Kids and Fitness

This month's guest blogger is our very own, soon-to-be-mom, Caitlin Massey.  This is the first of her blogs this month and today it is dedicated to all the parents out there.

Are you a parent?  If so listen up.  Health and fitness are quickly becoming nonexistent in our kid's lives.  Between sitting all day in class, fewer schools valuing PE, rushing from here to there and grabbing whatever meal you can find on the side of the road, and a technological society kids are quickly learning that health and fitness is not important. It's no surprise that 1 in 3 American adolescents are obese and by 2020, 75% of the American population will be overweight.  It is estimated that the obesity epidemic adds 40 billion in health care costs per year.  Ouch!  And that number will only grow as inflation and the obesity rates increase.  

It's time to take action and your kids need you to step up and lead by example.  Take a look at the above list of contributing factors to the childhood obesity rate (sedentary lifestyle, lack of exercise, fast paced lifestyle).  Any of those ring a bell?  You teach your kids about health everyday with the decisions YOU make.  That means you can change their future and protect your kids from weight-related chronic illness, poor self esteem, lower levels of concentration, and the ongoing "battle with the bulge".  Here are a few ideas you can start with to get your kids active and teach them a healthy lifestyle from an early age.

1. LEAD BY EXAMPLE.  Your kids watch what you do and what you eat.  The first place to start changing your kid's habits is by changing your own.
2. FIND OUT WHAT YOUR CHILD LIKES.  Kids don't exercise like we do. They don't see the long-term benefits and initially don't care about improving their health.  But they do like to have fun!  The more fun you can inject in exercise, the harder, faster, and more frequently they will participate in it.  So find a way to make a game out of it.
3. TAKE CHARGE.  You are the parent so exert your right to be.  Limit TV and computer time and make sure your child eats their veggies before leaving the table.
4. CHORES.  Any sort of physical activity will get their muscles moving...and make less work for you!  Have your kids help with vacuuming, sweeping, or yard work.  Not only will it get them up, it will also instill good work ethics and values.
5. GO OUTSIDE.  Let them move while enjoying the great outdoors to build an appreciation for outdoor activities.  The greater this appreciation the less they will be tied to a computer or video game.
6. KEEP IT POSITIVE.  If exercise is fun, it is never a chore.  Be sure to keep the emphasis off weight and on being active or being the best they can be.  If exercise is viewed negatively or as something at which they can fail kids will avoid it.  The goal is to not only teach healthy habits but to instill them in a positive way so physical activity will never be something they dread. 

 

Does Feeling Fat Make You Fat?

We have all those days.  The ones where you feel fat and frumpy.  But just because you "feel" fat, does that make you fat??  According to a recent study published in the Journal of Obesity by the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, normal-weight teens who felt fat were more likely to grow up to be fat.  This study was an eleven-year follow-up that tracked 1196 normal-weight teens as they progressed into adulthood (between ages 24 and 30).  

According to the results of this study, researchers found that half of the participants still maintained a healthy weight as an adult.  Unfortunately, the results also showed that 59 percent of the girls who felt fat as a teen later became an overweight adult (based on body mass index, or BMI).  This is in comparison with 31 percent of girls who did NOT feel fat as a teenager but developed into overweight adults.  This study also showed that normal-weight girls were more likely to perceive themselves as overweight in comparison to normal-weight boys.  Twenty-two percent of the girls in the initial study felt they were overweight whereas only nine percent of boys felt this way.

Why is this??  According to the researchers, psychosocial stress is most likely the main culprit.  The need (or the want) for maintaining an ideal body weight according to social pressure can cause people, especially teenage girls, to gain weight as they progress into adulthood.  This psychosocial stress can cause poor habits such as improper dieting and skipping meals.  Both of these result in weight gain.  Unfortunately, teenage girls are affected more by this psychosocial stress due to media pressure for girls to be thin.

The media's notion of the "ideal" body type for women is based on celebrities and super models.  Young people, both female and male, need to have positive (and healthy) role-models, not ones who severely restrict their calorie intake or engage in unhealthy dietary habits.  Make sure you spend time with your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews to ensure they understand what the "ideal" body type is and how to properly achieve healthy results.  Keep kids active and limit time spent in front of the television, video games, and computers.  Schedule family "play-time" to get everyone involved and active so you can help young adults improve their self-esteem.

Need help with getting your teen involved and active?  Check with your school or local government to see what programs or assistance is available to you.  Also, check at local gyms or health clubs for after-school activities or sports for your teens.  Set an example by being active yourself and make appropriate food choices.  Together, we can help turn these statistics around and make the future for our children brighter, happier, and most importantly, healthier!!

Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2012, August 8). Feeling fat may make you fat, study suggests. ScienceDaily.

