30 Days of Obesity Awareness
9:24 AM
By Kristi Tamaki, RD & Best Teen Diets Special Contributor
Image: http://www.healthierkidsbrighterfutures.org/about/
Image: http://www.healthierkidsbrighterfutures.org/about/
September
for many families means going back to school.
But did you know that this month is also the third ever National
Childhood Obesity Awareness Month? The ongoing increase in overweight and obesity in
This
month is a time to think of ways that we can eat healthy and be more physically
active every day.
What does it mean to be obese?
Obesity is defined by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention as having “a BMI at or above the 95th
percentile for children of the same age and sex”. BMI is short for the term body mass index. It is simply a measurement, like your shoe
size is, but this measurement is for your weight according to how tall you
are. Obesity means having a greater
weight for height than is recommended for your age. Because weight changes with age, teenagers
are expected to have different BMIs than adults. Still not sure? Children and teens ages 2-19 can figure out
and learn more about their BMIs by clicking here.
I know my BMI , now what?
Knowing your body mass index helps you to be aware of where your body
is at and where it should be so that you can be on your way to creating a
healthier you. Here are 3 practical
ways, regardless of your BMI , that can help you build a better body:
1. MOVE around for 60 minutes.
It can be playing basketball or Frisbee with friends, taking out the
trash, helping your parents in the yard, walking to the grocery store, or
dancing to your favorite songs. Being
physically active can make you feel more awake, feel less stressed, be more positive
about yourself, and help you perform better in school and in sports.
Try it! Make a
couple of playlists of your favorite songs.
You know you have enough songs on a playlist when the total minutes are
equal to 30. Then play one of your
playlists while you help wash mom’s car. Play another as you walk to the park with
friends or as you dance around in your backyard. Just like that, you will have completed an
hour of physical activity!
2. EAT a new fruit or vegetable one time per week. It is fun to discover new foods even if you are
trying a different variety of something like a golden delicious apple instead
of a fuji United States
Try it! Each time you go to the store with your
parents, spot out one new item in the produce section to try. Compare snow peas with snap peas or a red
bell pepper with a green one. Then find
a recipe to use your favorites in!
3. DRINK
water to stay hydrated. Sugar-sweetened beverages cause our blood
sugar to rise and fall quickly, which can cause our brains to crash and bodies
to lose energy. To keep your body going
throughout the day, choose water, low-fat or skim milk, 100% fruit juice, and
small sizes of soda if you are going to have them.
Don’t stop!
September may be the designated month in which we can think
of ways to eat healthy and be more physically active, but to keep our mind and
bodies doing the things we want them to do, we must strive to take these steps
every day!
The official site for National Childhood Obesity Awareness
Month: http://www.healthierkidsbrighterfutures.org/about/
Best Teen Diets
recommends healthy well balanced eating that includes fruits, vegetables, whole
grains, protein and low-fat or fat-free dairy. We offer nutrition information
for teens, parents and educators that emphasizes the importance of healthy
eating for peak performance. For more information regarding healthy eating for
teens visit www.bestteendiets.org
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