Childhood Obesity in the News

Is your family taking the necessary steps to prevent childhood obesity?

According to a new study from Ohio State University, parents who eat dinner with their children, make sure their kids get enough sleep, and limit TV may lower the risk the risk of childhood obesity in children.

Results from the study indicated that children who ate dinner with their families more than five times a week, slept for at least 10.5 hours a night, and watched less than two hours of TV a day were 40 percent less likely to be obese than children who did none of those things.

Adjusting to these routines will be highly effective, however it’s important to remember that over eating and not being active enough are the most important contributors to childhood obesity. 

Read more about this study here. 

Empowering Kids for Health - Peace

Are you at peace with the food you eat? DKWIO reminds kids that there are really no “bad” foods; all food has some nutritional value. The key is how much of these foods they eat and how often they eat them.

Making smart food choices are key to living a healthy lifestyle. Nutrition Explorations lists the following tips to help parents shape children’s eating habits:

1. Focus on eating nutrient-rich foods instead of what not to eat.
2. Set a good example.
3. Use positive messages.
4. Set expectations.
5. Cook together.
6. Talk about nutritious choices wherever you go.
7. Make good nutrition convenient.
8. Make mealtime family time.
9. Remind kids to fuel at school.

 Visit Nutrition Explorations for more information about making healthy food choices. 

DKWIO: Committed to Preventing Childhood Obesity

In 2009, Michigan ranked 9^th in a national obesity study (Trust for America’s health & Robert Wood Johnson). This year, DKWIO will work with a minimum of 300 children in Southeast Michigan to bring awareness to childhood obesity in our community. These children will learn ways to make healthier eating choices and gain nutritional insight to lead healthier lives. They will also participate yoga program created to empower and reinforce the importance of the mind-body connection. It is our hope that these 300 children will leave the DKWIO better informed about health and wellness and learn the skills to live healthy lives.

Childhood obesity or excess weight threatens the healthy future of one third of American children. We spend $150 billion every year to treat obesity-related conditions, and that number is growing.

Obesity rates tripled in the past 30 years, a trend that means, for the first time in our history, American children may face a shorter expected lifespan than their parents.

To learn more about how DKWIO is preventing childhood obesity, please visit http://www.dkwio.org/overview.html or call 313.227.2100.

Don't Forget...

An Evening Out with Work It Out happens THIS week…have you registered yet?

An Evening Out with Work It Out will take place on Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit.

The evening at MOCAD will include wine and appetizers courtesy of D’Amato’s of Royal Oak, music by DJ Urban Kris and a chance to explore the galleries of MOCAD, the innovative museum on Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

An Evening Out with Work It Out is a perfect opportunity to support the children in our community and enjoy a fun evening in a unique setting with a great group of people! 

Space is limited -– register here today!

 

Children's Wellness Update

Last fall, the editors of Men’s Health and Women’s Health magazine premiered Children’s Health into their family of wellness resources. According to their Editor’s Note:

The editors of MEN’S HEALTH and WOMEN’S HEALTH have spent years teaching our readers how to improve their lives and the lives of the people they love. So when our editorial teams got together to create a joint project, the result could be only one thing: Children’s Health. We brought all of our knowledge, talents, and resources into this magazine.

 Children’s Health is on newsstands now and more information is located at www.healthmag.com. 

Empowering Kids for Health - Healing

This week marks the 3^rd week of the DKWIO at-home series. These easy to follow, at-home sessions are here to help introduce new ideas and approaches to improving children’s health and wellness in your own home. This week’s focus – healing.

Everyone’s body will experience healing at some point – whether we heal from a broken leg, a scratched knee, or the common cold our bodies undergo the process of healing. Sometimes after exercising, our bodies might feel sore - when this happens it means our muscles need to heal. We can help  our muscles heal by making sure we have plenty of snacks with protein after exercising.  Foods like peanut butter on graham crackers, cheese and crackers, fruit with cottage cheese or sun butter on whole wheat bread are all excellent types of snacks that will jump start the healing.

Don’t forget about yoga!  Practicing yoga stretches before and after exercising will help keep your body flexible. Yoga also teaches you to move your body and to breathe in a way that helps it to heal and stay healthy inside and out. 

Don't Forget...

An Evening Out with Work It Out happens next week…have you registered yet?

An Evening Out with Work It Out will take place on Thursday, February 11, 2010 from 7:00 pm to 9:30 pm at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. The evening at MOCAD will include wine and appetizers courtesy of D’Amato’s of Royal Oak, music by DJ Urban Kris and a chance to explore the galleries of MOCAD, the innovative museum on Woodward Avenue in Midtown Detroit.

An Evening Out with Work It Out is a perfect opportunity to support the children in our community and enjoy a fun evening in a unique setting with a great group of people! 

Space is limited -– register here today!

Weekend Family Fun

The weekend has arrived…now what? January isn’t the most appealing month to get outside and play because most of us are inside hiding from the cold, winter weather. Instead of sitting around this weekend, DKWIO has some great ideas to get your family off the couch and moving …

1. Get a jump-start on the Olympics – makeover your living room (or other large room) into an obstacle course. Designate certain areas for jumping jacks, push-up and sit-ups. Let your kids help with the course and help keep track of the times.
2. Bust a move! Kids love dancing – and they will especially love dancing silly with you. Make up fun dances to perform for each other – just don’t forget the camera!
3. Visit your local pool – who says you can’t go swimming in January?
4. Rent a kid-friendly workout or yoga DVD and get moving.
5. Go roller-skating.

Visit Metro Parent for more family-friendly ideas to get your family moving and healthy!

Empowering Kids for Health - Strength

This week’s DKWIO at-home series focuses on strength. Teaching kids about strength introduces the importance of calcium in our bodies because calcium = strong bones. At home, encourage conversation about the different types of foods that have calcium. Dairy products such as cheese, milk, and yogurt are great sources of calcium. Other foods that provide calcium are broccoli, almonds, salmon and white beans. Remember, as kids begin to learn about healthy foods and their benefits, they also begin to make healthy food choices.

For more information about keeping your kids strong, visit the 3-a-day website for healthy recipes, dairy facts, snack ideas, more. 

"A good snapshot stops a moment from running away." --Eudora Weity

We are eagerly counting down the days to the "Evening Out with Work It Out" event. The exclusive evening will take place on February 11th at the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit and will feature wine, appetizers, music by DJ Urban Kris, and a preview of Brad Zielger’s captivating images of DKWIO children practicing yoga.

For three weeks, Brad visited the Boys & Girls (Fauver-Martin) Club in Highland Park to capture the focus, calm, and dedication of the children participating in DKWIO's yoga-based programs. For three weeks, the children welcomed him and his interesting camera equipment into their quiet room and every week, he was happily greeted with, “Yay! You are back to take our pictures again!”

DKWIO would like to send a BIG “thanks" to Brad for volunteering his time and talent for our event. To learn more about Brad Ziegler’s photography and services, please visit http://www.bradzieglerphotography.com/index.htm.

Interested in attending the event? Register online at www.dkwio.org/events/eveningout or call 313.227.2100 for more information.