Family News

Super-sized
No decrease seen in childhood obesity
Concerns over our nation’s ever-increasing childhood obesity rate is not a new issue. Kids are often referred to as the “McDonald’s Generation.” Sadly, this term has a sobering reality. Today’s kids, some believe, may be the first generation in which significant numbers die before their parents do.

    Government agencies are trying to solve this dilemma through new programs and policies. California has recently banned soda from all elementary schools. Middle schools and high schools plan to cut out soda in mid-2009. The Orange County Department of Education has created a Wellness Policy, which encourages fitness and good nutrition for children. Each district must implement its own individual plan for its students. Santa Ana Unified School District designed an after-school fitness program, “PE for ME,” to encourage physical activity.

    In order for obesity rates to diminish, children need to live a healthy lifestyle outside of school. Limited time and money, along with our nation’s sedentary lifestyle, factor in to the alarming level of childhood obesity. So parents need to enforce dietary changes and get their children to be more active.

    Two early side effects of childhood obesity are Type II diabetes and asthma. Your child can learn to value a healthy lifestyle – but only if the whole family responds.

–    By Kathleen Crain

Kick the video habit
Shocking truth: Kids actually prefer sports!

Sometimes, it feels like nothing can pry your children away from their video game or TV show, no matter what the incentive. At least that’s what parents think. However, in a recent national poll, 80% of kids said they would rather be playing sports than watching TV.

    Time commitment seems to be the biggest reason why kids are dropping out of sports, and that’s a legitimate concern as youth coaches extend seasons, add practices and suggest private instruction. Attending school all day, doing homework and then pounding out 2 hours of practice, 3 days a week, can be overwhelming. Children feel they cannot manage all those tasks, get good grades and still have a social life. So, they quit. Another reason kids relinquish sports is because they do not feel sufficiently encouraged. Lack of support from parents, peers and coaches can cause low self-esteem and a lack of desire to stick with it.

     However, kids say they love the social interaction, structure and competitiveness that sports provide. Relationships seem to be the biggest attraction. Mike Fassino, director of Weekly Reader Research, says, “Just look at MySpace. Kids need to be connected, to be known and to be a part of something.”

    While it might feel impossible to detach your children from the remote control, remember: You are the parent! Encourage your children to be involved in some kind of group activity. They may not be the most enthusiastic at first, so try out several sports, preferably before age 10, so they can become proficient early. Help your children find a sport they love. More than 40% of kids say they play sports because they love it. Through sports, kids are able to fill a social void, learn competitiveness, strengthen character and, most importantly, put down the remote.

–    By Kathleen Crain

Baby booty
Expecting a child? Start saving up!
Competing surveys of the cost of giving birth put the bill at between $7,600 and $8,800. The higher number, according to Thomson Healthcare, which summarized more than 43,000 births, included prenatal and postpartum care, as well as drug costs. C-section deliveries bumped up the cost by about $3,000. Out-of-pocket costs averaged $483.
    Some 4 million babies are born in this country each year.

    The lower number, released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, had a higher out-of-pocket cost for new parents: $660 after insurance payments.

    More than 45,000 babies are born each year in Orange County, as well as in the Inland Empire. Increasingly,  the costs associated with young children, such as child care, are escalating faster than incomes.


Ripple Kid of the Month
This monthly nomination is about the act of giving back. An Orange County nonprofit, Ripple Kids, Inc., features youths who are changing their community via a “ripple effect.”

    We ask parents and schools to nominate these contributors, ages 13 and under. Please contact founder Bridget Belden, who blogs about kids making a difference, at: ripplekids.ocfamily.com. This month’s selection: Kayla and Connor, 12 and 9, of Tustin. Curious what they’ve done? Read all about them online.

Landmark child health study
$26 million more goes to UCI
UC Irvine’s ambitious project to track the health of children for a generation received a boost in funds recently. Some $25.9 million from the National Institutes of Health was sent to the campus to support the National Children’s Study, which will track environmental and genetic factors in selected children. The new funds will expand the program to include scientists from UC San Diego, San Diego State University, Loma Linda University and Cal State San Bernardino.

    In all, 100,000 children nationally will be tracked from the time they are in their mother’s womb until age 21. Researchers may learn to better understand how environmental influences and genetic constitution interact to affect child and adult health. The study could possibly pinpoint the causes of health conditions, such  as autism, asthma, pregnancy-related problems, obesity, mental health disorders and others.

    Late next year, some 250 pregnant Orange County women will be selected from a larger group that represents the county’s demographics. The OC goal is to study 1,000 moms and their children over the course of those 21 years.
    
    There are more than 20 study centers nationwide. UCI is among a handful of regional hosts. The National Children’s Study is led by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services –  through the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – and by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
    Information: nationalchildrensstudy.gov

    As a local sponsor, Michael Ruane of the Children and Families Commission of Orange County is taking a particular interest.

    “We still are puzzled and challenged by  both the rate and prevalence of many childhood health disorders,” says the commission’s executive director. “The study will help answer those questions. Second, as one of the primary funders and sponsors of programs to improve the health and well-being of young children and to improve prenatal outcomes, we’re able to utilize the study results in our efforts. And third, we really believe that we should take more of what we know and apply it to what we do; our investment should be driven by the best in science and research.”