Michelle Obama and her war against childhood obesity is in the news again.

In the article that she has written an article for this week’s edition of Newsweek, the First Lady outlines her plan to transform America’s youth from fat to fit within the span of a single generation.

Here is a link to the article.

Why I Am Fighting Childhood Obesity

We can solve this problem in one generation

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And while I personally believe that big social programs such as these are more effective at spending money than affecting any sort of meaningful change, I want to know what you think.

And I made it easy with this handy-dandy Poll Daddy poll.

So, make your selection and then send send this link to all of your Facebook friends, Twitter followers, etc…

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(I have also included the entire article in the post – see below)

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Michelle on a Mission

How we can empower parents, schools, and the community to battle childhood obesity.

By Michelle Obama | NEWSWEEK

Published Mar 14, 2010

From the magazine issue dated Mar 22, 2010

For years, we’ve known about the epidemic of childhood obesity in America. We’ve heard the statistics—how one third of all kids in this country are either overweight or obese. We’ve seen the effects on how our kids feel, and how they feel about themselves. And we know the risks to their health and to our economy—the billions of dollars we spend each year treating obesity-related conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

But we also know that it wasn’t always like this. Back when many of us were growing up, we led lives that kept most of us at a pretty healthy weight. We walked to school every day, ran around at recess and gym and for hours before dinner, and ate home-cooked meals that always seemed to have a vegetable on the plate.

For many kids today, those walks to school have been replaced by car and bus rides. Afternoons playing outside have been replaced with afternoons inside with TV, videogames, and the Internet. And with many parents working longer hours, or multiple jobs, they don’t have time for family meals around the table anymore.

It’s now clear that between the pressures of today’s economy and the breakneck pace of modern life, the well-being of our kids has too often gotten lost in the shuffle.

And let’s be honest with ourselves: our kids didn’t do this to themselves. Our kids don’t decide what’s served in the school cafeteria or whether there’s time for gym class or recess. Our kids don’t choose to make food products with tons of sugar and sodium in supersize portions, and then have those products marketed to them everywhere they turn. And no matter how much they beg for fast food and candy, our kids shouldn’t be the ones calling the shots at dinnertime. We’re in charge. We make these decisions.

That’s actually the good news—that we can decide to solve this problem. That’s why we started Let’s Move, a nationwide campaign with a single goal: to solve the problem of childhood obesity in a generation, so that children born today can reach adulthood at a healthy weight.

Let’s Move is not about trying to turn back the clock to when we were kids, or cooking five-course meals from scratch every night. No one has time for that. And it’s not about saying no to everything either. There’s a place for cookies and ice cream, burgers and fries—that’s part of the fun of childhood.

Instead, Let’s Move is about families making manageable changes that fit with their schedules, their budgets, and their needs and tastes. It’s about giving parents the tools they need to keep their families healthy and fit, and getting more nutritious food—more fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and less sugar, fat, and salt—into our nation’s schools. It’s about helping grocery stores serve communities that don’t have access to fresh foods, and finding new ways to help our kids stay physically active in school and at home.

Achieving all this won’t be easy. This isn’t something we can fix with a bill in Congress or an executive order from the president. I’ve spoken with many experts about this issue, and not a single one has said that the solution to childhood obesity is to have the government tell people what to do.

Instead, it’s about what all of us can do to help our kids lead active, healthy lives: parents making healthier choices for their families; mayors and governors doing their part to build healthier cities and states; and the private sector doing its part as well—from food manufacturers offering healthier options to retailers understanding that what’s good for kids and families can be good for businesses too.

That’s why I’ve been traveling the country, speaking to groups ranging from PTAs to food manufacturers, to elected officials, to school food-service employees, asking all of them to be a part of Let’s Move. And since this campaign began, several major school suppliers have already agreed to improve the quality of their food, doubling the amount of fresh produce they serve to our children. The nation’s largest beverage companies have agreed to provide clearly visible information about calories on the front of their products, as well as on vending machines and soda fountains. The American Academy of Pediatrics has begun urging its members to screen children for obesity and to actually write out prescriptions for parents detailing how to address it. And we’ve started a Web site—LetsMove.gov—with tips on eating well and staying fit.

Changes like these are only the beginning—and we’ve got a long way to go to reach our goals. But I’m confident that if we each do our part, and all work together, we can ensure that our kids have not just the opportunities they need to succeed, but the strength and endurance to seize those opportunities: to excel in school, pursue the careers of their dreams, keep up with their own kids, and live to see their grandkids grow up—maybe even their great-grandkids too. That is the goal of Let’s Move, and that is my mission as first lady.

