New childhood obesity study from University of Montreal indicates that how close a child lives to a convenience store promotes childhood obesity.

Well, it makes sense.  Convenience store carry food items that are processed and usually high in fat and/or sugar.  Do you go to a convenience store to buy fruit or vegetables?  Well, no, because they don’t really sell that.  So what do you get at a convenience store?  slushies, chips, candy, soda, cookies…

Another study done in urban areas found that kids who lived near convenience store purchased:

• On average, the students spent about $1 and purchased 356 calories of snack foods and drinks each visit.
• Chips, candy, sugary beverages and gum were the most frequent purchases

It is probably not a good idea for kids to go to these convenience stores to buy their snacks.   But in all honesty, even if you had a grocery store full of fruits and vegetables at the corner, would your child go there and still buy the processed high calorie food?   And of course the older a child is, the harder it is to control their “away from home” eating habits.  This is very true.

That is why it is so important to help kids develop healthy habits and a love for healthy foods while they are young and have not formed their habits yet.  That is what we are all about.  Helping parents and educators teach kids about healthy eating and activity while they are still young and just starting to form habits.

This could be a very good healthy goal for your child and family to work on.  It can be as simple as having one healthy snack a day!  Simplicity and fun are the key to helping your child be successful.  Children like to do things that are positive and they feel successful.  Don’t we all?

More resources to help kids eat healthy snacks:

Healthy Kids Snacks Agreement

Healthy Kids Snacks Fun Tracking Sheets

Take the Healthy Eating Challenge Article

Healthy Summer Snack Foods For Kids Article

Are we surprised by the latest report indicating that the food and beverage industry has failed to live up their commitment to change their marketing practices to children? I have to say, I am not.

The US Council of Better Business Bureaus initiated a voluntary, self regulatory program three years ago. The goal of the initiative was to really improve the nutrition of foods and drinks that were advertised to children. This was initiated after numerous studies showed how much money and how many marketing ads were being shown to young children that promoted unhealthy, high sugar and/or high fat foods. Combine that heavy messaging with the time kids spent on TV and it’s no wonder that kids know popular fast foods and junk foods before they can even talk!

The initiative called “Better-for-You” was implemented to try to fight childhood obesity. We know that childhood obesity will not be solved by one initiative but changing the junk food and fast food marketing tactics to kids is certainly one important step. Kids are influenced by their clever marketing and they put a lot of money behind it to make it fun and engaging to children!

The fact that the participation was voluntary and they were agreeing to “watch” themselves says a lot about how strongly we were willing to take a stand against unhealthy food advertisements to kids. This may surprise you, but many other countries already have strict regulations in place that ban unhealthy food advertising to kids – it’s the law!

Here is what the report found:

• nearly three out of four (72.5%) of the foods advertised on television to children are for products in the poorest nutritional category
• Commercials for healthy foods like fruits and vegetables accounted for only 1% of all food advertising to children
• Nearly half of all food ads that used popular children’s characters (49%) promoted foods of the poorest nutritional quality

The honor system doesn’t seem to work well for corporations when it conflicts with their pocketbook. We have to really question the viability of this current initiative and if self regulation is really the answer to addressing this part of the problem.

One thing we can do at home is make nutrition and healthy foods fun. Let kids learn about nutrition in a way that is engaging and meaningful to them. We have to fight the junk food FUN with our NUTRITION FUN! We can’t wait for congress to pass a law, our kids are growing now and learning their eating habits and food associations now.

We, here at Nourish Interactive, will continue to find new creative ways to help you bring nutrition into your home in a fun way. We have games, colorful nutrition tools and free print material that are all designed to help parents and teachers make nutrition fun. We have to be our own marketing campaign “Eating healthy is fun.”

Resources for teaching kids about healthy nutrition from our website:

Fun nutrition story page – nutrition stories for kids

Kids’ healthy nutrition games – fun educational games teaching kids about healthy habits and the food pyramid

Fun nutrition tools – interactive learning tools for children

Parents nutrition tools and tips – healthy tips calendar, meal planners, bmi calculator, recipes and more!

Nutrition tools for teachers – free nutrition games for classrooms, food pyramid printables, worksheets, and nutrition lesson plans.

A new study has finally been able to show a definite link to sugary drinks and childhood obesity.