Food Revolution Day

Obesity rates are staggering for the United States.  Childhood obesity and onset of "adult" (Type 2) diabetes in children are at epidemic rates.  It's time to take a stand and make a change.   May 19th is designated as "Food Revolution Day" by the Jamie Oliver Foundation.  According to their website, "Food Revolution Day is about connecting with your community through events at schools, restaurants, local businesses, dinner parties and farmers' markets. We want to inspire change in people’s food habits and to promote the mission for better food and education for everyone."

Now is the time you can make a conscious effort to think about where you food comes from and how you can make better choices.  Where can you start?  Stop by the Lexington Farmer's Market on May 19 and look for the Food Revolution Day table.  Grab some info on choosing fresh, unprocessed foods then peruse the many vendors from Central Kentucky and load up on some spectacular, locally-grown fruits and vegetables.

Meal planning isn't difficult but it does take some effort on your part.  When grocery shopping, take your time and look at food labels.  Compare brand items and watch for hidden sugars and fats.  Shop the perimeter of the store where the fresh foods are and stay away from the processed food aisles.  Not sure what to do with all the fresh foods?  Take a cooking class or search healthy eating websites for tasty (and healthy) recipes.  Better yet, talk with the farmers/growers at the farmer's market and find out how the best enjoy their products. 

Take a stand and vow to make a difference in your family's eating habits.  Choose a different fruit and vegetable each week to "highlight" in your kitchen.  Experiment with different tastes and textures.  You never know, you just might find new items to add to your dinner table.  Get your family (kids too) involved in meal preparation so it becomes a fun thing to do together.  You will be teaching your children better eating habits and how to make wiser food choices.

Have We, As Americans, Lost Our Focus??

Recently in national news, a man was carted away in an ambulance after suffering an apparent heart attack while eating a "Triple Bypass Burger" at a restaurant in Las Vegas called "Heart Attack Grill".  The "Triple Bypass burger" has 6,000 calories and is a 1.5 pound triple cheeseburger...and for an extra $2.77 you can add 15 slices of bacon.  This restaurant is known for "bypass" burgers and "flatliner" fries and offers free meals to anyone who weighs over 350 pounds.  Does anyone else see problems with this??  When do we start taking control for our actions and choices in life??

Obesity rates have been constantly on the rise over the past 20 years.  In 2010, no state had an obesity prevalence of less than 20% and 36 states (including Kentucky) had a prevalence of 25% or more.  When will people realize there is an obesity epidemic in the United States?  Children are less active, schools are cutting back on physical education classes, school administrators allow fast food chains to sell their food in cafeterias...when does it stop?  Americans offer many excuses and place blame everywhere except on themselves.  It's time for us to start making lifestyle changes by incorporating daily physical activity and proper nutrition into our lives.  It's not that difficult but it does take a little work.

Where do you begin?  First step is to admit there is a problem.  If you don't see there is a problem with your physical activity levels, nutrition, weight, and overall health, you will not be successful in your endeavors.  If you see a problem exists, it's time to make some changes.  Start small with easy changes to your daily routine.  Put the phone/iPad/computer away for a few hours and get outside and take a walk.  Replace at least one beverage with 16 ounces of water.  Reduce the number of restaurant visits in one week.  Change your dinner plate to a smaller one so you won't feel "obliged" to fill it up.  All of these ideas will help you get started.  Once you start to see improvements here, expand your horizons.  Join a local walking group, head into the gym to take a new group exercise class, sign up at the health department to participate in informational sessions to learn more about diabetes and weight management...the list is endless.

Don't wait for the scales to tip 300 pounds, don't wait for the chest pains to happen, don't wait to be on multiple medications to control blood pressure/heart rate/blood sugar, don't wait for the hospital visit...the time is now and the reason is because your life is valuable and your family would like for you to stick around for a while.  Take control of your life and your health because no one is going to do it for you.

Come in to PROMATx Health Club and talk with a fitness professional today to see what it will take to get your life back on track.  Don't wait...do it today.

Top 8 Most Artery-Clogging Cities

In a recent blog posted by Prevention magazine, the editors scoured through data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) data on obesity and heart disease in major metropolitan areas (populations over 200,000).  They compiled a list of 8 cities and deemed them the "most artery-clogging cities".  Here's what they found....