Find this article at http://www.newsweek.com/id/234885

© 2010

In Part 1 of this series, I outlined the basics of my Health Habits Diet

1. A modified Paleo Diet will make up the majority of your meals
2. Specific peri-workout nutrition will help improve your workouts and boosts your metabolism
3. Modifications in your nighttime eating are geared to your specific weight loss goals
4. And sadly, portion control still plays an important role for HH dieters.

I also introduced you to 4 different types of Health Habits dieters

1. People concerned with rapid weight loss with no concern for fitness (strength, endurance, etc)
2. People who want to improve their overall health
3. People who want to get fit but aren’t concerned about losing weight
4. People who want to get fat and burn fat at the same time

Note:

I hate how most diet books are “one size fits all”. While a general Paleo-style diet will go a long way to improving the health of most people, it isn’t perfect. Some of us are blessed with an ability to eat whatever we want without getting fat. Mos of us aren’t. Some of us want to maximize our fitness. Some of us couldn’t care less.

• Our starting points are different
• Our goals are different
• As a result, our diets should be different

Today, I will tell you what I do with each of the 4 “types” that I outlined above. If you fit neatly into that “type”, go right ahead and claim your Health Habits diet. If you don’t fit in very neatly, shoot me a comment or an email and together we’ll build your personal HH diet.

The “Need to Lose Weight Fast” Client

Obviously, the fastest way to lose weight is to drop your calories as hard and as fast as possible. We’re not doing that. People who diet this way always end up worse off than they started. So, don’t even go there.

Here are my rules for the “Need to Lose Weight Fast” client

1.     We start with a Paleo Basic style of diet….

Eat This

• Foods that are as close to nature as possible. If our Paleo ancestors couldn’t make it, you can’t eat it.

• Meat -i.e  beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, etc…
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Nuts & Seeds
• Seed Oils
• Water

Don’t Eat This

• Grains
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Legumes
• or any other Processed crap. If it comes in a box or has multi-syllabic ingredients, it ain’t Paleo.

2.     Then we remove all the calorie dense vegetables….potatoes, carrots, parshnips, beets, corn, sweet potatoes, peas and squashes

Kind of a low-carb Paleo Diet.

3.     We also stop eating 4 hours before bedtime (nothing but calorie free beverages)

4.     And Portions are controlled

• 1 plate-full per meal (no seconds)
• Vegetables make up 2/3 of the plate

• Note – We don’t count calories on any of my diets. Our goal is to feed your body foods that are high in nutrients and relatively low in calories. As your body gets more of the stuff that it needs, it will respond by reducing your appetite / hunger. Counting calories always leads to reducing calories again and again and again. it just doesn’t work long term.



The “Want to Get Healthy” Client

This client isn’t concerned with weight loss or strength or running a marathon.

They just want to be healthy. To that end….

1.     We start with a Paleo Basic style of diet….

Eat This

• Foods that are as close to nature as possible. If our Paleo ancestors couldn’t make it, you can’t eat it.

• Meat -i.e  beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, etc…
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Nuts & Seeds
• Seed Oils
• Water

Don’t Eat This

• Grains
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Legumes
• or any other Processed crap. If it comes in a box or has multi-syllabic ingredients, it ain’t Paleo.

2.     Then, we can re-introduce legumes and dairy…slowly.

• During the re-introduction of beans & dairy, we watch for changes in digestion. Not to get all gross about it, but the Paleo argument against legumes & dairy focuses directly on digestion. The theory is that our ancient Paleo DNA hasn’t had time to adapt to these foods. As such, our immune system and as a result, our GI system has problems digesting these foods.

• If we start seeing GI problems, we remove the offending food and try another. Simple

3.     We also stop eating 4 hours before bedtime (nothing but calorie free beverages)

The “Want to Get Fit” Client

This client wants to maximize their fitness. This could be a triathlete or a MMA fighter or a weekend warrior who wants to regain past glory. Luckily for them, fat loss is not a major issue.

Even luckier for them, this diet will still peel of fat.

1.     We start with a Paleo Basic style of diet….

Eat This

• Foods that are as close to nature as possible. If our Paleo ancestors couldn’t make it, you can’t eat it.

• Meat -i.e  beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, etc…
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Nuts & Seeds
• Seed Oils
• Water

Don’t Eat This

• Grains
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Legumes
• or any other Processed crap. If it comes in a box or has multi-syllabic ingredients, it ain’t Paleo.

