Archives for April 2011

Childhood & Teen Obesity

April 23, 2011 2 Comments

What is childhood obesity?

Is there a cure for obesity?

Does your child overeat?

The term Obesity in Childhood is show the excessive weight of body in comparison of normal child weight. This may be a reason of much dangerous disease in body in childhood. There are many reason behind the obesity in child as Physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns, with genetics and lifestyle both playing important roles in determining a Childs weight.

There are many factor of disease in child as heart disease, high cholesterol or high blood pressure, back bone and joint problems, sleep apnea, and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem. Overweight young people are more likely than children of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer, and osteoarthritis.

The term childhood obesity may refer to both children and adolescents. In general, we use the word, children to refer to 6 to 11 years of age, and adolescents to 12 to 17 years of age. If otherwise, and when possible, we will use a specific age or age range. Childhood obesity is usually caused by eating too much and exercising too little. So we have to create new family habits for healthy eating and increased physical activity. It can help a child lose weight and can also improve the health of other family members.

There are many other ways to create a healthy environment in your family:

  • Remove sugar-sweetened drinks from the home.
  • Give more whole-grain foods with meals and breakfast.
  • Reduce the number of meals eaten out side at fast-food centre and other restaurants.
  • Sit together for lunch/dinner and have that meal at least 30 minutes.
  • Remove TVs and computers from children’s bedrooms.
  • Include children in active chores, such as washing the car or walking the dog.

Children can play ball at the local park and take healthier foods in school, at the end of the day family should support is what really counts. You are an also role model for your kids. They definitely follow you. Children form habits from parents, and usually maintain them into adulthood. If your children see you reach for a banana instead of a brownie, they are likely to do the same. If they see you go for a walk or wash the car, they may join you definitely.

Parents, teachers, companies, healthcare professionals, teens and kids all have a part to play in the movementin schools, at home, in restaurants, doctors offices, and in the community. Childhood obesity has no one cause, and there is no one solution. Thats why the Alliance is taking bold, innovative steps to help our children live longer and improve the health of our nation.

Author: Harry Johnson

www.EzineArticles.biz

Filed Under: Articles

Self Esteem and School Difficulties

April 23, 2011 3 Comments

Does your child have low self esteem?

Are your child’s school experiences affecting her feelings of self worth?

In 15 years as a pediatrician, I have helped many children and their parents deal with challenges in school. I am always surprised how profoundly these difficulties affect the child’s self image, as well as that of his or her parent. Parents will be reluctant to seek help in the school system for fear that their child will be “labeled” and carry that label throughout his or her life. And it affects the child even more. When I discuss school with a teenager, it strikes me when they say, “I am supposed to be in 10th grade, but I am only in 9th because I stayed back in the first grade.” Clearly being retained was a profoundly traumatic experience that still affects how they are in school today.

So how can parents help their children get the school help they need, without it being perceived, by the child as a failure on his or her part?

  1. Emphasize their strengths. This may seem like an obvious point, but too often, school can become all about the things your child cannot do. Whenever they are graded the emphasis is on what they did wrong, rather than on the many things they did right. Unless you make the conscious effort to point out all of their strengths, they can become discouraged and give up on school. So, for example, your child has a learning disability that affects his reading, but also has an amazing imagination, help them to cultivate that imagination and use it to motivate them to continue reading.
  2. Celebrate any wins. This goes hand-in-hand with the first point, but it deserves separate mention. By really celebrating any success they have at school, you are training them to think of school as a fun place where hard work leads them to success. They will be more likely to continue that hard work even in the face of a set-back.
  3. When they do have a setback, re-frame it by saying, “What can we learn from this?”. and “What changes can we make so next time works out better?” Rather than looking at a low grade as a failure that has some direct reflection on them, you want them to see it as another step in the learning process. Not only will this build their confidence, but it will teach them determination which will benefit them whenever something does not go their way.
  4. Re-examine your own disappointment. As parents, we want our kids to succeed so that they have a great life, full of opportunities. However, we have to be vigilant that we are not trying to have them make up for some shortcoming that we have. So if you become very disappointed in a grade your child brings home, take a moment to examine what is really causing that disappointment, so that you are not subconsciously reliving your own school failures. Then you can truly be there for your child to help him or her overcome the challenge at hand.
  5. Emphasize that you are on their side. This may seem obvious to you. Even when we yell at our kids, we see it as a reflection of our dedication to their success. However, if your child is struggling, he or she can begin to feel very lonely, as if everyone is against him or her. So it is important, as parents that we show our kids that we really want them to succeed and will do everything we can to see that this happens. Then your child will view the two of you as a team working toward a common goal.
  6. Know your rights and get your child the help he or she needs. With the incredible budget constraints that schools have, they may be resistant to doing a full evaluation of a child who is struggling. Rather they may hope that a little extra help here and there may be enough to help get that child through school. However as parents we do not want our children to just “get through” school we want them to have the best educational experience possible. So if your child is struggling an would benefit from a Planning and Placement Team or a full psycho-educational evaluation, be sure that you directly request this from the school.

In the end, no matter how challenging school may be, your children should come out of school with a feeling of success, that he or she overcame the challenge and did the best they can. Then later in life they will, they will be willing to put in the effort to overcome any obstacle.

 

Author: Dr. Douglas Curtiss

www.EzineArticles.com

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