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:

Massachusetts to chart BMI of public-school students
Massachusetts' Public Health Council has approved a plan to calculate the body mass index of students to determine whether they are overweight. Starting this fall, students in first, fourth, seventh and 10th grades will be measured and weighed unless their parents opt out of the program. Parents will get a report on the findings for their child, along with recommendations on dealing with weight problems and a suggestion to see a pediatrician, if needed. The Boston Globe/White Coat Notes blog (4/8)

Eat Better. Move More. Start Today.
We all can live healthier lives and protect ourselves from heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes by taking simple steps to eat better and move more. Get started by taking small steps, and making little changes at home, at work, and in your community.Join the thousands of other people in the state who getting healthier and losing weight with Mass in Motion: Better health. It's your move.
MASS IN MOTION

Students Give up Wheels for Their Own Two Feet
LECCO, Italy — Each morning, about 450 students travel along 17 school bus routes to 10 elementary schools in this lakeside city at the southern tip of Lake Como. There are zero school buses.In 2003, to confront the triple threats of childhood obesity, local traffic jams and — most important — a rise in global greenhouse gases abetted by car emissions, an environmental group here proposed a retro-radical concept: children should walk to school.

Hitting the Blacktop Can Help Increase School Performance
A New York Times article cites a recent study that concludes recess can help students learn better in the classroom. The study of 11,000 children concludes that those who have 15 minutes or more of recess behave better in school than those who have only a brief recess or none at all. An ASCD blog post highlights this study, and asks readers whether, in light of this research, recess should be a school-day privilege or a priority.

School lunch can make a difference
Dr. Arthur Agatston, creator of the South Beach Diet, says students might benefit from changing the lunchroom culture to something more civilized. Agatston says students are willing to eat healthier and that school can be the start of good habits. The New York Times/Well blog (2/20)

Studies: Recess essential to children's attention in class
Recess may be as important to children's learning as core academic subjects, according to several new studies. Students who had daily recess, outdoor activities or other play opportunities were better behaved than their counterparts and more able to concentrate -- even if they have ADHD -- than their peers. "It's pretty clear that all human beings experience attentional fatigue," said Andrea Faber Taylor, a University of Illinois child environment and behavior researcher. "Our attention has to be restored from that fatigue, and there is a growing body of research evidence that nature is one way that seems particularly effective at doing it." The New York Times (2/23)

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.

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)

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)

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: 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)


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)

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.

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)