2.     Peri-Workout Nutrition is introduced

3.     Right before bedtime, a small high protein/high fat meal is eaten.

• This meal is designed to help your body recover from your workouts.

4.     No specific attempt at Portion Control

• As your body gets more of the stuff that it needs, it will respond by reducing your appetite / hunger. Counting calories always leads to reducing calories again and again and again. it just doesn’t work long term.

The “Want to Get Fit and Want to Get Lean” Client

This client makes up the majority of my personal training clientele.

They want to maximize their fitness and get ultra-lean in the process.

Not to surprisingly, we pull out all the stops for this client.

1.     We start with a Paleo Basic style of diet….

Eat This

• Foods that are as close to nature as possible. If our Paleo ancestors couldn’t make it, you can’t eat it.

• Meat -i.e  beef, pork, chicken, fish, seafood, etc…
• Vegetables
• Fruit
• Nuts & Seeds
• Seed Oils
• Water

Don’t Eat This

• Grains
• Sugar
• Dairy
• Legumes
• or any other Processed crap. If it comes in a box or has multi-syllabic ingredients, it ain’t Paleo.

2.     Then we remove all the calorie dense vegetables….potatoes, carrots, parshnips, beets, corn, sweet potatoes, peas and squashes

Kind of a low-carb Paleo Diet.

3.     Peri-Workout Nutrition is still included

4.     The pre-bedtime, small high protein/high fat meal is also still included.

• This meal is designed to help your body recover from your workouts.

5.     But no carbs (fruit & veg included) are eaten during the 4 hours before bedtime

• As your body gets more of the stuff that it needs, it will respond by reducing your appetite / hunger. Counting calories always leads to reducing calories again and again and again. it just doesn’t work long term.

6.     And Portions are controlled

• 1 plate-full per meal (no seconds)
• Vegetables make up 2/3 of the plate

• Note – We don’t count calories on any of my diets. Our goal is to feed your body foods that are high in nutrients and relatively low in calories. As your body gets more of the stuff that it needs, it will respond by reducing your appetite / hunger. Counting calories always leads to reducing calories again and again and again. it just doesn’t work long term.

So, there you go.

Hopefully, you fit nice and neat into one of these categories.

If not, shoot me an email and I will give you a hand building your personal HH diet.

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And, if you like what you see here, click here for updates or Share this Post with the rest of the world.

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Related Posts

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• The Making of the Health Habits Diet
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Tomorrow, I will be sharing with the Health Habits Facebook Group one of the most effective fat-burning, muscle building, health improving diets I have ever designed.

But, before I do that, I thought I would show everybody the 3 central rules that I used to create the Health Habits Diet.

1. It’s Not Only What You Eat
2. It’s When You Eat It
3. And How Much Of It That You Eat

Simple, right?

Let’s take a closer look.

What You Eat

There are a lot of diets that restrict the types of food you can and can’t eat:

• Low-Fat Diets
• Low-Carb Diets
• Vegetarian/Vegan Diets
• High Fiber Diets
• Liquid Diets
• Organic Food Diets
• Whole Grain Diets
• and the list goes on and on and on…

The fact is, certain foods improve your health and certain foods don’t.

• Certain foods are high in nutrients and low in calories
• Other foods are high in calories and low in nutrients
• Certain foods make you hungry
• Certain foods cause inflammation (that’s bad)
• Certain foods make you fat

Based upon the most recent research, I have put together my list of the foods that improve your health and the ones that wreck your health.

When You Eat It

What makes more sense:

• Drinking all of your daily fluid intake at one sitting (think Big Gulp)?
• Or spreading it out over the course of the day?

• Skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating a huge dinner?
• Spacing your food intake out evenly over the whole day?

• Eating all of your carbs for breakfast, fats for lunch and proteins for dinner?
• Eating meals balanced in macro-nutrients (carb, fat, pro)?

It’s not just the types of food you eat that’s important, it’s when you eat those foods.

And tomorrow, I will tell the Facebook Group about two incredibly powerful meal timing techniques.

How Much You Eat

This one is a no-brainer.

10,000 calories of the healthiest health food per day is still going to make you fat.

It’s just too bad that most dieters see calories as the end-all and be-all of successful weight loss. If the weight isn’t coming off fast enough, they just drop the calories a little more. And then a little more. And then just a little bit more.

Until 1 of 2 things happens:

1. They achieve their weight loss goal and then have to maintain their skinny-fat physiques on 1000 calories per day for the rest of their miserable calorie deprived lives, or
2. Their body revolts and forces them (via hormones, brain chemicals, etc) to eat and eat and eat.

