Attitude

The way you think about your body, your self, your eating, and your exercise can make you well. Or not so well. In addition to the MetroWest Kids site, here are some ideas and articles that can help you and your children form a positive attitude about wellness:

State launches Web sites aimed at improving students' health
Teachers and child nutrition staff have a new resource this year to help them incorporate instruction on healthy eating habits in to daily school life in the recently launched "Nutrition in Action" Web site.
Developed by the Mississippi Department of Education's Office of Healthy Schools, the site features Instruction ideas that center on nutrition education, all accessible at the click of a mouse. Links to the site are available in this feature article in the Madison County Herald. (9/29/08)

Study: Good nutrition linked to better test performance
Learners with access to a more nutritious diet in early childhood may score higher on intellectual tests in adulthood, notwithstanding how much education they receive overall, according to new data. The findings "suggest an effect of exposure to an enhanced nutritional intervention in early life that is independent of any effect of schooling," the study's authors conclude. ScienceDaily (7/8)

Obesity concerns begin at age 2?
Some health experts say healthy eating habits need to be ingrained early in life. Toddlers and preschoolers are being diagnosed as "overweight" and participating in programs that teach them about healthy food choices and weight management. The Wall Street Journal (6/10)

Weighing in on Childhood Obesity
Recently, The Washington Post ran a series of articles on the floundering campaign to end the childhood obesity epidemic in the U.S. An ASCD blog post highlights the Post's coverage of young bodies irreversibly damaged by excess fat, unresponsive or fragmented solutions from the federal government, and a rising generation that will be severely compromised in its ability to participate in the global economy and world of work, not to mention generally having a much lower quality of life. The post asks readers what their schools are doing to reduce childhood obesity rates, and what more school communities could do. View the post

Competitive schools mandate lunch period in hopes of reducing stress
Educators at top schools are increasingly adding mandatory lunch periods in hopes of giving high-achieving students a break. "Kids who are not eating, or eating under stressful circumstances are not cultivating healthy eating habits," said psychologist and author Madeline Levine, who co-founded a Stanford University project to reduce student stress. "We want to send the message that a big part of growing up is how to manage yourself and not just getting good grades." The New York Times (5/24)

Massachusetts Public Health Association Organizing Kit
This kit gives guidance on how to tackle one solution in the battle against childhood overweight and obesity: how to organize a committee of citizens and school officials that will write and pass policy that sets more healthful nutritional standards for unregulated foods and beverages sold on school campuses. The policy covers foods and beverages that are sold in vending machines, school stores, on a la carte cafeteria lines, and for fundraisers. It does not cover those sold as part of the United States Department of Agriculture-sponsored
National School Breakfast and Lunch Programs.

Amid rising obesity, P.E. classes change focus to personal fitness
Just 4% of elementaries, 8% of middle schools and 2% of high schools offer their charges daily physical education, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, while roughly 22% of schools have no P.E. requirements at all; however, those that do provide physical education are increasingly eschewing traditional team sports in favor of personal, lifelong fitness skills. The Washington Post (5/21)

Green Marlborough
A group of residents and businesses promoting green choices in the community. Help us make a healthy environment for people who live and work in Marlborough!

Healthy Family Home
A community partnership with the YMCA

Childhood obesity accompanied by adult illnesses
The rise in childhood obesity rates has been linked to an increase in the amount of obesity-related illnesses such as fatty liver disease, hypertension, high cholesterol and sleep apnea. Many of these illnesses traditionally were found only in adults. Chicago Tribune (3/19)

National Survey: Majority of U.S. Parents Don't Enforce Good Health Habits in Their Household
Nearly half of parents(1) admit their family is not eating a balanced diet, and more than three in four concede that some family members do not practice good health habits, according to a new national survey released today by YMCA of the USA and Eli Lilly and Company. (March 11, 2008)

U.S. government launches anti-obesity initiative
A federal anti-obesity initiative that will encourage healthier grocery purchases and increased physical activity was unveiled Monday in West Virginia, where one in five children is overweight. "By taking a look at what each of us can do in our lives and communities to make ourselves and our families healthier, we can begin to tackle this epidemic," said acting U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Steven Galson. "This is not going to get fixed overnight." Charleston Gazette (W.Va.) (free registration) (3/11)

