Let's Not Forget The Health of Our Kids

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This is actually a re-post from my previous blog from October 2008. With more school budget cuts looming, I thought it was a good time to re-post it.

I have two little girls and I'm always wondering if they're getting enough phys ed in school. Since they only have "gym" twice a week for 30 minutes, I can tell you that they certainly aren't. So like anything else, it's usually up to the parents to make sure that their children are being educated on the importance of exercise and good nutrition and are actually doing something about it.

It's ironic then, that the "guvanah" Arnold Schwarzenegger (once known for his passion for building the human body to perfection) announced earlier this year that he was cutting the state's education budget. As a former adjunct professor and as someone whose wife is very active in our school district, I can tell you that this often means that phys ed budgets are among the first to go. As if things could get any worse...

I was shocked to read in Men's Health the other day that:

• Only 4% of elementary schools provide daily gym classes
• Only 8% of middle schools do
• Nearly 1/3 of American children are at risk for obesity (this I knew already)

So, my kids aren't alone. Physical fitness needs to become more of a priority for our schools. Studies have shown that physically active children score higher on tests then those who are sedentary.

But unfortunately we can't depend on the schools to teach our kids the benefits of exercise and eating healthy. We need to not only educate them, but integrate both into their lives until they become the norm. The same way that parents need to be responsible for what their kids watch on television, it's up to us to make sure our children understand the importance of physical activity and good nutrition. How can we do that? Well, here are some of the things I do:

• Keep a bowl of fruit on the kitchen counter. That way when they're looking for a snack, they have fruit handy for them. The rule in my house is that they can have fruit at any time without asking, but if they want something like chocolate, they need to ask. In this way I can moderate how often they're eating sweets. I can hear some of you saying "Yeah, right. That won't work in my house", which leads into my next two points.
• I started early, really early. From the time they were wee tots I spoke to them about the importance of eating healthy, what bad things like potato chips did to their bodies and the different benefits of each fruit or vegetable they ate. I did this consistently and 8 years later I still do it at least 3 or 4 times a week. The result? My kids understand the benefits of what they are eating and often brag about (especially my little one) what they're eating! Imagine that! A 7 year old bragging about the apple she's eating!
• Practice what you preach. I do all of my workouts at home so my girls will often see me working out and will often try to mimic me. I explain the benefits of each movement to them as I'm doing them. They understand the importance of exercise because they see their dad do it almost daily and they see the results.
• Remember, they're just kids. Do I constantly try to teach my girls about nutrition and exercise? Yes! Do I encourage proper habits when it comes to eating? Yes! Do I let them eat snacks that aren't necessarily healthy? Yes...but in moderation. Trying to keep any child away from the junk their friends are eating will just cause them to be resentful and will eventually just end up sneaking unhealthy snacks behind your back. Although I secretly cringe just thinking about it, they're allowed one snack a day that's not on my "healthy snack" list (fruits, carrot sticks, almonds, etc...). We just make sure to keep the portion sizes small.

So those are the basics. What do YOU do to make sure your children are eating right and maintaining a good level of physical fitness? If your answer is "not much", it's time to rethink that.

Posted by George Louris, CFT at 3:15 AM

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