Catalog                                     February 2010                       
Ask Dr. Slagle
Newsletters

Quick Order
Search

Numerous medical studies show that our youth are becoming less active, and fat as a result. The problem has become large enough that Michelle Obama has chosen this as a cause, and  launched an initiative to fight childhood obesity.  Medical experts are imploring parents and teachers to discourage their kids' inactive lifestyles and to encourage them to go outside and play. A recent study found that the prevalence of overweight children and adolescents has tripled since 1970 with one in every three children considered to be overweight. This sobering statistic can be partly attributed to overly couch-bound kids who are playing video games, surfing the web, texting and tweeting their free time away instead of spending it on active play, sports and other physical activities.

 

Many of these physically passive  children may  have complicit couch bound parents. Inactivity and obesity is also a major problem in adults. Helping children to avoid a lifelong struggle with obesity is a loving act.   Parents also might find their own motivation for being more physically active when engaged in stimulating their children to be more active. 

 

  Childhood obesity increases the later adult risk of high blood pressure, type II diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, and multiple other physical vulnerabilities. Obesity can also contribute to social and emotional problems. Fat is not jolly.  Fat is often feeling uncomfortable  moving, walking, being, seeing oneself in the mirror.  Fat is often being unhappy with oneself, feeling inferior, being made fun of, being tired, not feeling energetic, developing poor self esteem.  Would you wish this on any child? In short, obese children are getting off to a poorer start in life.  Life can be difficult enough without beginning with potential health and social handicaps.

 

 One part of the problem is that children aren't playing outside at home or at school as much as they have done in previous times. Many school districts nationwide have cut physical education classes in an effort to meet national academic standards. But what decision-makers don't realize is that being physically fit and having exercise breaks often helps students in the classroom. With decreased encouragement from adults - at home and at school - kids have less of an interest in exercise.

 

 

 

Children under 6 years old spend an average of 2 hours daily in front of a TV, or DVD.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends children spend no more than 1-2 hours daily in front of a screen, and those under 2 years have no screen time.  Older kids and teens spend a daily averge of 5 1/2 hours in front of a computer, TV, Video or DVD screen.  Screens with children sitting in front of them have become the most popular babysitters of our era.  It is so tempting for the tired over extended parent to give way to the distraction and help of this super babysitter, but it is at a cost. 

 

 It is important for children to learn how to entertain themselves, to be constructive, active, productive, helpful to other family members and at school.  This does not happen when one is hypnotized in zombie like fashion in front of the "tube".  There needs to be a family meeting and negotiation about how many hours a week can be spent this way, what those days and hours will be and specifically watching what?  But even better yet, if there are other plans and activities involving physical movement, the time will be filled healthfully and constuctively. Instead of giving your child a video game for his birthday, give  a bicycle and show them how and where to ride it.

 

Engage your family in a lifestyle of fitness. Discourage and limit excessive television watching, computer use, or gaming, unless it is the active Wii games,  Also discourage snacking while watching television, doing homework, and other odd times. Instead encourage outside  playtime, family activities, and recreational programs.  How about ping pong, , tennis, dancing classes, martial arts, team sports. Try family walks, bike rides, and other outdoor sports. Plan hiking, skiing, swimming, and outings that will include physical activities. Encourage your children to do set chores that include activities like raking the lawn, picking up their items, vacuuming, or anything that will get them moving.

 

Did you know that 12 minutes daily of alternately intense exercise and rest can fully activate the body"s fat-burning capacity and help to build muscle?  This approach is backed by numerous scientific studies and is detailed in the new book,  PACE: The 12- Minute Fitness Revolution by Dr Al Sears.  Why not explore this and set up a PACE exercise program which will be helpful to both you and your children? This program provides considerable physical benefit in a short period of time daily.

If you can afford it, something like The Gruve, an omni-directional accelerometer would be helpful. It can also be fun and an objective measure of activity upon which to base a reward system for your child.  The Gruve  measures the intensity and duration of  activity.  You can use it to   measure the progress of  work on increasing physical activity. Basically, it keeps track of how much you move about in your daily life and how many calories you burn. Not only are you getting this information from your device, but you can synch it up with the Gruve website to view your daily calories burn records and track your progress.

