LilSugar

Are the Boys Scouts of America Discriminating Again?

LilSugar — Tue, 12 May 2009 15:00:18 -0700

The Boy Scouts of America has been credited with building boys up, but do they also tear young men down with their discriminatory policies? First there was the issue with gay youth and now it's overweight children and volunteers. New weight restrictions may keep some scouts and their parents from participating in activities. One report said:

A new mandatory weight requirement by the national Boy Scouts of America that will take effect next January has some longtime volunteers concerned they will be left out of trips they've enjoyed with their sons for years.

This means one father who currently weights in at 370 pounds and has long been involved in the organization would have to drop to a minimum of 239 pounds to be allowed to "participate in any high-adventure activity and events in which emergency evacuation would take longer than 30 minutes by ground transportation."

Playground Patrol: Make Kids Run Laps For a Movie Treat?

LilSugar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 09:00:43 -0800

There's some interesting stuff that happens in the sandbox. The other day while at the playground with my kids, I heard a mother tell her children (ages 6 - 10) to get off the swings and run laps or they would be late for the movie they were set to see. As they ran, she told them to go faster or they wouldn't get a treat at the theater.

The tall and lanky youngsters, who looked none too thrilled to have to exercise for popcorn, finished their workout and exited. Parents worry about their kids staying physically fit, but is forcing your children to burn calories in order to consume an unhealthy snack a lil extreme - especially if you aren't kicking your heels up beside them? What's your opinion?

Source

Kiddie Wellness: “Leave No Child Inside”

babysugar — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 14:00:52 -0800

With childhood obesity on the rise in America, people are coming up with inventive ways to try to combat the problem. Some environmental groups like the Sierra Club are backing the New Mexican “Leave No Child Inside” initiative. According to the Sierra Club,

The Leave No Child Inside Act proposes a 1% excise tax ("sin tax") on the purchase of new televisions, video games, and equipment. Proceeds, estimated at $4 million a year, will go into a fund to be spent on outdoor education. This fund will be administered by the NM Public Education Department. The goal is to fight obesity and poor school performance which may result from excessive TV, movie, and video game exposure.

To read what else The Sierra Club thinks just read more.

The Sierra Club also says that there are medical studies that link the proposed "sin tax" products to obesity and poor school performance.

Do you think it could help reduce obesity and improve educational performance?
Source

Is Child Obesity Another Form of Child Abuse?

babysugar — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 05:00:24 -0700

The average weight for a 14-year-old boy is roughly 112 pounds. When a child packs on a score or two more than that, most people start to notice the thicker waistline. So when a South Carolina boy tipped the scales at 555 pounds, it wasn't just friends and strangers that noticed - local authorities did, too. The teen's mother, Jerri Gray, was taken into custody for child neglect and may face jail time if found guilty. The working mama blamed her work schedule for feeding her son unhealthy meals, but claims she has been trying to help him lose weight.

Do you think child obesity is a form of child abuse?

Is Mom's Weight to Blame For Baby's Heart Conditions?

LilSugar — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 06:00:42 -0700

Women with hopes of becoming moms have yet another reason to watch their weight. Unlike previous studies that provided women with weight-gain guidelines based on their pre-pregnancy weights, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is reporting that overweight women are more likely to produce babies with congenital heart defects.

According to the study of mothers of 6,440 babies born with the heart defects, those who were overweight, but not obese, prior to becoming pregnant were 16 percent more likely to birth a baby with the defect. Those who were severely obese were 31 percent more likely to do so. While the study does not necessarily show a direct link between weight and the medical condition, the association is considered to be strong.

Do studies like this one affect the way you live your life?

Does Your Child Get Exercise After School Hours?

babysugar — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 13:00:18 -0700

Trendy gyms are offering more classes and sessions for tots while families are trying to make fitness fun by enrolling kids in the classes or buying child-size equipment for a more serious workout. While it may seem like a drastic move (or simply a fitness fad), there are tangible reasons why it's a good one - least one out of five kids is overweight and the number of overweight children continues to grow. Does your child get daily exercise outside of school hours and PE class?

Source

Did You Cut Diet Out of Conversation With Your Children?

LilSugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 04:00:46 -0700

Mom might feel fat, but her kiddos shouldn't have to hear it. More and more parents are cutting "I'm chubby" exclamations from their conversation diet as mothers become concerned with the ill effects the statements have on their offspring, particularly impressionable daughters. Some families have even cut the word "fat" from their vocabularies despite a world that is now seemingly obsessed with childhood obesity, trans fat and exercise.

Twenty-three years ago, a front page Wall Street Journal article shook-up beliefs about when girls become body conscience. The reporter interviewed 100 fourth-grade girls and discovered that 80 percent were dieting. The writer recently revisited several of his interview subjects and found that most felt today's grade-school aged girls face greater weight pressure than previous generations.
Do you think body image issues have gotten better or worse?

Parents Are Training Kids as Young as Three For Triathlons

LilSugar — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 04:00:00 -0700

On your mark, get set, go! Much has been said about the importance of getting lil ones out of the house and outside to combat obesity, but are tots as young as three ready to take on a triathlon?

As the popularity of triathlons – which usually include a mix of running, biking and swimming – grows among adults, it is gaining even more interest with the younger set. Events designed especially for kids, such as the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon allows up to 1,000 kiddos between three and 15 to participate in their event. For the small frys – children six and under – the race course includes a 25-yard swim, a one-mile bike ride and a quarter mile run. Other events, such as IronKids, based on the IronMan series of races, have the youngsters swim 50 meters, bike two miles and run 500 yards. Doctors warn that kids need to train for these races in order to avoid injuries and dehydration.

Though many of the events are untimed in an effort to reduce the competitive nature of the races, and all participants receive medals and recognition at the finish line, are such events a healthy way to get kids active?

Sports Drinks May Do Kids Good on the Field

LilSugar — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 05:00:00 -0700

The combination of organized sports and hot weather can provide a dangerous on-field combination. Parents know that water is the best hydrator, but several studies show that kids don't drink enough of it when participating in athletic activities - even if it is readily available.

In one study, when both water and a sports drink such as Gatorade or Powerade were available, kids "eagerly downed 91 percent more than when offered water alone." These statistics are leading researchers to suggest providing lil ones with carbohydrate- and electrolyte-filled drinks, as long as they are on the ball field:

"When kids do intense exercise in the heat for numerous hours, I would encourage the use of sports drinks," says Douglas Casa, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and the lead researcher for most of the sports camp studies. "They will likely drink more of a flavor they like as compared to water, and will benefit from the carbs and electrolytes."

Once the game is over, stick to water - the high sugar content of sports drinks has been tied to childhood obesity and tooth decay. Do you quench your child's thirst with sports drinks?

Do You Agree With the New Pregnancy Weight Guidelines?

LilSugar — Sun, 31 May 2009 05:00:00 -0700

It's not news that Americans, on the whole, are overweight. For the first time in almost 20 years, the Institute of Medicine has issued new national recommendations regarding weight gain during pregnancy. While the guidelines have not changed for under- and average-weight women, for the 55 percent of women of childbearing age who are overweight the new limits are strict:

Normal-weight women, as measured by a BMI between 18.5 and 24.9, should gain between 25 and 35 pounds during pregnancy.
Overweight women, as measured by a BMI between 25 and 29.9, should gain 15 to 25 pounds during pregnancy.
Obese women, as measured by a BMI of 30 or higher, should only gain 11 to 20 pounds.
Underweight woman, as measured by a BMI less than 18.5, should gain 28 to 40 pounds.

Do you agree that the weight gain limits should be different based on a woman's pre-pregnancy size?