Recognizing ADHD Warning Signs (Part 3 of 5)
Guest Blogger: JE Ince
“Almost all children have times when their attention or behavior veers out of control. However, for some children, these types of behaviors are more than an occasional problem. Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have behavior problems that are so frequent and severe that they interfere with their ability to function adequately on a daily basis.”
American Academy of Pediatrics
Living with Autism: Resources for Parents (Part 2 of 5)
Guest Blogger: JE Ince
Today is Autism Awareness Day, and in honor thereof we will be discussing some of the challenges and resources available to parents raising a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Providing the proper care for an ASD child can be a daunting task. The severity of the child’s condition brings about a variety of new parenting challenges, but extra patience, involvement and child safety are some of the first steps to helping your ASD child thrive. Because early intervention is so important to successful treatment,
Symptoms of Autism in Children (Part 1 of 5)
Guest Blogger: JE Ince
In honor of Autism Awareness Day (April 2nd), we have chosen to dedicate this week’s blog posts to our beautiful special needs kids. We will discuss issues related to Autism, ADHD and how to sensitize all children to the special needs of some of their friends.
“Autism is a complex neurobiological disorder associated with impairments in socialization, verbal and nonverbal communication, restricted play and interests, and repetitive motor movements. The disorder affects each individual differently, and there is a wide range of functioning associated with the disorder.”
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center
The National Institute of Mental Health describes autism as a “spectrum” of disorders with a wide range of impairments with impact that can range from mild impairment to severely disabled. A genetic disorder, its cause remains unknown. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, of the five disorders defined as Autistic Spectrum Disorder (“ASD”) the most common are Autistic Disorder, Asperger’s Disorder and Pervasive Developmental Disorder Not Otherwise Specified. The
The Childhood Obesity Epidemic. Easy Nutrition Advice (Part 4 of 5)
Guest Blogger: Louis Kirby, MD
Reducing your child’s weight through simple steps was the basis of my last blog (insert link), including reduction of portion size and recommending gradual and long-term changes rather than a quick fix. Today, I will discuss some important tips to help you choose the foods your family eats.
A couple items to keep in mind as we begin. We all lead busy lives. Packaged foods and fast foods are great time savers, but they are more expensive and far less healthy as a rule than food you prepare at home. Try, to the extent possible, to serve your children home-cooked meals where you have control over the nutritional content and the portion size
Also, avoid using food as a reward (e.g. if you get your math homework done, we will all go out for an ice cream cone). Keep in mind that using food as a reward sets up food as a goal instead of as a means of sustenance. This can lead to a lifelong habit of rewarding themselves with calorie-laden foods.
So what can you do? First, as we discussed last time, the whole family needs to get on board with the healthy eating program. There’s a lot of help on the web for how to prepare easy, healthful meals. I don’t like spending all my time in the kitchen either, so I try to plan meals ahead of time, which keeps me focused and organized. The Food Network has a
The Childhood Obesity Epidemic. What To Do NOW That Will Make a Big Difference (Part 3 of 5)
These days children eat larger portions of high calorie foods and are less physically active. 1 in 3 children and teens are overweight, a problem we discussed in my first blog (insert link) on the Childhood Obesity Epidemic. In my last blog (insert link), I discussed the immediate and long-term health risks of childhood obesity and the need to act now to avoid the long-term health consequences, both physical and psychological of being overweight in childhood.
Today, I will discuss some tried and true approaches to weight reduction, and in future posts, go into more specifics on nutrition and increased physical activity. If you have determined that your child is overweight or obese and that you want to begin doing something about it, one issue you may want to consider is the extent to which you want to involve your child in the conversation about weight loss. This is a very sensitive topic and every parent needs to make their own decision, based on the particular needs and concerns related to their child. To educate yourself on how to speak to your child about weight loss, I recommend the following handbook from the Stop Obesity Alliance, which is geared for conversations with children ages 7-11 (http://www.stopobesityalliance.org/wp-content/themes/stopobesityalliance/pdfs/stopobesityalliance-weighin.pdf) (If the link will not open by clicking on it, copy and past the url into your browser)
How do you approach weight loss in an overweight child?
First, realize that radical changes in diet and activity levels are not likely to be maintained for any length of time. The widespread failure of many people to achieve any permanent weight loss is testimony to the inability of a quick fix to make a permanent difference. That’s why you should focus initially on small but permanent changes in your child’s eating and exercise habits, which will work better than drastic short-term changes that can’t be sustained.
The following is a simple run down of a few steps you can take starting TODAY to improve your child’s heath:
1. Limit portion size to reduce overall caloric intake. This is the key (along with some increase in exercise and more healthy food choices) to losing weight. Here’s a simple suggestion, use smaller plates. Don’t laugh. Scientific studies show that this cuts down on portion size and reduces overall caloric intake. When I advocate reducing caloric intake, I am not advocating tiny portions. Your child should not walk away from the table hungry. But remember, we live in a “super-size” me world. There is a big difference between normal portion size and the dinner plate portions at the Cheese Cake Factory. And some calories, like those associated with soda, can and should be eliminated immediately from your child’s menu.
