A new report just out from the Federal Trade Commission reports big dollars spent on advertising to kids. Food companies spent about 1.6 billion, or yeah, billion dollars marketing mostly high fat and high sugar foods to kids. This includes marketing products like:

• soda
• fast food
• cereal

The biggest dollar spend was the carbonated beverage advertising that topped $492 million dollars.

How does that compare to the Milk dollars? According to this report, milk advertising was $67 million.

It’s hard to compete with the big bucks going to advertising to kids. But there is something we can do. We are passive here as parents and the biggest influencer on our kids lives. But how do we combat all those fun cartoons telling our kids that it’s fun and cool to eat these high sugar cereals or the fast food burger that has more calories than a normal breakfast and lunch (put together)!

We have to find our own ways to make the healthier foods seem more fun. Ever make a happy face with the veggies at dinner? How about using some of the colorful vegetables and fruits to create little characters on their plates. Get them playing the Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure where they will see characters learning about nutrition in a fun game. We have to use laughter, creativity and games to “market” healthy foods to kids.

I am going to put together a list of fun ideas that you can use during your day to help make nutrition more fun. That is the first step, begin to associate fun with nutrition!

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Tan healthy this week. More than 90 percent of all skin cancers are caused by sun exposure and new cases of skin cancer exceed rates of the breast, prostate, and lung cancer combined. So wear a hat or visor and use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. And if you’re enjoying water sports, remember to reapply sunscreen often.

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

Have you checked your child’s summer camp? Just a thought, I was at the gym and saw the little group of campers marching to the park for a picnic. When I asked what the kids would be eating, sandwich, chips, cupcakes and juice.

It got me thinking. Chips could be crunchy carrot sticks, cupcakes could be sliced apples and well, juice could be flavored water. Kids are getting messages from all over and forming associations between food and memories. Check and see what types of snacks your child is getting at camp?

Why don’t we give them some fun memories with healthier foods.

Picnic and carrot sticks! Fun, friends and apple slices. We got to help them see fun and healthy foods in the same sentence.

I call it marketing a healthier child.

One way to get some picky eaters to try new foods is to involve them in the kitchen. Bring them in and have them touch vegetables and break them up to make different recipes. Expect your kitchen to get a little messy. But the results can be well worth the added effort.

I know that sometimes, especially after a long day at work, it may be easier to just buy it or do-it-yourself. But the fun of making a new dish can be something your little one will want to do. Actually creating it by helping wash the veggies or fruits and put them in the bowl, can be a great way for your child to begin to form a new impression of that food in their mind.

If we want to change our child’s habits, we have to create new ideas and perceptions. It is what marketers do all the time. We need to look at those little cute faces as our “marketing customers”. And we give them reasons to try our “brands” (aka veggies and other healthy foods or activities).

I call it marketing a healthier child. Parents, hopefully, you will have fun too and create some great family memories.

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Get wet! Celebrate summer this week by splashing around a pool, a pond, a lake, or the ocean. Swimming laps is a terrific cardiovascular workout. And using handheld aqua weights in the pool can really help firm and tone upper arms

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

According to the latest study published by the National Institutes of Health, children between the ages of 9 and 15 were not getting the recommended amount of daily activity. According to the the new MyPyramid guidelines, children need at least one hour of activity every day. According to this study, one of the largest and most comprehensive studies done, the activity level dropped sharply for children in this age range.

• At age 9, children averaged roughly 3 hours of moderate to vigorous activity during the week
  • 49 minutes per weekday
  • 35 minutes per weekend

The real concern is the long term effects of low activities level. Children are forming habits that will be harder and harder to break as they get older. This can lead to early weight problems and associated obesity diseases like diabetes and heart disease… at a younger age.

How can we instill the value of exercise in our children at a young age. That is the question. Trying to find an activity or sport that your child really enjoys and can continue into adult is the challenge. Reinforcing the message that daily exercise is so important and needs to be part of a daily routine.

I know for me, it was different with each child. And not easy because I was a working mom. Try different activities to give them a chance to see what they may enjoy. I say activities because not all children like or want to do sports. Whenever possible, family outings can be a great way to promote activity, build family memories and reinforce the importance of daily activities.

To read more about how to get your child more active, click to visit our newsletter for fun activities and exercise tips for kids.

Certainly the prediction of stroke and heart attacks in adults is not surprising. But what is scary is the age. We are talking about young adults that are predicted to have these diseases in their thirties. It comes from being overweight for so many years, since childhood.

Two recent studies published in the New England Journal of Medicine indicated that overweight children will have premature heart attacks and strokes as they age.
The first study done by University of California, San Francisco used a computer algorithm to model the likely effects of obesity as these children aged.

• 19% more likely to die from heart disease beginning at age 35

The second study, Institute for Preventative Medicine Copenhagen, Denmark looked at data from 276,835 people who had been examined in 1930. This study found:

• The higher the body mass index, the higher the risk of heart disease

As a nurse, I can emphasize how serious this is. We are talking about our children’s quality of life and life expectancy. Here’s the thing. We can make a difference. It is not too late for these children, if we begin to make life style changes now.

Each change will add up. Start by talking with your family and making the commitment to healthy eating and regular activity. That does not mean you change everything at once. Start with just one simple goal. We have agreements that you can use on the parents nutrition tools page that focus on one nutrition goal.

Just one goal at a time.

Sometimes, those little picky eaters just won’t eat certain food’s like those vitamin and mineral rich vegetables.Well sauces can be a great way to introduce those little ones to some new foods. Finely chopped, minced or grated vegetables can be added to sauces and they won’t even know it.

Start out with a small amount and experiment. If they didn’t notice, maybe you can add a little bit more the next time. Try tomato based sauces. White sauces can be full of butter and/or creams and too high in fat.

Mondays are a great day to renew Family Health vows. Every Monday, you will find some healthy tip to help your family start the week off on a Healthy Note!

Enjoy the seasonal bounty of fresh fruits! Use them in appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts. Grilled stone fruits can be an unusual treat at barbeques. A melon boat filled with strawberries, blueberries and raspberries can make a stunning centerpiece, as well as a sweet dessert. Try it and have healthy Monday!

Thanks to Healthy Monday organization for sharing their Monday tips.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition has just updated its recommendations for cholesterol testing for children. It used to be recommended for children 2 years and older whose parents had risk factors of:
Heart disease
High cholesterol levels
Disease and cholesterol levels of parents unknown

Now the new guidelines recommended cholesterol testing for all children who have risk factors starting at age 2 but no later than age 10. These risk factors include:
Kids who are overweight
Kids who are obese
Kids with diabetes
Kids with high blood pressure
Kids that smoke

Why the change in guidelines? Well, studies are finding changes in kids arteries that can lead to heart disease. These changes are beginning in childhood. By intervening during childhood through early diagnosis they can:
Start early education to change children’s eating habits, physical activity and some even need medicine. This early intervention or treatment can possibly prevent heart problems later in life.