Boston campaign encourages kids to drink more nutritious beverages
The Boston Public Health Commission has partnered with public schools and private businesses in the city for a marketing campaign that aims to promote more nutritious beverages to schoolchildren. The "Corner Store" initiative, which begins today, will use advertising fliers posted at several city stores encouraging children to drink 100% fruit juices, low-fat milk and plain water instead of sodas. The Boston Globe (1/22)

Dance helps teens get fit, and more
An Indiana school that danced away four weeks of physical-education classes found the lessons shattered racial cliques and got kids moving, even in single-gender classes. "I don't think I ever would have envisioned a class of boys dancing without girls," said principal Robert Guffin. "What's amazing is that all the kids in this school want to do this every day." The Indianapolis Star (1/21)

P.E. teachers emphasize personal achievement
As physical-education classes shift away from their team-sports focus and toward promoting individual lifelong fitness, teachers are incorporating methods that also help the growing percentage of overweight children shed pounds. "This field had to make changes," said Craig Buschner, president of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education. "It's not about dodge ball and it's not about duck-duck-goose." Houston Chronicle/Associated Press (1/14)

Study: Healthier school lunches don't go uneaten
A new study shows that school lunches made with healthier ingredients, such as fresh fruits and vegetables, don't cause a decrease in the number of lunches purchased, nor do they cost schools more to produce. Nurse.com (Gannett Healthcare Group) (1/10)

Study: Physical activity helps prevent teen obesity
Physical activity more than two times per week can help prevent teens from becoming overweight, according to a study. Extracurricular "wheeled" activities -- such as biking or roller-blading -- four times a week reduced obesity risks by 48%, and school-based sports activities three to four times a week reduced obesity risks by 20%. Yahoo!/Reuters (1/7)

Study: Sleep deprivation tied to childhood obesity, mood
Children who sleep less than nine hours per night carry more body fat and are more emotionally volatile, according to a New Zealand study of 591 seven-year-old children. "Short sleep duration was associated with a threefold increased risk of the child being overweight or obese ... independent of physical activity or television watching," said lead study author Ed Mitchell. "Attention to sleep in childhood may be an important strategy to reduce the obesity epidemic." Forbes/HealthDay News (1/1)

Study connects TV-viewing, high blood pressure in obese children
Severely overweight children who watch more than two hours of television daily are 2.5 times more likely to suffer from high blood pressure than equally heavy peers who don't spend as much time in front of the TV, according to a new study. Principal investigator Dr. Jeffrey B. Schwimmer of the University of California, San Diego, urged parents to limit children's television time to less than two hours daily. Yahoo!/Reuters (12/12)

Website: Alliance for a Healthier Generation
William J. Clinton Foundation: The Alliance for a Healthier Generation is a partnership between the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association. Co-led by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, this collaborative effort is focused on fighting one of our nation’s leading health threats – childhood obesity.

Website: Healthier Generation
The Alliance for a Healthier Generation Healthy Schools Program is designed to create a nationwide paradigm shift, in which the perception of a school environment that promotes healthy eating and physical activity is the norm and not the exception. Our program provides real tools and solutions for schools wanting to create a healthier environment.

Article: Unstructured outdoor play key to childhood development
Some educators, parents and lawmakers are pushing for today's children to play outside as their parents and grandparents did before parents' fears drove children inside to TV, video games and structured activities. Free play outdoors is "fundamental to human development" and allows children to learn about nature firsthand and decrease stress, says author Richard Louv. The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)/The Charlotte Observer (11/24)

Article: School dietitians encourage healthier eating
From hummus to pita pizzas, school-based dietitians and chefs are encouraging healthier options to reduce obesity and increase students' academic performances. "It is becoming more and more common to find districts that employ full-time dietitians," said Fred Higgins, assistant commissioner of food and nutrition at the Texas Department of Agriculture in Austin. The Dallas Morning News (11/6) , St. Petersburg Times (Fla.) (11/6)

