Get Out(side)!

How many of us had mothers who would tell us to go outside after being too rambunctious in the house? If you consequently played outside a lot, you might be a healthier adult because of your mother’s orders. Some people claim more outside time increases creativity in children, but there are some concrete health benefits of getting outside:

1. Childhood obesity is on the rise – according to the CDC, for children ages 6-11 the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled between 1980 and 2006. It’s a simple calories in-calories out equation. And the sedentary lifestyles of kids spending after school and weekend time watching TV and playing video games is half of that equation. It’s no secret that a child burns more calories playing “War” outside than playing “War” on a video game. And you know what? A child is more likely to spend time outside if it’s modeled for him by a parent. Just like a child is more likely to be sedentary if it’s modeled by a parent. So get outside and play TOGETHER!

2. According to a study in the Archives of Ophthalmology since the 1970’s, we’ve seen a 66% increase in the prevalence of Myopia (near sightedness). (See article in post from Monday, January 11^th) The cause? Partly genetics, but researchers at Ohio State University have found it may be partly due to low levels of outdoor activity. Don’t want to spend money on glasses and contacts until your child is 18? Get them outside!

3. An article published in Pediatrics in 2004 reported the more TV-time a child experienced between the ages of 1 and 3, the more likely they were to develop attention problems (e.g. ADD, ADHD) by the age of 7. Granted, kids are naturally hyperactive beings, but attention problems can significantly affect your child’s performance in school. Make an effort to turn your young child’s energy into productivity.

I acknowledge it’s not realistic for children in some locations to play outside every day, year-round (I grew up in Minnesota, I know firsthand). But knowing that increased outside time can lower a child’s risk of obesity, myopia, and attention disorders ought to motivate parents to encourage getting outside as much as possible.

While increased outside time can lower the risk of certain health issues, it can increase the risk of another: sunburn (and consequently skin cancer). Please be mindful that increased outside time means increased sun exposure, so please act accordingly (e.g. sunscreen, hats, sunglasses).

The Buzz on Nearsightedness (Myopia)

Something for parents to consider: spending time outdoors may help decrease a child's risk of developing myopia. Check out the story from NPR

Re: Fat Acceptance

This post is in response to the article I posted last week from CNN.

I found this article to be particularly interesting primarily because I could identify with the story of the woman's overweight daughter. But I would also like to insert my opinion on the matter.

I've always been "well-built" and stocky. I've always liked to describe myself as a bowling ball: small, but hurts when you drop it on your toe.

I was a little on the chunky side for most of my life and always struggled with my self-esteem. As I began to accept that being chubby was my fate, I became more and more complacent with diet and exercise.

However, when I began to truly LOVE myself to the core, that's when I began to care more and more about my health and fitness.

I think there is a fine line between accepting yourself and loving yourself. When you love yourself, you genuinely care for your body's well-being and take steps to improving the way you treat your body. Sometimes the result is weight-loss, sometimes not.

This is why there is such a challenge for health care professionals (public health professionals included!). Too many people are in acceptance mode, which I feel results in behavioral complacency. In health behaviorist speak (and according to the Transtheoretical Model), we would call these folks the "pre-contemplaters" (reference: Prochaska and DiClemente's Stages of Change Model). We want those pre-contemplaters, especially those with heinous health behaviors, move into contemplation, preparation, and action modes. How can we do this when we're now telling people it's okay to be fat?

I think everyone can make changes and improvements to health behaviors. I also think there are positive and negative ways to go about making changes, for example, there are positive and negative motivations for making changes. Negative motivation: to look like a super model; Positive motivation: to feel good physically, mentally, and spiritually. I think that by achieving self-love, our internal compasses will direct us all toward positive health behavior change.

Fat Acceptance

Check out this article from CNN Health: Is the fat acceptance movement bad for our health?