Neither scenario works.

That’s why focusing solely on calories is the worst thing you can do if you’re trying to lose weight.

Conclusion

Tomorrow, I will be sharing with the Health Habits Facebook Group my latest fat-burning, muscle building, health improving diet.

It’s based on these 3 rules and it works better than anything I have ever seen.

Hope you like it.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates or Share this Post with the rest of the world.

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I want you to imagine that you’re the parent of this chubby little guy chowing down at Mickey Dees.

• You know that your kid is obese.
• You know that being obese is not going to make his life easier in any respect – health, social stigma, etc

And yet, here you are at McDonalds…again

How does that make you feel?

• Like a failure as a parent?
• Worried about your kid’s health?
• Concerned that you don’t know how to fix the problem?
• Upset that you can’t afford to fix the problem?

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What if there was a program that:

• Has been proven to help reverse childhood obesity (study, study)
• Teaches kids (and their families) what & how they should be eating to be fit
• Takes the family shopping to show them how to shop for healthy food on a budget
• Shows the family how to prepare healthy meals
• Teaches the family psychological tips to help them improve their odds of winning the weight loss battle
• Re-introduces kids to physical activity – games, sports, etc..
• Was offered in your neighborhood
• Make us of already existing public facilities (community centers, parks, etc)

• And is FREE

If you live in the U.K., this program already exists

Unfortunately, in North America, it doesn’t.

Funny how we talk about what a huge problem childhood obesity is, but we don’t do anything about it.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Waaaaayyy back in 1967, medical experts were concerned about the growing threat of childhood obesity.

Little did they know that the “fat kids” from their time would be considered “normal” in 2010.

Don’t believe me?

I recently came across the following olde-tyme educational film from Great Britain (c 1967). The film documents the typical home life for Brits in the late 60s…including their attitudes towards food and meal times. It also addresses obesity in children.

A female GP narrates the story of three children who are overweight for their age stressing that although there may be some inherited causes of their obesity, it is mostly due to over-feeding on the part of the parents, what the GP calls a cruel kindness.

Cruel Kindness

What a great description.

• Why do we feed our kids pizza instead of broccoli?
• Why do we let them play hours & hours of XBox instead of kicking them outside to get some exercise (and a real life)?
• Why have we let fast food become the largest food group?

Cruel Kindness

It’s easier to give them what they want, instead of what they need.

But that isn’t parenting…is it?

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Enjoy the film.

Or better yet, talk to your children’s school about screening the film during phys. ed or science or during an assembly.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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In under two months time, it’s going to be a brand New Year – 2010.

And a lot of you are going to make that most famous of New Years Resolutions.

I am going to lose weight.

And, most of you are going to fail…miserably.

Here’s why.

There are 3 Main Types of Weight Loss Plans

1. Eat Less Food
2. Eat Less of Specific Types of Food (most commonly Carbs or Fat)
3. Get More Exercise

And of course, most of the so-called “diet-experts”  mix and match these three main plans to come up with their proprietary “miracle” weight loss program.

So, how come, year after year, millions of people:

• Start a new diet
• Quit that diet
• Try another diet
• Quit that diet
• etc, etc, etc…

Don’t they have any will power?

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Of course, they have will power. Just as much as anybody else. Just as much as that skinny guy or gal that can’t quit smoking or gambling or watching too much reality tv.

Problem is, will power isn’t enough for most dieters.

Not when you consider the following list of factors that make dieting a can’t-win proposition for most people.

Health Habit’s List of Diet Killers

When dieters eat less food:

• Their metabolism slows down
• Specific brain chemicals increase appetite
• Their “obesity” hormones join with those brain chemicals and appetite becomes an insatiable hunger
• Neural pathways created by years of poor eating habits are abandoned (that’s good).
• New (diet-friendly) neural pathways are created (once again – good)
• Unfortunately, the old pathways are designed like super-highways while the new ones are more like bike trails. One bad meal and the old pathways come back online and the diet is broken.
• Psychologically, the elimination of their standard diet results in feelings of loss & punishment.
• Emotionally, dieters feel like they are being punished.
• Socially, friends & family members often (unconsciously) try to sabotage the diet.

