: "'Phat' Deals & Steals!"
2) Feature Article: Children Beware: Cultural Landmines
Abound
3) Healthy Morning "How To's"
4) Valuable Care Giver Resources
5) Recipe Spotlight
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THIS MONTH'S SPECIAL OFFER:
"'Phat' Deals & Steals" at HelathyKidsCatalog.com
To celebrate the launch of Healthy Kids’
Catalog, through April 30 all orders over $50.00 (before
tax and s/h) will receive a FREE copy of the groundbreaking
fictional children’s paperback, “It’s Not Your Fault That
You’re Overweight - A Story of Enlightenment, Empowerment
and Accomplishment for Overweight and Obese Kids” (an
$11.95 value!) - a story intended to help overweight
children ages 8-13 get on a healthy track, as well as
motivate those within a healthy weight range to not only
continue making wise lifestyle choices, but also better
understand and empathize with peers currently struggling
with a weight problem.
Don't miss this exclusive VIP offer! Shop
www.HelathyKidsCatalog.com today!
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FEATURE ARTICLE:
Children Beware: Cultural Landmines Abound
By Merilee A. Kern, MBA, Author
We live in a time when childhood obesity is reaching epic
proportions, as are the typical food servings dished up to
our nation's youth - much to their naive delight. The old
adage remains true: ignorance is bliss, but its time for
our children to get educated on the relationship of
lifestyle and health!
Rather than hemming and hawing about the gravity of the
problem, practical methods of teaching children how to
recognize and, in turn, circumvent negative societal
influences while also imparting how and why to make better
lifestyle choices is long overdue. Given all of the
negative stimuli our kids encounter each and every day -
sometimes hour by hour - of course they are going to make
poor choices. Simply put, they are easy prey, and society
is setting them up for failure.
With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
reporting that over 20 percent of American children are
either overweight or obese, now more than ever we must help
our kids recognize the overwhelming number of cultural
influences outside their span of control that impact their
decision making, and lessen the emotional burden carried by
children who have internalized the responsibility for their
weight problem. Rather than harboring displaced blame or
guilt, our nation's children would greatly benefit from
re-focusing their emotional and physical energy on
effecting positive, healthful changes in their life.
This all sounds good in theory but, rather than conjecture,
we need action...primarily by parents who are the true foot
soldiers in our kids' battle of the bulge. And, it's NOT
rocket science. For starters, parents must teach their
children the vernacular of healthy living, so they
understand exactly why they are being asked to do things as
it relates to their health so they make the proper
connections. Children should know that it's important to
drink milk because it contains calcium that will make their
bones strong, or to eat protein because it will help them
develop muscle strength. They should know that their
parents go to the gym to work out or walk outside because
exercising helps keep their heart healthy.
Parents, teachers and other adolescent caregivers should
TALK about the health risks of a chronically overweight and
obese condition, including age-appropriate concepts related
to high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2
diabetes. Parents should point out those television
commercials, billboards and other commercial advertising
that attempts to influence their child(ren) to make a poor
choice, and talk about what a healthy alternative would be.
While out and about, parents should show the child exactly
how temptations are strategically placed practically
everywhere they go, and how to read the Nutrition Facts on
food labels so they don't fall victim to false or
misleading health claims.
Parents should teach children how to eat "appropriate"
portions of food - even when the restaurant serves entrees
that could feed a family of four, should stock their home
with nutritious snack and other foods so that their
children are enabled to make proper choices, and should
limit the amount of time their child is allowed to spend in
front of the TV, computer and/or video game system. Parents
should teach their child to take the stairs even if an
elevator is right nearby. This is the tip of the
iceberg...there are so many practical ways we can teach our
kids to make the right choices in life.
The bottom line is simple: childhood obesity not only
spells danger for the future health of our children, but
for our nation at large. As such, it's our collective
responsibility to help kids navigate the omnipresent
cultural landmines.
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Child health advocate and weight-loss industry veteran,
Merilee A. Kern, is co-founder and CEO of Healthy
Kids'Catalog(R) and the author of the fictional children’s
book, "It's Not Your Fault That You’re Overweight - A Story
of Enlightenment, Empowerment and Accomplishment for
Overweight and Obese Kids". She can be reached through the
Healthy Kids' Catalog Web site at
http://www.HealthyKidsCatalog.com.
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HEALTHY MORNING HOW TO'S
Getting our kids off to school in the morning with a tummy
full of healthy food will do wonders for their well-being -
and can even help them achieve good grades due to more
stable blood sugar levels, which increases brain function
including the classroom-critical attention span. Here are a
few easy ways to give your child(ren) a healthy head
start each day:
--Unplug! Turn off the TV while eating breakfast, as
studies show that those who watch TV while eating consume
higher amounts of fat - and also are more inclined to eat
"mindlessly."
--Small changes at breakfast = big results. Skim milk
instead of whole, wheat toast vs. white, sugar-free
all-fruit jam vs. butter, egg whites or egg substitute vs.
whole eggs, lean ham vs. bacon, sliced tomatoes vs. hash
browns...you get the idea
--Parents can make healthier cereals just as exciting to
children by putting their own toy of choice into the box,
which the sugary cereals do to increase demand
--Inspire! Especially for the younger children, commend
them for their healthy food choice(s) by proclaiming how
strong, fast, smart, etc. you bet (s)he will be that day
for eating such a healthy breakfast. It's also fun to tell
children to you "just saw them grow an inch" upon their
completing notably healthy breakfast fare. Measure the top
of thier head to your body to "prove" it.
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VALUABLE CARE GIVER RESOURCES
How do you know if your child is underweight, at a normal
weight, or is at risk of being, or is, overweight? No need
to guess...in fact, don't! Instead, use the CDC's Body
Mass Index calculator and reference the related BMI
information *specific* to children and teens at:
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/bmi/bmi-for-age.htm
Get Inspired! Take a look the adorable and insightful
artwork submitted by the 4 elementary and middle school-age
children who won the 2006 Children's "Heart-Smart Art
Contest" - an initiative that inspired scores of kids
throughout America to "think health" at onset of the New
Year by artistically depicting good lifestyle choices. To
view the winning entries, visit:
http://www.notfault.com/artcontestwinners.html
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KID-FRIENDLY RECIPE SPOTLIGHT
Here are three quick and healthy meals sure to delight the
finickiest eaters:
Spaghetti Squash: wrap in saran and microwave until easily
forked. Cut in half, remove squash “spaghetti”, and
lightly cover with a healthy pasta sauce.
Pasta Salad: cook tri-colored vegetable or whole wheat
rotini until tender. Toss with a slight amount fat free
Italian dressing (to coat), kidney beans, chick peas, other
legumes, dices tomatoes, onions and other veggies of choice
and, if desired, shaved turkey or ham. Toss with a small
amount of parmesan cheese and a dash of salt.
Egg White Mexican Omelet: separate egg yolks from whites –
discard yolks (or, if preferred, use an egg substitute
product). Beat and cook eggs omelet style in one pan
while sautéing green peppers, mushrooms and onions in
another (in cooking spray, not oil). When all is cooked
through, place cooked veggies in center of omelet and fold
eggs over. Top with fat free cheese and salsa.
Have a healthy recipe idea of your own to share with other
Healthy Kids' Catalog subscribers? Do tell! Email us at
press@healthykidscatalog.com.
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