1. Detroit, MI - According to CDC data, Detroit residents have more report heart disease diagnoses than any other big city in the nation!!  Also, Detroit has an obesity rate of 33% (the state of Michigan's obesity rate is 30.9%).
2. Fort Wayne, IN - Previously listed as number 4 of the top 5 cities with the most obesity (American Obesity Association, 2001), Fort Wayne has a lot of room for growth to fight obesity and heart disease.
3. Lubbock, TX - Steakhouses and barbecue joints help to promote the 32% obesity rate among this Texas town.
4. New Orleans, LA - Nothing better than deep fried anything, right?  Southern fried foods are keeping New Orleans on the list despite the fact that more than 25% of the city is parkland (one of the highest percentages in any U.S. city according to Prevention).
5. Dallas, TX - According to Sandelman and Associates, a restaurant industry consultancy, Dallas residents consume fast food an average of 20.7 times per month (the national average is 17).
6. Baton Rouge, LA -  In Gallup polling, less than half of Baton Rouge residents report exercising frequently.  Combine that with fat-laden Creole and Cajun foods, residents here don't seem to have problems clogging their arteries!
7. Tulsa, OK - Apparently residents of Tulsa are not fans of walking.  According to Walk Score, an organization which promotes pedestrian-friendly communities, only 6% of Tulsa residents live in a neighborhood with a walk score of 70 or above (100 being best) and 57% live in entirely car-dependent locales.
8. Louisville, KY - Uh oh...did we just mention Kentucky??  Louisville contains more McDonald's restaurants per capita (39) than any city in the country, according to a Daily Beast/Newsweek report, plus 20 Arby's, 17 Dairy Queens and 19 Papa John's.  Aside from their ranking, Louisville was listed on the top 25 cities by Bicycling magazine as one of the most bike-friendly cities in the nation.

Even though some of these cities have access to walking and biking paths, parks, and healthy farmer's markets and community gardens, residents still choose unhealthy lifestyles.  Americans need to start making healthier choices.  Let's not be another statistic.  Choose healthy...be healthy...be happy.

Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Whether you know someone who has battled this disease or you are that someone, it's time to take a moment to think about those who have struggled against and those who have conquered breast cancer.  

Breast cancer is not limited to women.  Men run the risk of developing breast cancer but it is approximately 100 times less common in men than in women.  In fact, the lifetime risk for men developing breast cancer is 1 in 1,000.  According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), about 2,140 new cases of invasive breast cancer are expected to be diagnosed in men in 2011 and approximately 450 men are expected to die this year.

Breast cancer death rates for women are going down.  The chance of a woman developing invasive breast cancer in her lifetime is less than 1 in 8; the chance of dying from it are 1 in 35.  According to the ACS, there are approximately 2.5 million breast cancer survivors in the United States.

Whether you are male or female, you should be aware of the risk factors for developing breast cancer.  Some factors have we control over while others, such as genetics, we do not.  Controllable risk factors include:

1. Alcohol
2. Obesity
3. Lack of exercise
4. Hormone replacement therapy after menopause
5. Not having children or having children later in life
6. Use of birth control pills

Uncontrollable risk factors include:

1. Age
2. Gender
3. Family history
4. Genetic predisposition
5. Race
6. Dense breast tissue
7. Breast radiation early in life

Although there is no guaranteed prevention of developing breast cancer, you can reduce your risk by changing the lifestyle factors you have control over such as obesity and lack of exercise.  Take care of your body and it will take care of you.  Talk with your healthcare practitioner to discuss your risks and how you can reduce your risk.  In the meantime, come in to PROMATx Health Club and start reducing your "controllable" risk factors!

Don't forget...the Susan G. Komen-Lexington Race for the Cure 5K is October 15th at 8am in downtown Lexington.  Click here for race registration.

Kentucky Ranked 4th Fattest State

How does it make you feel when hear that our state is the fourth fattest state?  If you are like many of us in the health and wellness field, you should feel frustrated.  An article published by the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) in August 2010 reported state-specific obesity prevalence among adults in the United States for 2009.  For this report, obesity was calculated as self-reported height and body weight and defined as body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30.  BMI is a calculation of height versus weight and a healthy range is 18.5 - 24.9.

A total of 33 states had obesity prevalences of 25% or higher; nine of those states (Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and West Virginia) had prevalences of 30% or higher.

Do you know what your BMI and body fat percentage are?  You should...and we here at PROMATx Health Club can help you calculate it.  We can schedule you for a fitness assessment with our Exercise Physiologist.  She will sit down with you and measure your risk for heart disease as well as determine your baseline level of fitness.

In the meantime, what are you doing to prevent obesity?  Here are some easy tips from the Centers for Disease Control:

• Eat more fruits and vegetables and fewer foods high in fat and sugar.
• Drink more water instead of sugary drinks.
• Limit TV watching in kids to less than 2 hours a day and don't put one in their room at all.
• Promote policies and programs at school, at work, and in the community that make the healthy choice the easy choice.
• Try going for a 10-minute brisk walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.

Better yet...come in to PROMATx Health Club and transform yourself into a better you!!  Our trainers have the resources, knowledge and experience to battle this complex problem.

Transform today!!