I don’t think many of us our surprised by this. It seems like common sense that soda (sugary drinks) is not a healthy choice for kids and we know it is is high in sugar. Most 12 oz. cans of sodas have 10-13 teaspoons of sugar and no nutrients. A 20 ounce drink sold at most fast food restaurants has 17 teaspoons of sugar!

But for policies and lawmakers to be able to make sweeping changes, they need proof. So we have finally have it.

Researchers from the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research (CHPR) and the California Center for Public Health Advocacy (CCPHA) discovered a strong correlation between soda consumption and weight. Their data is based on 40,000 participants.

Research showed that over the last 30 years Americans consumed 278 more calories per day. One of the biggest changes in diet during that period was the enormous increase in soda consumption, accounting for as much as 43 percent of all new calories!

But I think what was more alarming was the amount of sugary drinks kids are drinking.

• 41 percent of young children (2-11 years of age) are drinking at least one soda or sugar-sweetened beverage every day

• Adolescents (12-17) represent the biggest consumers, with 62 percent (over 2 million youths) drinking one or more sodas every day – the equivalent of consuming 39 pounds of sugar each year in soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages.

Sometimes, as parents we are so busy with our daily busy lives, that we are not seeing the habits that kids are forming before our very eyes. We may not have realized that our kids were actually drinking this amount of sugary drinks throughout the week, or even worse, daily!

So this study is a wake up call for everyone, not just the lawmakers who are debating on how to try to control the advertising and exposure of kids to sugary drinks. Lawmakers will debate and who knows how long before they pass something that may or may not help reduce sugary drink consumption.

But this is a wake call to us parents. Parents, we have the most immediate control over what our child takes in.

To change your habits it starts with the family working together. As a family, you can discuss how much soda or sugary drinks are being drank by the family.

Remember it can be hard at first to change habits. so start with small steps. If your child drinks sugary drinks every day, then move to every other day or three times a week.

• Set family goals.
• Work together to decrease the intake and substitute it with water and milk.
• Be a role model. Kids are watching and action speaks louder than words.
• Don’t nag, keep it positive.
• Celebrate success.

Each small change will add up to a healthier child, a healthier family.

Use our family goal and tracking sheet to help set your child in the right direction while keep it positive and fun.

It always amazes me that we have to pass a law (and all the politics that entails) to do what is obvious common sense.

I read today the Senator Gellibrand is introducing a bill to help fight childhood obesity. The bill will:

• ban trans fats in meals served by schools that receive federal funding
• USDA would regulate all foods offered in school, banning soda and candy from vending machines
• increase the amount per meal by 70 cents so they can afford more nutritious foods
• the law, if passed, would give schools 5 years to comply

Hello! We know trans fats are really bad for you. So bad for your heart that the USDA recommends less than 1 gram be in your diet. Actually 0 grams is the goal. This came out in 2005!

I do applaud Senator Gillibrand’s bill if this is the only way to have our kids get foods without trans fats (in school).

But, I ask myself, why do we need a law to get passed- shouldn’t the schools just demand foods that are not made with trans fats? Can’t they fire their food vendor if they will not comply and hire one that gives them foods without trans fats? Won’t vendors provide what consumers (in this case- the schools) demand?

And why do we give them 5 years to comply. That is five years of kids eating foods we know are absolutely bad for your heart.

I say, write your senator! But that doesn’t help your kids today. Find out what kind of foods your child is being provided in your child’s school. (by the way, another word for trans fat is hydrogenated fats or oils)

Better yet, if you can, send them a home made lunch.

Share your opinion – leave a comment to let us know what you think about school nutrition policy and the new bill.

Resources:

Find your senator’s contact information

Does your child’s school have a Wellness policy?

Healthy lunch ideas (at the bottom of article)

The fair is a great family event and I took my kids every year. It is one of our fun memories. We are city folks, so seeing the cows and chickens and other 4H events was really enjoyable.

The fair offers a great fun time for all and lots of goodies to choose from. The important thing to remember is that these events are also great learning opportunities for kids. They don’t understand that some foods are okay once in a while and in moderation.

