The Jamaica Observer – Staff Writer
WHETHER your little ones are starting kindergarten, primary school, or entering nursery school this September, there are certain important health checks that will help to prepare them for the new school year. Here are some back-to-school health tips courtesy of JIS.(more)
Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
Osteopathic physicians suggest shifting the conversation from weight to health for overweight children and adults, asking patients to reduce their sugar intake to see measurable improvements in metabolic function. Improved measures of health can be seen in less than two weeks of sugar reduction, according to a review published in the August edition of The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association (JAOA).(more)
BBC – Staff Writer
An inquiry into the barriers stopping children and young people becoming more physically active has been announced. The Welsh Assembly’s Health, Social Care and Sport Committee will launch it with a workshop at the National Eisteddfod on Anglesey on Tuesday. People aged 11-16 will talk to committee chairman Dr Dai Lloyd and Ynys Mon AM Rhun ap Iorwerth. Dr Lloyd said the inquiry would look at whether “efforts to increase physical activity are working.”(more)
Cap Cod – Staff Writer
What if an hour-long game of tag each day not only made your children healthier, but also raised their test scores?New researchsuggests it can. A soon-to-be published study of school children who participated in an afterschool exercise program in Urbana, Illinois showed noticeable changes after nine months of increased physical activity. For the study, one group of children played tag and other vigorous games for 70 minutes a day. The control group continued their normal activities. Neither group changed their diet and both groups were tested for fitness, body composition and cognitive skills before the program began. At the end of nine months the children who exercised showed great improvement in their scores on computerized tests that measure how well a child pays attention and processes information.(more)
Healthy Children – Nimali Fernando, MD, MPH, FAAP
When it comes to raising an adventurous eater, it is not just about coaxing kids to eat their veggies. Bringing up a child who can enjoy a cantaloupe as much as a cupcake takes patience and persistence, but it does not have to feel like a chore. Kids may need to have frequent joyful experiences involving food to overcome the anxiety they may have around tasting the unfamiliar. Over time, cooking with your children can help build that confidence—and provide rich sensory experiences.(more)