Childhood Obesity: A Battle We All Must Fight

Nearly one third of our nation’s children are classified as either obese or at risk of becoming obese. In the short term, many of these children and youth will suffer from issues such as low self-esteem, fatigue, and difficulties playing sports. Long term problems that are associated with this national epidemic include heightened risk to develop high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type2 Diabetes. This is an immediate threat and if we refuse to act, these numbers will continue to rise to even higher levels. Some call this an epidemic and believe we are losing the battle to keep our kids healthy. It is my belief that we can defeat this epidemic, but it is a battle we all must fight.

What factors have led us down this slippery slope? My background as a fitness professional and a youth development specialist of 20 years, as well as my personal journey to beat weight issues lends me a unique perspective. Many things are contributing to it. If we look backward, it is easy to see how our lifestyles have drastically changed within the past thirty years. These lifestyle changes have rapidly accelerated in the 2000’s. Thirty years ago, children played for hours after school. Recess time at school was an institutionalized part of the school day and school physical education programs were mandated. Many families cooked and ate their meals at home. The technological revolution that has led us to a point where virtually every household has a computer and every individual has a cell phone was just beginning. A combination of changed economic conditions and technological progress has had a huge impact on our current lifestyles. Today, physical education programs are being cut, more families, often out of necessity are choosing to eat out or to opt for pre-packaged meals, and children are spending more and more of their time in front of the television, the computer, or their cell phones. Some estimates indicate that children and adolescents spend an average of 7.5 hours per day in front of some type of entertainment media. These are only a handful of the reasons for the rise in obesity, but the bottom line is that children and adolescents are moving less while eating more. It is a recipe for disaster, but one that is easily rectified.

Fundamentally, the two most important steps anyone can take on an individual level are to get active and to pay attention to what we are putting into our bodies. It is recommended that adults have at least 30 minutes of exercise daily and children and adolescents one hour. If these bare minimums do not describe your current lifestyle, try to build them in to your daily schedules and insist that your children become more active. Learn more about how you can implement basic nutrition into your daily diets and begin by preparing more meals at home. Pack your lunches and eat more fresh foods (not pre-packaged foods). If you need help doing any of this, seek the support and advice of your physician, life coach, a nutritionist, or a personal trainer. While this advice or these services are not always free (please note, there are many resources at your disposal that are of little or no cost as well), the cost pales in comparison to the long term cost of maintaining a sedentary lifestyle in which we pay little attention to what we use to fuel our bodies. For many of us, especially if we are making a major lifestyle change for our children or ourselves, we will need this extra level of support.

Second, get involved. First Lady Michelle Obama has sponsored a national initiative called Let’s Move! This campaign aims to increase new opportunities for children and adolescents to be physically active both in and out of school and to create more opportunities for families to move together. It calls for us to act both as individuals and as communities and offers useful information for individuals, elected officials, school administrators, and community leaders. Locally, Medford, Somerville, Cambridge, and Everett are among 19 cities and towns across Massachusetts to sign on to this campaign. Call your elected officials and ask what is being done and what you can do to support or be a part of this. Success lies in our collective ability to address this as a community.

As a recent transplant to Medford, I love all of the opportunities that exist here. We have a wealth of open space, nearby markets, and gyms and fitness programs tailored to all abilities and lifestyles. In other words, we are wealthy with opportunity. During the few months I have lived here, I have had the chance to meet with neighbors, community and business leaders, and city officials. One thing that is clear is that a true sense of community exists here and that many individuals on all levels are concerned with making a difference. Childhood obesity is indeed an epidemic, but it need not be. I believe we have the tools, resources and community resolve to be a model community in this fight. I challenge each of us to become involved both on an individual and a community level. Join the battle in the fight against childhood obesity today! LET’S MOVE!

Fitness Tip of the Month:

Make small but consistent changes and sneak fitness into your life. Research shows that 30 minutes of walking a day reduces one’s risk of heart disease. If you do not have thirty minutes take three brisk 10 minute walks and the effect is the same. Consistency is the key here! This may not achieve great results in terms of weight loss or strength and flexibility gains, but simply incorporating 30 minutes of moderate exercise into your daily routine does have great benefit!

Nutrition Tip of the Month:

Eat plenty of whole grains. How can you ensure that what you buy at the grocery store is actually a whole grain? Look for words that signify whole grains in the ingredient list:

– The word “whole” listed before a grain such as “whole rye flour.”
– The term “100% whole wheat.”
– The words “berries” or “groats,” such as “wheat berries” or “oat groats.”
– The words “rolled oats” and “oatmeal.”
– “Brown rice” and “wild rice.”

For more great tips and suggestions, please visit http://fitnesstogether.com/medford-ma.

Announcement:

Beginning in the month of March, Fitness Together Medford will offer free family nutrition seminars within the communities of Medford, Somerville, Malden, and Everett. Fitness Together Medford will additionally offer personal training for youth combined with a Family Nutrition Together program. Personal training programs will be available for children ages 10 and up. To schedule a seminar or receive additional information, please call or email Neil Anderson FT Medford’s Director of External Relations at 781-395-3600 or at ftmedford.noa@gmail.com.

– Submitted by Neil O. Anderson, a Trainer and Director of External Relations at Fitness Together Medford. Neil may be reached at ftmedford.noa@gmail .com or at (781) 395-3600