Here are some food facts about fair foods to keep in mind:

• bratwurst in a bun – 804 calories with 60.5 grams of fat
• candy apples – 215 calories with 0 grams of fat
• churros – 102 calories with 6.2 grams of fat
• corn dogs – 250 calories with 14 grams of fat
• cotton candy – 171 calories with 0 grams of fat
• foot long hot dog and bun – 470 calories with 26 grams of fat
• fried cheesecake – 655 calories with 47 grams of fat
• fried cheese curds – 569 calories with 39.9 grams of fat
• fried oreos – 490 calories with 28.5 grams of fat
• fried snickers bars – 444 calories with 29 gms of fat
• fried twinkies- 420 calories with 34 grams of fat
• frozen chocolate banana – 240 calories with 4 grams of fat
• funnel cake – 760 calories with 44 grams of fat
• giant turkey leg – 1, 136 calories with 54 grams of fat
• grilled corn on the cob – 201 calories with 1 gram of fat (no butter)
• lemonade – 210 calories with 0 grams of fat
• onion flower – 1320 calories with 72 grams of fat
• soft pretzels – 340 calories with 2 grams of fat

So what’s the strategy for taking the kids to the fair and enjoying some of the fair foods that are considered by many “Tradition!”

• Feed the kids their normal breakfast and late morning snack before arriving at the fair (this way that won’t be quite as hungry)

• Have your child choose one favorite sweet treats and share it. Portions are very large, even for an adult

• Make sure your child has plenty of water. They won’t need sugary fruit juices to add to the sugar they will get from fair treats.

• Bring some of your own snacks

• Consider going early so that you can have dinner at home

Now that you have a sense of the amount of calories that can easily be eaten in a day at the fair, hopefully you see the importance of planning and setting some limits.

When you add in all the other fun stuff to do at the fair, food doesn’t have to be the focus.

Source of calories: CalorieKing.com

The food and beverage industry may finally be seeing the light or maybe I should say the “health”.With more and more states trying to limit or eliminate junk food from schools, high sugar, high fat food manufacturers are beginning to realize they are fighting an uphill battle.  Washington has been trying to introduce a federal law that would limit junk foods in school fueled by the growing childhood obesity epidemic.The American Beverage Association made this statement in response to proposed federal regulations, “We recognize that childhood obesity is a complex problem that will take comprehensive solutions.  And our industry is stepping up to do our part.”Why is the industry taking this about face?  Not too hard to figure out

• It will be much easier for the beverage and food industry to influence one national standard. ie lobbying
• It will be much more difficult to deal with different laws and regulations for each set by the county or even state.  Each one will undoubtedly be slightly different, making it harder to comply with them.
• Many of these high sugar, high fat beverage and food manufacturers have already begun to market healthier products that they can sell to the school instead.

But given their motives, let’s not kick a gift horse in the mouth.  It is great that we are finally realizing that if we all know we have a problem with kids not eating healthy, then why are we selling them unhealthy foods right in school!So this is good that we are moving in the right direction.  The food manufacturers will make what we are willing to buy.  The funny thing is we have always had the power in our hands, or I should say pocketbooks!

This should be of no surprise to anyone. It actually seems rather obvious! But a recent study conducted by UC Berkeley found the following stats:

• childhood obesity rates among 9th graders were increased by 5.2% when a fast food restaurant is within 1 block of a school
• calories could increase from 30 to 100 calories a day depending on the proximity of the fast-food restaurant
• the greatest effect on childhood obesity rates were most effected in the Hispanic and females population

The study looked at over 1000 schools in California over an eight year period.Some lawmakers are pushing for bills that will prohibit fast-food restaurants from being built within a mile of school. But I don’t think this really addresses the key issue. Making it less accessible is certainly going to help but will it really solve the underlying problem?

Children have to be taught at a young age good eating habits. Eating fast food once in a while is okay. It is when this becomes the norm, that we have problems. So what are parents to do?

I remember when my kids were in middle school, it was a big treat for the kids to walk to McDonalds (about 1 block away) on a minimum day. The kids could hang out for a while, and of course, the food was cheap, so lunch money went a long way. But this was considered a once in while activity. It was not to be done on any regular manner. They weren’t taken to a fast-food afterschool when they were in elementary school. And let’s face it, once they hit high school, well they get pretty mobile and if they don’t have good eating habits by then…..yikes, it is very hard to instill them at that age!

