Pediatrician Blues

A good pediatrician should alleviate fears, instruct both you and your child on wellness (and illness, for that matter), and bring peace of mind to everyone involved. But how do you find this gem? Here are some basic guidelines to keep in mind when choosing a pediatrician or family doctor:

·          Make sure the doctor has as much patience for you as he or she does for your sick child; a good doctor will answer *all* of your questions.

·          Consider going to a doctor who is part of a larger care group in case he or she is out when your child becomes ill.

·          Look for an office with qualified pediatric nurses who can answer some of your questions over the phone.

·          Choose a doctor who is clinically up-to-date and has good communications skills. You may want to ask if they are part of a teaching pediatric program, if they have a specialty and how long they have been practicing.

Above all, act like a consumer—healthcare is a service industry, even if providers don’t always behave that way. If you’re willing to endure long waits because the doctor you choose is attentive and caring, that’s your choice as a consumer. If you’re not, look for someone else who meets the goals you have for your family doctor or pediatrician.

Obesity Outreach and African Americans

Linda Shrieves, writing in the Orlando Sentinel (courtesy of the Detroit Free Press), documents some of the outreach underway in the Orlando area to fight obesity in the African American community, which suffers from high rates of overweight-related complications like diabetes and stroke. Such community efforts highlight the rapidly growing demand for programming and resources to help families and kids make healthy choices. DKWIO provides a structured and proven model for helping children—especially at-risk children—do just that, and we will continue to expand our efforts to address this problem on a national level. If you’re interested in joining us—and if you have the passion, drive and talent to help lead the way—learn more about our work by visiting the DKWIO volunteer page.

Start Slowly

So you’ve resolved to become a healthy, active role-model for your kids. Great news, but where should you start? A recent Wall Street Journal article includes some excellent advice about moving from a sedentary to an active lifestyle. While some people with a history of heart disease should not only see their doctor but also have a stress test prior to initiating an exercise program, most adults can safely and prudently begin with a three-day-per-week walking program, for example. Read the whole article here.

Simple Fitness Tips for Kids

While not everyone can tackle the epidemic of childhood obesity—although if you have the time and energy to do so, you should visit the DKWIO volunteer page—every parent can take a number of simple steps to fight obesity in their own kids:

·          Limit screen time, and do not put a TV or video game in your child’s bedroom—many experts recommend a two-hour maximum on such activities.

·          Make sure your kids get at least one full hour of exercise or active play each day, even in small increments. From running to sports to dance, there is a healthy activity that every child will like.

·          Serve breakfast and eat breakfast—kids who eat breakfast overeat less and perform better academically.

·          Serve healthy foods and reasonable portions—model and practice balance and health in your family menu.

·          Role model the healthy behaviors that you expect your child to adopt—kids watch what we do, more than they listen to what we say.

·          Make fitness a family activity—from bike-riding to hiking, opportunities for family bonding and health abound.

These simple fitness activities can support a healthy child and a healthy family. Try them out, and let us know how it goes.

Eat This!

If you’ve never seen the hilarious Men’s Health article series Eat This, Not That! you’re not only missing out on some incredible nutrition information, but also a clear documentation of the cynical corporate food service industry misleading Americans about calorie and fat content in meals. You can find a ton of Eat This resources on the Men’s Health web site at: http://www.menshealth.com/eatthis/. There’s also a book of the same name that’s worth checking out.

Obesity and Cancer

UK medical journal The Lancet has published an interesting article analyzing the data and correlations between Body Mass Index and cancer. The researchers identify a strong correlation between increasing BMI and heightened risk of certain cancers. These results vary among different sexes and ethnicities, but regardless, once again reinforce the key role that weight plays in overall wellness. Read the abstract here.

Does Drinking Water Reduce Hunger?

Here’s a great article from The Detroit Free Press and Fitness Magazine on myths and facts about water. Penn State researchers have determined that water is great for the health and appearance of your skin, that drinking water before you eat can reduce confusion between thirst and hunger, and that water-containing foods like soup and certain fruits are more filling than dry foods for the same amount of calories.

The researchers, however, do caution that chugging water prior to hitting the Old Country Buffet won’t necessarily reduce your caloric intake. These researchers and others also take to task the old saw that America is chronically dehydrated, and that everyone should drink eight, eight-ounce glasses of water per day. Some of these findings are conveniently summarized in an amusing post on the irreverent snopes.com.

Cooking With Kids

Misty Harris, writing in the Ottawa Citizen.com brings us the incredible story of Rising Chefs, a business founded to teach children as young as three years old to cook in a healthy fashion. With this centre in Toronto, Rising Chefs takes aim at a key problem in the obesity battle—we’re forgetting how to cook at all, much less in a wholesome and healthy fashion. Recently the British government announced that cooking and nutrition classes would become *mandatory* across the nation. Why? Well, according to Harris:

Previous research has shown a link between nutrition in early childhood and improved productivity and overall health later in life. And a study published this month in the medical journal The Lancet offers the first direct evidence that eating well as an infant and toddler stands to increase earning potential as an adult.

Kids love time with their parents, and they love making a mess. What better way to spend some time together than making and eating some healthy recipes? You can find a bunch under the Nutrition heading of our blog.

Big Box Bellies

Although there are many good deals on items at warehouse-type of stores, it can be tough to be realistic and savvy when making purchases at these retailers. If you fall prey to over-buying items that are unhealthy, you may want to consider these tips:

·          work from a grocery list to prevent buying unnecessary items

·          remember exactly how much storage space you have in your freezer or pantry

·          consider quantities carefully; an assortment of bell peppers may sound good today, but the remaining nine pounds of it may go to waste

·          remember the cardinal rule: never shop hungry!

Keep it Steady; Keep it Healthy

The indispensable Science Daily website recently offered a sobering lesson on the importance of regular exercise. Researcher Paul Williams of the Berkeley National Laboratory found that pounds gained during a break in a regular exercise routine can be particularly tough to shed.

That means that taking a break from taking care of yourself—even if it’s for great reasons like kids, parents, spouses or work—can have powerful and lasting negative effects on your health. Here’s the money quote:

Williams says his findings suggest that an effective public health policy for preventing weight gain may need to include a strategy to keep physically active people active. His study also underscores the importance of avoiding start-stop exercise patterns. Exercise designed to prevent obesity may fall short of its benefits if the exercise is irregular, seasonal, or often interrupted.

These findings suggest that we can’t merely exercise to “get in shape.” There is no get in shape, but only a lifestyle commitment to staying in shape by making healthy choices for our children and ourselves.