Article: Doctors blame current U.S. farm subsidies for rising obesity rates
Many U.S. doctors, including the American Medical Association, say Congress should stop subsidizing foods high in fat and cholesterol, and instead spend more to promote healthy fruits, vegetables, legumes and grains. "Senators take millions from corporations that produce bacon, burgers and other fatty foods," said Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. "Then Congress buys up these unhealthy products and dumps them on our school lunch program. Companies get rich, and kids get fat." The Sacramento Bee (Calif.) (free registration) (10/29

Study: Exercise improves decision-making, possibly math skills
Daily exercise for three months can improve the brain function of overweight children, according to a new study of 200 overweight, inactive 7- to 11-year-olds that was presented this week at The Obesity Society's annual scientific meeting. "We hope these findings will help persuade policymakers, schools and communities that time spent being physically active enhances, rather than detracts from learning," said the study's lead investigator, Dr. Catherine Davis. Forbes/HealthDay News (10/26)

Study: Worldwide obesity figures balloon
All over the world, about one of every four adults is obese, according to a global snapshot of obesity published in the journal Circulation. Around two-thirds of Americans are considered overweight, with a third of these classified as obese. MSNBC/Reuters (10/23)

Opinion: Exercise with children to prevent obesity
Parents should model healthy behavior for children to establish good fitness and dietary habits, write Washington state YMCA leaders Robert B. Gilbertson Jr., Jerry Beavers and Bob Ecklund. By making family exercise a competition or replacing soda or unhealthy snacks, families can help prevent obesity. The Seattle Times (9/27)

Studies: Myriad factors push obesity rates higher
Too much junk food, TV and a lack of physical-education classes or other exercise make it difficult for U.S. youth to stay at a healthy weight and likely contribute to skyrocketing rates of childhood obesity, according to studies published in a special supplement of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Minorities and children in poor neighborhoods are particularly vulnerable, the studies found. Forbes/HealthDay News (9/25) , Science Daily Magazine (9/26)

Study: Overweight teens already at risk for heart disease
Overweight 8-year-olds are seven times more likely to have high blood pressure, high cholesterol and elevated blood sugar and insulin by the time they are 15, according to an Australian study published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. "The consequences of childhood obesity are devastating," said lead author Dr. Sarah P. Garnett. Scientific American/Reuters Health (9/21)

Article: TURNING THE RIDE TO SCHOOL INTO A WALK
By Jane E. Brody
The New York Times
September 11, 2007
An opinion piece on how walking to school would ease obesity and conjestion.

Study: U.S. adults, children are gaining weight
Some 25 million U.S. children are now obese or overweight, three times the rate in 1980, a new Trust for Americas Health study found. Adult obesity also is growing in most states, with Mississippi at the top of the list for the third consecutive year, with 30.6% adults reaching obese levels. Scientific American/Reuters (8/27) , The New York Times/Associated Press (8/28) , The News & Observer (Raleigh, N.C.)/McClatchy News Service (8/28)

KidzBiteBack.com
The only kid-led campaign in the nation that exposes the Big Fat Industries - the fast food, soft drink and junk food industries. Check us out, and spread the word about the Big Fat Industries

Staying Healthy
This is a comprehensive website for children and parents that promotes overall health. It includes pages about fitness, diet, and staying healthy.

Parents Resource: Nutrition and Fitness
This site, sponsored by the Nemour Foundation, helps parents to raise healthy children with good foods and exercise.

Parents' Resource: New Frontiers in the Lunchroom
An article from St. Paul, MN outlining the sucess of their hot lunch program which serves healthy foods to a widely diverse population, exposing children to the foods of many cultures.

DVD Games to Combat Obesity
This news article describes a DVD game that encourage healthier attitudes toward food and exercise. The game, called "Body Mechanics," teaches youngsters how to avoid being overweight by joining forces with a team of superheroes who battle villains with names like Col Estorol and Betes II.

Emotional Intelligence.
Wellness taps your emotions as well as your rational faculties. This five-page article on emotional intelligence is based on work by Daniel Goleman, as summarized by Allan Sison of Tufts Medical School.

Middle School Fights Obesity
This article describes how one middle school in NJ began sending home BMI (Body Mass Index) report cards to its students as one part of a comprehensive effort to fight obesity. To learn more about BMI here. It's the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Español: El Indice de Masa Corporal (IMC)