| Childhood obesity is making the papers. The | | | | significantly heavy, consider working with a |
| numbers are up. Is it any wonder?By: Nan | | | | naturopath, homeopath or holistic nutrition |
| Andrews AmishPhys ed classes are not funded | | | | person. Why holistic? Often, children who |
| in many public schools, they are ineffective | | | | struggle more than a few pounds, have other |
| in many others. Fat is the last legal bias. | | | | things going on, that if they are not |
| Kids make fun of anyone different, and the | | | | addressed, will make this an uphill battle. |
| fat kid is fair game. Heaven help the fat | | | | They may be deficient in a nutrient. Vitamin |
| kid in a shorts, where the fat can hang out | | | | C is a common deficiency with kids who crave |
| for all to see. Bullies will take aim and | | | | sugar for example, potassium is often lacking |
| not let up. | | | | in kids who like salt. Kids who have had |
| | | | lots of antibiotics may not have good |
| Kids spend hours in front of computers, and | | | | intestinal flora and need acidophilous, |
| their neighborhoods are unsafe.Here are some | | | | bifidus. Kids who seem to be eating all the |
| strategies for growing strong, healthy, | | | | time and are always hungry, may have |
| mentally and emotionally stable | | | | something more severe going on. Sugar |
| kids.Emotionally1. Acknowledge that you know | | | | addictions, wheat allergies, pre-diabetes, or |
| that it hurts when kids make fun of them | | | | even a parasite.11. If you have an |
| because of how they look. Help them build | | | | overweight child and have other children who |
| emotional intelligence by acknowledging how | | | | are not in the same space, having a family |
| they do feel, and help them build empathy for | | | | meeting where the entire family decides how |
| others who are different and also made fun | | | | they will help each other address EACH of |
| of.2. Acknowledge that you know that there | | | | family members issues helps. Calling out the |
| are kids who eat worse than they do, and who | | | | fat child's issues is humiliating, but if the |
| do not have the struggle they have with | | | | family helps one child with spelling mastery |
| weight. The message is that you appreciate | | | | and another child with food, it all evens out |
| it may not be fair and that getting healthy | | | | and engenders family (team) spirit. If the |
| is not easy, and it is not necesarily their | | | | family decides that to help the child |
| fault, but that they still are responsible | | | | struggling with food that there will be no |
| for doing what they can to manage it. | | | | Oreos in the house, the support is strong. |
| Watching a skinny minny eat cookies and milk | | | | |
| shakes and sandwiches and french fries and | | | | Give them an edge12. Go for the organic. |
| never gain a pound is discouraging as you eat | | | | Skip the Costco and Wallmart specials. Kids |
| your lettuce, carrots and lean chicken or | | | | who are overweight are sensitive to stuff |
| tuna.Food and Diet | | | | other kids are not. Organic foods will have |
| | | | less additives, less hormones (designed to |
| 3. If the kid is eating alot of junk food, | | | | help cattle and chicken GAIN weight), less |
| see if you can modify these habits. Junk | | | | genetically modified foods to be allergic |
| food stacks the deck against kids, because | | | | too, less chemicals to create immune |
| the processed white sugar, the processed | | | | responses to. Organic produce tastes better |
| white flour and the food additives are | | | | too, and it might be less of struggle to get |
| DESIGNED to be addictive and DESIGNED to | | | | a child to snack on cherry tomatoes that melt |
| increase appetite. Deprivation is not the | | | | in your mouth than on tomatoes that taste |
| key, but choosing treat foods wisely helps. | | | | like cardboard.13. Grow other kid strengths. |
| Give them messages like their body is their | | | | If they are great at spelling, encourage |
| temple, they need to treat it well. Offer | | | | them to compete in the spelling bee. If they |
| metaphors like would they put lard in a | | | | are musically inclined, find them places to |
| sports car. No, they would put the best fuel | | | | sing, play. If computers or video games are |
| in it they could afford. Bodies are like | | | | their thing, help them get very good at these |
| that.4. Invite overweight kids to shop with | | | | skills, so they will have confidence from |
| you, and teach them to read labels. Have | | | | these other perspectives.14. Be empathetic |
| them become the experts, so they have the | | | | about their looks. Appreciate that a plea |
| tools to choose wisely and or splurge, but | | | | from an overweight child to "blend in" or |