When dieters restrict food groups:

• Metabolism may or may not slow down - metabolism is mainly affected by caloric intake and, to some extent, the amount of protein consumed.
• The brain chemicals and hormones cry out for the restricted food.
• Neural pathways are affected in the same way as above.
• Psychologically, we see similar feelings of deprivation.
• Same emotional response
• Same social response amongst family members.
• Amongst casual acquaintances, the social response can be even worse. In social situations (parties, restaurants) dieters who avoid carbs or fats can be perceived by others as being “difficult”
• Low-fat dieters can suffer in a myriad number of ways. Impaired hormone production, damaged hair, skin & nails, alleriges, systemic inflammation, etc…
• Low-carb dieters often suffer at first from the lack of readily available sugar as a fuel source. Over time, this problem resolves itself.
• Unfortunately, the lack of fiber in the low-carb diet often doesn’t resolve itself. And we all know what a lack of fiber can do to a person’s bathroom habits.

When exercise is the sole weight loss method:

• Exercise does all sorts of great things for your body – (improves mood, body image, strength, flexibility, general health, etc), but as the saying goes, you can’t out-train a bad diet. It is way too easy to eat 500 calories of delicious chocolate cake than it is to burn off 500 calories of body-fat.
• And, to make things worse, studies have shown that exercise increases hunger.

And the problems get even worse for repeat dieters.

After numerous failed attempts at weight loss, these poor souls have created super-thick neural pathways dedicated exclusively to dietary failure.

They just don’t believe they can succeed.

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Seems pretty grim, doesn’t it?

So, what are we going to do?

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Here’s what I do for my clients.

1. Choose a diet/meal plan that keeps their metabolism humming along.
2. Choose a diet/meal plan that meshes well with their personality & their lifestyle
3. Create an exercise plan that boosts metabolism and makes them fitter, stronger & lighter.
4. Prepare them mentally and emotionally for the challenge that they face. Let them know that their hormones and neural pathways and brain chemicals want them to stay fat. But that with diet and various psychological tools, they can overcome their physiology.
5. Help them re-frame how they see their diet. Instead of eating for convenience, they’re eating for nutrition. Instead of missing out on ice cream, they’re upping their sex appeal. Instead of being normal, they’re becoming better – healthier, fitter, stronger, sexier.
6. Make them understand that this is a challenge that they can win. Others have faced the same challenge and have succeeded. I lend them my confidence. Every day I see people succeed & fail at weight loss. I have built some massive neural pathways when it comes to my belief in successful weight loss. I just need them to believe that I believe. Weird, but true.

So, come this January, what are you going to do?

Buy the latest bestselling diet book?

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I know that this post barely scratched the surface of a complex subject. And I am sure that I will be writing more about it in the coming months.

But, if you have any questions, feel free to comment or shoot me an email.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Sesame Street has joined the battle against childhood obesity.

First, it was Grover getting into the gym and pumping some iron.

Then, it was the Cookie Monster kicking his cookie addiction and switching to a diet heavy on fruits and vegetables.

Things were looking good in this battle between fit and fat.

Unfortunately, not everyone believed in the cause. There were traitors amongst us….

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But luckily, for every Stephen Colbert, there is a Michelle Obama, willing to stand up against video games and Twinkies and Big Gulps.

On this weeks 40th anniversary show, First Lady Michelle Obama helped a group of children plant a vegetable garden on Sesame Street.

And just like those vegetable seeds will eventually take root and grow into mature plants, let’s hope that the message of eating healthy and exercising daily will take root in the minds of a new generation of Sesame Street viewers.
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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Not everyone is happy with the anti-obesity/anti-soda ad produced by the NYC Dept of Health.

And it isn’t just the people who lost their lunches after seeing that globby/fatty/veiny cup of goo.

It’s groups like the Center for Consumer Freedom.

In fact, the CCF was so upset, that they produced their own rebuttal ad and had it printed in the New York Times

BTW, a full page ad in the Times costs upwards of $158,004.

$158,004

And we’re not even including the costs associated with creating the ad.

We’re talking big money.

BIG MONEY

And thinking about that big money awakened the skeptic in me. And that inner skeptic started thinking…who is the Center for Consumer Freedom and why are they spending a ton of money defending our freedoms against anti-cola advertisements?

So, I did a little research into the CCF.

My findings?

Apparently, there are a lot of people who don’t like the CCF.

To them, the CCF is nothing but a front group for the restaurant, alcohol and tobacco industries.

It runs media campaigns which oppose the efforts of scientists, doctors, health advocates, environmentalists and groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving, calling them “the Nanny Culture — the growing fraternity of food cops, health care enforcers, anti-meat activists, and meddling bureaucrats who ‘know what’s best for you.’ ”

Over 40 percent of the group’s 2005 expenditure was paid to Rick Berman’s PR company, Berman & Co. for “management services. As part of its operations CCF runs a series of attack websites.

