Tag: childhood obesity

not what i expected to hear

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So today Maya had her 5-year physical and check-up. She did great — but I was shocked when our pediatrician — who  I adore and respect –showed us her growth curve chart and told us we need to watch her weight.

Had I been drinking something, I assure you I would have spit it out all over him.

Now let me tell you something about my daughter. Maya is tiny. Not just short, but petite. Small. Thin (not skinny–just thin; normal!).

She’s mother-effing PERFECT. Continue reading “not what i expected to hear” →

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Sad Stat of the Day: Only 10% of American Kids Have PE In School

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This was the take-away I got from an interview between First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Oz today:

While plugging her Let’s Move Active Schools initiative, Mrs. Obama shared a pathetic stat that a mere ten percent of American kids [in public school] have PE in school.

My jaw dropped. Only TEN PERCENT?! No wonder American kids are so obese; our kids are chained to desks all day, play video games by night, and we can’t even build physical fitness into the school day?! Insane. Continue reading “Sad Stat of the Day: Only 10% of American Kids Have PE In School” →

18 Months … A Weighty Discovery

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I am sure there is no way my baby is 18 months old already: a climbing, attempting-to-jump, monkey-who-repeats-everything-she-hears, spinning around, feet-stomping (in song), gleeful little double-dimpled fashionista. Where has the time gone??

I keep hearing the reprise of “Sunrise, Sunset” in my head and we aren’t even at the 2-year mark yet!!!

She is a labyrinth of wonder — every day she amazes us with what she knows or does or says. Today she said “mommy” for the first time (vs. her usual “mama”) and actually blew her nose into a Kleenex a couple times when I asked her to (vs. just dabbing her nose with said Kleenex).

It’s mind-blowing how much, at this age, they absorb.

Continue reading “18 Months … A Weighty Discovery” →

Re: The New San Fran/Happy Meal Law … Typical Libra, On the Fence

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There’s been a lot of talk in the blogosphere about San Francisco’s new law designed to combat childhood obesity, which would require that restaurant kids’ meals meet certain nutritional standards before they could be sold with toys. According to Reuters, “The San Francisco law would allow toys to be given away with kids’ meals that have less than 600 calories, contain fruits and vegetables, and include beverages without excessive fat or sugar.”

In many ways, this is as much a marketing issue as it is a health issue. The concern seems to be that the toys allure kids to desire Happy Meals … and maybe in some cases, they do. But really, isn’t it because fast food inherently has addictive qualities? (If you’ve seen Supersize Me, this needs no explanation!)

To me, the problem is more about the calorie-laden, fat-drenched fast-food in the Happy Meals more than the toy they come with … so banning the toy if the meal doesn’t mean certain requirements isn’t really going to change people’s eating habits. And, to me, the even bigger problem contributing to our nation’s obesity epidemic is not the occasional Happy Meal but rather the fact that so many children are not being  fed balanced meals overall and, because it’s cheap, end up with a diet consisting of McDonald’s, Burger King, and Arby’s. Continue reading “Re: The New San Fran/Happy Meal Law … Typical Libra, On the Fence” →

Play, Then Eat

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This is a cross-post at WeAretheRealDeal tonight.

While away last week, I saw this article (“Play, Then Eat: Shift May Bring Gains at School”) in the New York Times and e-mailed it to myself to write a blog post about it, in the event that none of our other bloggers covered it first.

We know that all around the country, due to budget constraints, schools are cutting out recess and physical education classes. And, no surprise, children are getting heavier. Unhealthier.

This scares me, because for many kids, gym class and/or recess are possibly the only physical activity they get all day. Naturally, I’m an advocate for both gym class and recess. Continue reading “Play, Then Eat” →