CONSIDER:
It takes your child’s brain 20 minutes to register that he/she has eaten. Eating a smaller amount and waiting for half an hour to see if your child is still hungry is a remarkably effective way to reduce calories but not feel hungry. Think about how quickly most children wolf-down their food. As an experiment, give your child 2/3rds of their normal dinner portion and let them know that they can eat the rest in ½ hour if they are hungry. If your child is over-eating, chances are she won’t miss the extra food when she reaches the half hour mark. Your child’s body needs to learn the difference between “not hungry” and “stuffed” and your biggest friend in this battle may be a little bit of time.
Eating an extra 120 calories per day will result in a 10-pound weight gain in a year. Removing 120 calories per day will result in a loss of the same 10 pounds. Remember, we are looking at changing habits to last a lifetime, not getting to some phantom “perfect” weight by summer vacation. If your child is a soda drinker, the simple substitution of water for soda in your child’s daily diet will have positive lasting effect on your child’s weight and health.
2. Find ways to help you child be more active. Increased physical activity is common in all studies of successful weight reduction. Create an environment that fosters physical activity. It does not need to be strenuous. Just getting your child outside for a brisk walk each day is a good start. Here’s a great first step – limit TV or computer time to no more than 1 or 2 hours per day.
3. Model good eating and exercise habits. Parents can and should model healthy eating and exercise so that their children see it everyday. It will do no good to tell your child to eat less while you are drinking a Big Gulp. They’ll see right through it. Plus, the parents’ get the benefits of better eating and exercise habits as well.
4. Get a group of your child’s neighborhood friends and their parents to work together to adopt more activity and better eating habits. The support of neighbors and friends can help keep everyone on track.
For some specific suggestions and tips, take a look at the
The Childhood Obesity Epidemic. What Causes Obesity in Kids? (Part 1 of 5)
Guest Blogger: Louis Kirby, MD.
I had a cousin growing up who was overweight. Her parents were both slender so everybody said she just had a little baby fat and that she would grow out of it. She didn’t and has struggled with her weight ever since. If her parents had recognized it earlier, they could have helped her avoid the self esteem and body image challenges she faced as an overweight teen and later an overweight adult.
Obesity and overweight problems in children are recent but growing trends with significant effects on child health, child development and child safety. In addition to its obvious impact on outward appearance, and various self esteem and acceptance issues, obesity also sets children on the path of serious health complications such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol (which will be discussed in tomorrow’s blog).
Obesity has more than doubled in children and tripled in adolescents over the last 30 years. In 2010, more than one third of all U.S. children and adolescents were overweight or obese. (http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm). Being overweight in childhood leads to a high likelihood of obesity in adulthood. Obesity significantly shortens life spans both in children and adults.
It is a common misconception that childhood obesity is simply baby fat that has yet to burn off. If it’s baby fat, it would have burned off by the time the child is two years of age. Beyond that age, being overweight is a factor that should be recognized and addressed.
What causes obesity? You should ask you doctor about an underlying medical cause such as a hormone or genetic cause, but these are exceedingly rare. The overwhelming majority of children are overweight from overeating and lowered physical activity. Our society now has easy access to high calorie foods (frequently also high in fats, which pack twice the calories of carbohydrates and offer poor nutrition). Think of all the packaged foods and sugary drinks many kids gravitate to when they are hungry. Also, with the advent of computer games and long hours of homework, kids are more sedentary and don’t get outdoors or get as physically active as they used to.
How do you know if your child is overweight? The easiest way is to use an online BMI calculator. I recommend the BMI calculator provided by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov/dnpabmi/. The BMI is a measurement of the Body Mass Index. It will tell you if your child or teen is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. Once you know that, you have taken the first step towards doing something about it. By the way, obesity is a medical distinction, not a bad word. It says the person is above the 95% of normal weight for their age and height.
The American Heart Association has a downloadable information handbook about childhood obesity. If you think your child may be at risk, please take a look at this excellent resource. “Understanding Childhood Obesity”
Black Friday Special at Amber Alert GPS
It is Thanksgiving and we all know what that means! Black Friday savings! Oh, yes, and to be thankful for our many blessings, especially our children. But, what kind of a company would we be if we didn’t offer you a little savings for Black Friday through CyberMonday to give you peace of mind as parents. So, here is what we’ve got cooking for this holiday weekend…
Get an Amber Alert GPS device for Free when you sign up for a 3 year premium plan.Use promo code “threefree” and receive a Free 3-pack of Faceplates.
Happy Thanksgiving!