Could the Sandman Help Eliminate Childhood Obesity?

Getting less sleep could increase your child’s risk of becoming overweight or obese, researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have found. In fact, for each additional hour of sleep children get, their risk for obesity drops by 9 percent.

Researchers found that children with the shortest sleep time had a 92 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese when compared with children who experienced longer sleep durations. Short sleep durations were categorized as follows:

• Children younger than 5—less than 9 hours per day

• Children ages 5–10—less than 8 hours per day

• Children older than 10—less than 7 hours per day

Previous research has recommended the following daily sleep times for children:

• Younger than 5—11 hours or more per day

• 5 to 10—10 hours or more per day

• Older than 10—9 hours or more per day

The findings were originally published in the journal Obesity. 

What to Teach Your Kids in Case They Get Lost

Most parents experience at some time that sickening moment when they realize that they have lost sight of their child when they are out and about.  By taking a few precautionary measures, parents and caregivers can minimize the risks and have a plan for what to do next. 

·        Always impress upon youngsters the importance of staying with the group and not wandering off alone.

·        When you reach your destination, decide on a designated meeting point that children can find easily should they become detached from the rest of the party.

·        Write down your cell phone number and put it in the child’s pocket before you set out.  Let the child know that it is there and that he/she should give it to an appropriate person if they get lost.

·        Advise children that if they need assistance they should only approach someone such as a security guard, police officer or someone who is clearly a member of the staff.

·        Always take careful note of what children are wearing before you set out, or better still, take a photo of them on your cell phone.

·        If you are going somewhere that is very crowded, try to ensure that children are wearing something bright that will help them stand out from the crowd. 

·        If possible, provide older children with a cell phone and youngsters with a walkie-talkie so that you can communicate with them.

Feed your children well: Give them good choices

Childhood obesity is becoming a major health issue, and parents everywhere are concerned about teaching their children to eat nutritious meals and maintain a healthy weight. Here are some basic ideas for instilling good nutrition habits in your kids from an early age:

• Set the right example. Let your children see you eating good food, not junk.

• Provide a healthy variety. Don’t force foods on kids, but make nutritious food available in your home so they can choose what they want.

• Avoid power struggles. You can’t control what other children eat, nor what your child eats at a friend’s house. You can set the rules for your own home, so do it and don’t obsess about what others do.

• Involve your children. Take them to the store so they can see what you choose and so they can make a few selections of their own. Enlist them in helping prepare meals so they see what goes into a healthy dinner. Talk about where fruits and vegetables come from, and what goes into processed foods.

• Eat together. As much as possible, schedule dinners so everyone in the family can join. This helps you influence what your children eat at meals.

• Remind everyone to slow down. The faster people eat, the more they eat, generally speaking. Don’t let your kids race through dinner; urge them to take their time with every bite.

• Drink water. Water is better than soda and other sugary drinks, and helps kids feel full between meals.