Sourcewatch

But, don’t take their word for it….Check out the “attack” websites

• PetaKillsAnimals.com
• ActivistCash.com
• PhysicianScam.com
• Trans-FatFacts.com
• AnimalScam.com
• ObesityMyths.com
• CSPIScam.com.
• MercuryFacts.com
• FishScam.com
• SweetScam.com

And, if that ain’t enough, watch this video…

Or listen to the man himself as Rick Berman is interviewed by MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow…

So, what do you think?

Is Rick Berman…

• standing up for your freedom against the American nanny state?
• or is he spinning lies in order to promote the interests of his anonymous donors?

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Reference

• Sourcewatch
  

30 of America’s biggest food producers have come together to form the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation.

It’s kind of like the Justice League of America, but instead of fighting comic book super villains, the HWCF is fighting against obesity.

Their plan is to do this by “helping consumers lead healthier lives by making energy balance – calories in balanced with calories out – a daily habit”.

We will do this by increasing access and opportunities for physical activity, healthier nutrition options and raising awareness of the energy balance approach…

…in the marketplace….

…participating companies are committing to build on existing efforts and will be making changes to their products, packaging and labeling to make it easier for consumers to manage their calorie intake while preserving or enhancing overall nutrition quality.

Specific options companies may undertake include:

• product reformulation and innovation;
• providing smaller portions;
• redesigning packaging and labeling;
• placing calorie information on the front of products;
• providing consumers with information and educational materials;
• and in-store promotion of the initiative.

…in the workplace…

…participating companies will undertake new or enhance existing programs to help employees achieve and maintain a healthy weight.

This may include:

• providing calorie information and healthier food and beverage options in cafeterias,
• vending machines and break rooms;
• providing access to exercise at work through individual and group activities;
• offering weight management programs;
• and implementing tools to track progress, like health risk appraisals.

…and in schools…

…the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation will expand the successful Healthy Schools Partnership to additional schools around the country.  The Healthy Schools Partnership integrates nutrition education and physical education through a school-based curriculum to help children develop lifelong positive healthy habits.

Sounds pretty good, doesn’t it.

• Healthier food products
• Improved and expanded nutrition information
• and lots and lots of money being spent to help improve our fitness levels

So, how come I feel dirty.

Like I have just been lied to.

Hmmmm, it seems like my Spidey-Sense is tingling.

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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Fear of dangerous strangers is keeping our kids and teens from using their neighborhood playgrounds and parks.

Instead, they stay inside and play virtual table tennis on their Nintendo Wii.

It’s not the same thing.

Researchers in the Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation at the University of Alberta, looked at perceived opportunities and barriers to physical activity in an inner-city neighbourhood in Edmonton.

Study data revealed three themes that influenced youngsters’ opportunities for physical activity, with positive and negative factors for each.The first theme identified was “neighbourhood characteristics.”

Positive neighborhood characteristics include “walkable” neighborhoods with plenty of parks and playgrounds and nearby amenities.

Negative neighborhood characteristics include perceived “stranger danger” fears related to drug users, bullies, prostitutes, gang members and fear of abduction deterred children and youth from visiting these places.

The second theme was “family involvement.”

Researchers found that while children and youth were rarely allowed out alone, involvement by a family member, for example, accompanying them to a park to play, increased their engagement in physical activity.

The third theme was the “availability of adult-supervised programs.”

On the positive side, we have neighborhoods with a large variety of programs offered by dedicated, hard-working staff and volunteers.

Conversely, neighborhoods with minimal resources; poor staff and volunteer recruitment and retention, and little public knowledge of program availability suffered badly. Even when kids did sign up for available programs, there was a high dropout rate.

Conclusion

If we want our kids to grow up fit and strong and healthy, we need to:

1. Take back our neighborhood parks & playgrounds (easier said than done)
2. Get involved with our kids’ lives…not just drop them off at the rec center
3. Push our governments for more public fitness programs

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If you like what you see here, click here for updates

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• Diets don’t Work
• America’s “Official” Obesity Solution
• America’s Obesity Epidemic costs $147 billion
• Having trouble sticking to your diet?
  
• How the Free Market makes you FAT and why “Big Food” likes it that way
• Nutritional Information on Restaurant Menus – Does it make any difference?
• The Future of Fast Food
• The status-quo is broken…We need a new model for burning fat and getting fit

Reference

• EurekAlert