We need to be the ones to help our kids learn at a young age what is only “once in while foods”. By helping kids know about healthy foods in a way that is meaningful and engaging to them. If we just say, “no” you can’t eat that, then the mere fact that it is forbidden (and let’s not forget they are seeing lots of fun advertising about it!) will probably make them want it more.So be a role model for good eating habits and when you do take them to a fast-food outing, help them learn to balance their eating choices with some healthy choices. Help them understand, why it is not healthy for the body to eat this type of food regularly.

Help them learn that if they do eat this type of food, one fast-food meal could be equal to an entire days worth of food. They will need to be extra active to burn off some of those extra calories.And finally, make eating together as a family the biggest treat and fun event of all.

Resource:
Our printable healthy tips sheet:
Eating out and healthy choices

A new study conducted by Dr. Diane Jackson from the Rowett Institute of Nutrition and Health showed that children, ages 2-6 who spend more time in front of the TV tend to be heavier. The study followed 89 children between the ages of 2-6 years old found:

• kids just spending one hour in front of the TV longer tended to have 2 pounds more body fat

But the reason is not what you might think. It was not because of being inactive. The researchers believe the reason is because these kids were either:

• snacking on unhealthy foods (high fat, high sugar foods) while watching TV
• seemed to be more stimulated to eat while watching TV

This is something parents need to pay attention to. Are your kids snacking in front of the TV? Mindless eating, TV eating or TV stimulated eating, doesn’t matter what fancy term we give it. The message is still the same.Remembering these simple TV rules could make a difference in the amount of calories your child is consuming.

• No TV during mealtimes
• No snacking in front of the TV

Hard to break the habit. Well how about some baby steps then:

• Snacking is limited in front of the TV.
• No bags, boxes or huge bowls. Just one serving is allowed in front of the TV
• Healthy snacks only if snacking in front of the TV

Resources:

Reducing Kids TV Time Tips from ‘Nourish Healthy Kids’ our newsletter with tips and articles for family wellness.

Printable TV Time Tracking Chart

Fun TV- Free Activities for Kids-  print this list of fun ideas!

Visit Nourish Interactive’s parents page for healthy kids nutrition tools and information.

Learn about our free online nutrition education games

Free printable healthy family- nutrition tips monthly calendar

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!

It’s that time when we have to grocery shop more often for holiday parties, school events and family gatherings. Avoid going grocery shopping when you and the kids are all hungry. This is when the kids will really want more treats because they are hungry from a long day of holiday shopping and there are so many holiday treats crowding the aisles.

Resources: Healthy Holiday Family Nutrition Tips: Reducing Calories-Holiday Foods Healthy Monday Tips

There has been a great deal of press over a new study released this month by the National Bureau of Economic Research claiming that a US ban on fast food advertisements during children’s TV time would reduce the number of overweight children.  According to the study, it would reduce childhood obesity by:

• by  18% for 3 to 11 years olds
• by 14% for 12 to 18 years olds

The study calculated this by measuring the number of weekly hours of fast food advertising and found a definitive link between these TV ads and the incidence of childhood obesity.  The study goes on to discuss how the government could deter these ads by  eliminating the business expense or essentially the write off for any companies producing a fast food ad aimed at children.  This would make these ads more costly and therefore, deter companies from creating them (at least lower the number of ads made- by an estimated 40% for the kids and 33% for the teenagers).

But I want to say, whether the government bans fast food ads (which given policy, lobbyist etc would take a while to occur, if ever!)  we parents really need to realize that WE are the biggest food commercial a child sees everyday.

Yes, we are marketing our food/nutrition ideas consciously or unconsciously to our children.  So, I ask you, “What type of commercial are you being for your child?”

Are you a commercial about the fun of healthy eating and being active?

Are you a commercial about how busy the day is so let’s grab something quick and easy, like fast food?

Are you a commercial that says, “Eat your vegetables!  or I will be very mad”?

Are you a commercial that says, “Try some, see, mmmm, it tastes so good”?

I could go on and on.  The reality is you are probably a combination of a variety of messages, some positive and some, well, not so positive.

My point is to that Parents, You are the Commercial that plays constantly at all hours of the day to your child.  You send the biggest message and have the most influence.

And the great news, you can edit your commercial right now.