Common Mistakes When Feeding Kids
Great article in The New York Times by Tara Parker-Pope titled, “6 Food Mistakes Parents Make.”
I’ve summarized all six and added a few of tidbits of my own that I learned (sometimes the hard way) while raising my own 2 children, now 17 and 18.
1. Booting kids out of the kitchen. Let kids help with meal prep in the kitchen. Studies show that this helps to get kids to try new foods and eat healthier food like whole grains and vegetables.
2. Pressuring them to eat. Don’t offer rewards or demand your child eats something. Make good food available and gently and calmly encourage your kids to try it…then back off.
3. Restricting them from eating certain foods. It’s human nature to want what we can’t have. Within reason, give kids a little taste of everything so they lose the temptation or think there’s something overly special about a sugar cookie.
4. Making a big deal when you’re on a “diet.” Instead of dieting in front of your children, eat healthfully and explain that you make choices to be optimally healthy which includes only eating what you need in order to avoid gaining weight since obesity is a risk factor in countless diseases and health conditions.
5. Making veggies taste boring. Even if you’re choosing to have steamed or roasted veggies, let your kids have a little cheese or butter on top. A little won’t hurt them and you’ll feel better knowing they’re getting important vitamins and minerals because they’re actually eating their veggies.
6. Giving up and thinking you just have picky kids. Taste buds change and what they wouldn’t eat at age four, they may love at age six. Keep gently trying and meet each refusal with calm understanding.
Now that my kids are sort of grown…I realize that even though my son ate next to nothing for many of his young years, today he is 6’1 and 170 lbs. As for my daughter, I realize that even though she rolled her eyes at all the “weird” and healthy food I ate, she now eats just like me…and I didn’t even have to tell her to!
Having the right doctor makes a difference
This video from Newsweek features discussions about how bringing a human touch to cancer care makes a difference to one patient. See what he and his doctor have discovered.
Video: Doctor-patient relationships
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Can Normal Weight People Be Obese?
How do you determine what a normal weight is for you? The BMI is one method. It measures the ratio between height and weight. To determine your BMI, divide your weight in pounds by your height in inches. Then divide the answer by your height in inches. Multiply the answer by 703. The Department of Health and Human Services has a handy BMI calculator online at www.nhlbisupport.com/bmi.
BMI CATEGORIES:
Underweight = <18.5
Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
Overweight = 25-29.9
Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater
(from the Department of Health and Human Services)
The BMI doesn’t tell the whole story though. Normal weight people can still be obese. Obesity is an excess of fat, not weight. A normal weight person can have a high percentage of body fat and still be in the normal BMI category. “High” meaning thirty percent or more of their body is made up of fat. Most fitness centers have what’s called a Bio-Impedance, a quick and painless procedure that looks at body composition using an electrical current. There are other methods of calculating your body fat. Why should you care? Because according to Francisco Lopez-Jimenez, M.D., a Mayo Clinic Cardiologist, excessive body fat can lead to high blood pressure, abnormal cholesterol levels, insulin resistance, and puts you at an increased risk for Type II Diabetes. Here’s how it breaks down, according to The American Council on Exercise:
Classification Women (% fat) Men (% fat)
Essential Fat 10-12% 2-4%
Athletes 14-20% 6-13%
Fitness 21-24% 14-17%
Acceptable 25-31% 18-25%
Obese 32% plus 25% plus
Along with a healthy diet, it’s time to get some exercise. This doesn’t have to mean training for a triathlon. It can be as simple as what the YOU Docs, Dr. Oz and Dr. Roizen suggest – a daily half hour walk or four ten minute walks throughout the day. If you’re already incorporating regular exercise in your weekly routine, it might still be a good idea to get your percentage of body fat checked, if for no other reason than to give yourself a giant pat on the back. You deserve it.
By Kami Gray http://blog.thelistbykamigray.com/