| understand the meaning of the splurge.5. | | | | "fit in" is more charged than a plea from a |
| Invite (as opposed to force or punish) | | | | child who is more mainstream looking. Help |
| overweight kids to try various foods that | | | | them choose clothes that are flattering and |
| might help them eat less junk. For example, | | | | really fit them well. Make sure that they |
| fresh fruits. A burrito with filling protein | | | | have clothes they can move in which are not |
| like beans, as opposed to totally empty | | | | uncomfortable. (I knew one teen who hated to |
| calories. Nuts as opposed to chips. Baby | | | | walk until she got some shorts and slacks |
| carrots, even.Exercise | | | | that did not chafe, for example. Then she |
| | | | walked everywhere, because the pants were not |
| 6. For most overweight kids the best way to | | | | rubbing a hole in her thigh!) Make sure they |
| assist them is to crank up their metabolism. | | | | find clothes which are age appropriate, and |
| Exercise is the best way to do this. Fit | | | | have enough style that they are not the butt |
| kids get bullied less. Fit, strong kids | | | | of more bullying because of their clothes. |
| rarely get bullied. Fit, self confident, | | | | This will cost more than you would prefer, |
| strong kids with an exceptional physical | | | | since most larger sizes cost extra, and |
| skill never get bullied. If the kid has | | | | alterations are always on top. Know a good |
| rhythm, get them into dance, t'ai chi, akido. | | | | place to get stuff altered too, so if you |
| If they have two left feet, have them try | | | | have to buy a larger size to accomodate a |
| kick boxing or wrestling. If they like team | | | | larger tummy the rest of the garment is not |
| stuff, soccer is great and there are teams | | | | so big there is room for Aunt Matilda in |
| available for all skills and all genders. If | | | | there too. Here is where you can REALLY help |
| they are particularly "round" and have lots | | | | your child fit it. By buying slightly better |
| of soft baby fat, try swimming, they will | | | | quality, fabrics that do not show fat bulges |
| float better than any of their thinner | | | | for example, or a garment that is made really |
| buddies. Weight lifting for boys can be a | | | | well and hangs great, will make your child |
| win.7. Martial arts is always a win. It | | | | look smaller than they are. Good |
| builds discipline, muscle, aerobic capacity | | | | undergarments count too, especially for |
| and confidence. Choose according the child's | | | | girls. Find a way to make them feel special |
| capabilities, or try what their friends or | | | | with accessories for example, or shoes.15. |
| geographic locality has available. Kids who | | | | Back to basics, they are not alone. Let them |
| know martial arts know how to breath, they | | | | know, that they are beautiful inside. |
| know how to focus, they have strength both | | | | Appreciate all the unique and special things |
| internal and external. They do not get | | | | that they are. Give messages of beauty |
| bullied.8. Health is the best revenge. So | | | | often. Compliment best features, extra |
| use every opportunity to be active with your | | | | efforts, exercise and food victories. Take |
| child. Walk to the video store. Walk with | | | | them to movies like Shrek, Harry Potter and |
| them to talk about what is up at school. Put | | | | others where there are heroes who are not all |
| music on and dance. Have exercise options in | | | | stick thin. Show them art depicting ancient |
| the house, like rebounders, trampolines, | | | | cultures when thin was not so in. |
| swings for the younger ones, jungle gyms, | | | | (Botticelli, Rubens, african tribes for |
| etc. | | | | example). Give them unconditional love and |
| | | | acceptance regardless of their success or |
| Special Programs9. If your child is | | | | failure in any of these areas.16. Be |
| significantly heavy, consider summer camps | | | | spiritual.Nan Andrews Amish, the Business |
| designed to do all of the above with lots of | | | | Healthcare Contrarian is the founder of Big |
| other kids struggling with the same. Not all | | | | Picture Healthcare a strategy consulting firm |
| camps are the same, so check them out. But | | | | which provides expertise in consumer directed |
| an 8 year old who spend 4 weeks being healthy | | | | healthcare, healthcare marketing, and |
| and active during the summer, loses as little | | | | strategies to decrease benefit costs by |
| as 10 pounds, grows 2 inches has a great way | | | | 20-30% while improving talent management. |
| to start back to school in the fall. They | | | | Nan offers Management Consulting, |
| are stronger, leaner, more confident, tan and | | | | Facilitation, Workshops. Contact her at or |
| met tons of new friends.10. If your child is | | | | (650)560-9800. |