 

You can use the Gruve to make the activity a contest between your children or you and your children, with a pre-decided reward given to the winner of the activity contest each week. 

 

 

As far as food intake, parents can do their part by only providing food in the home which is healthy and nourishing and by lobbying for more nutritional school cafeteria foods.  Also, parents can  cook healthy meals, or have healthy snacks available, versus letting kids have the junk food they want. Have no sugar or white flour products in the house.  If fast food has to be procured, there are healthier options than those filled with white flour and sugar, which need to be avoided across the board. One would not want overindulging a child with  food to become a substitute for the love and attention children need.

 

Sugar is a big culprit in childhood obesity.  It is also well known that sugar is addictive, the more you eat the more you want.  Sugar also destabilizes the blood sugar and stimulates the appetite, leading to overeating.

 

Unfortunately we are bombarded by sugar in many hidden forms, as well as the obvious.  The average per person sugar consumption in the U.S. is 142 pounds yearly. This equals 48 tsp daily.  Hard to believe?  This is because 33tsp of that intake are added during the processing of foods and beverages as opposed to being naturally occurring. 

 

A 12 ounce soft drink contains 10 teaspoons of sugar.  Eight ounces of one brand of sweetened apple yogurt contains 44 grams of sugar.  Four grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon, so this is the equivalent of 11 teaspoons of sugar.  You might think handing your child a container of yogurt was a good thing.  Instead you can buy plain yogurt which has no added sugar, flavor it with fresh fruit, and sweeten with stevia powder if it even needs to be sweeter.  Be careful about some of the artificial sweeteners, as they can pose their own problems.  See my newsletter on this topic for what to avoid.

 

Read labels and look for hidden sugars such as corn syrup, corn sweetener, sucrose, dextrose, glucose, barley malt, agave nectar, rice syrup, maple syrup, honey.  This is not to mention the obvious listing of sugar on the label.  If you take this extra time to read and be a detective while shopping, you can save your family many empty unhealthy calories and promote their health and well being.

 

 

As long as our elected officials do not have term limits and the lobby industry has the money and power to influence votes and law as it does, the natural supplement industry will periodically be threatened.  The pharmaceutical companies do not like the amount of drug sales to be decreased by those who choose natural remedies.  The Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, DSHEA, of 1994 conferred some degree of protection for you to continue to have access to natural supplements.

 

For those of you seeking a shapelier derriere and stronger legs, there is help! Overall weight loss is just the beginning. As pounds start to come off, you might be surprised to see that your rear doesn't lift on it's own, nor do legs achieve the svelte or muscular look you might be going for. Here are some time-tested methods for getting the lower half in shape:

 

Squats: Mix up your sets of squats to prevent plateaus. Place your feet together or shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself slowly down so your upper legs are parallel to the floor, and slowly rise back to standing. Your upper body remains static.

 

Pile/ Sumo Squats: A variation on the traditional squat, this targets the inner and outer thighs, as well as the glute muscles. Place your feet a few inches beyond shoulder-width apart, with your toes turned 45 degrees out, and squat so the upper legs are parallel to the floor. Rise and repeat.

 

Reverse Partial Squats: To hone in on those stubborn glutes, try this squat variation: start from the squatted position, and rise to the mid-point (not to full-extension), and back down to squat.

 

Many of us get stuck in the same craving cycles that prevent us from shedding those unwanted pounds. Here are three things you can do to curb your cravings:

 

1. Drink water. Many times our junk food cravings are the product of partial dehydration. You can occupy your mouth, and quench your craving, so to speak, by drinking 2 glasses of water within thirty minutes.

 

2. Munch smart. Have some healthy snacks on hand to help satisfy the munchies when they come. If you love to snack on salty treats, stock up on healthy nuts and veggie snacks. Be aware that protein snacks, such as a boiled egg may be more appetite quenching than other snacks. If sweet is more your thing, keep apples, berries, and low-fat yogurt on hand.

 

  

 

 The Way Up • 946 N. Avenida Palos Verdes • Palm Springs, CA 92262

 

 

FAX : 760 322-7608