More Intense Exercise, Home-Cooked Meals Curb Childhood Obesity. According to two studies presented at the American Heart Association 2005 Scientific Sessions, intense exercise and eating at home reduces a child's risk of becoming overweight and obese. Medscape Medical News

"Higher goals should be set for physical activity in children.  It may not be enough for children to perform moderate exercise to avoid weight gain." ~ Mangus Dencker, MD, a physician from Malmo, Sweden

This article goes onto mention that the the slimmest boys and girls exercised vigorously for 50-60 minutes per day, while their overweight counterparts exercised around 12 fewer minutes per day. Also children who ate out four or more times per week had higher blood pressure, imbalanced cholesterol profiles (lower HDL and higher LDL levels), and were more sedentary.

These two studies highlight common sense, exercise and eat REAL food at home.

Most children are NOT getting 50-60 minutes of intense exercise everyday. We need to educate our children and set higher standards for them. Bombarded with fake foods that send "error" messages to their cells, children (and adults) need to bump up their exercise intensity to keep those pounds off.

Obviously eating out is associated with consuming nutrient depleted food, filled with starch, unhealthy fats, sugar, and sodium. Use this study as a talking point with your children, especially adolescents who are eating out with their friends. If they choose not to keep this habit in check, their body may be thrown off balance resulting in high blood pressure and cholesterol.

Watch Super Size Me, a great film documenting one man's journey of health gone awry on fast food.

 

 

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Susan McCreadie, MD is a Holistic Pediatrician and co-founder of get REAL for kids™. She shows parents how to find REAL health for their child, so they can stop treating their child's symptoms and instead find solutions that help their child heal from the inside out.