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Fighting fat

Exercise, right foods equal healthy kids

It’s no secret that Americans are getting heavier in a time that makes living healthy more difficult than in the past.

But children are also in this category and getting overweight at a younger age. Studies show that in 2005, Mexican American children ages 6 to 11 were more likely to be overweight than their Anglo peers, and Hispanic high schoolers were more at risk to be overweight as well.

Besides the fast-food drive-thrus, children’s inactivity, time spent in front of the television, playing video games and not getting a proper amount of sound sleep also have been linked to obesity.

According to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, children who had the shortest sleep duration had a 92 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese. Researchers estimated that with each hour of additional sleep, a child’s risk of being overweight dropped 9 percent.

One key to ensuring children get a good amount of sleep each night is by keeping them active during the day.

Because of parents’ busy lifestyle and technology that encourages sedentary lifestyle in children, a conscious effort to get youths exercising while keeping it fun must be made, says Robin Jordan, vice president of health and wellness for Activate America, an initiative by the YMCA that focuses on getting communities healthier.

“Kids are not as active today. Back then, there were no videos, no Gameboys. You
went outside and ran around or hit a ball. Kids are not doing that today,” Jordan says.

The YMCA has developed several programs that target the trend of childhood obesity, which can lead to diabetes, heart disease and other long-term illnesses. Jordan recalls when she first started working for the YMCA 22 years ago, there were programs created to prevent gang activity and teen pregnancy. Today, it’s a different story.

“At this rate, kids won’t be old enough to get to those problems. Kids are our future and if we don’t do something now, who will lead us in the future? This generation of kids will not live as long as their parents,” she says.

A new program by the YMCA was designed specifically for children classified as obese or overweight. It exposes children to activities like kickball that introduces them to exercise in a fun way. The 8 to10 week session includes two days of exercise and one day of nutrition counseling, where they learn to identify healthy snacks and eating choices.

The YMCA also has added a series of circuit-training equipment that runs on hydraulics and is user-friendly to use for all ages. The program alternates cardio stations between the strength-training stations with fun music playing in the background.  A program geared toward children ages 5 and younger consists of physical games that get them moving.

“It’s a way to introduce kids to exercise and to get them comfortable so when they get older they know how the machines work and what to do,” Jordan says. “Half the time, they think they’re playing and that’s what it needs to be.”

Want to get healthy as a family? Here are a few ways to get started:

- Aim to eat healthy 3 to 5 days each week, by adding more vegetables and lean meats like chicken instead of fast food or fatty sides.

- On Sundays, pre-plan those meals or prepare and freeze or store them so they are easy to heat up during the week.

- Don’t jump into an exercise routine at full force; implement a trip to the park, bowling or biking with the kids during weekends instead of spending the whole time sitting in a movie theater or eating a large meal at a restaurant.