News Medical – Liji Thomas, MD
Children should be carefully fed so as to maintain and encourage good growth and meet their energy needs. Side by side, physical exercise should be promoted, as well as drinking plenty of plain water. The child should run and play outdoors for at least an hour every day, if possible. (more)
The Miami Herald – Cynthia Lebron, MPH
It’s snack time at my sister’s house. My nieces are both served a bowl of blueberries. Bella, the 4-year-old, eats them and asks for more. Maddie, the 2-year-old, eats one, spits it out and then begs for “chips, please!” It is difficult not to indulge that little face, especially when she asks so politely, but my sister is not giving up that easily. She knows that kids need to be introduced to new foods as many as 15 times to get over its “newness.” So she swaps the blueberries for sliced bananas, a known favorite, and says she’ll try again tomorrow. (more)
Penn Live – Janet Pickel
The sweltering weather is especially hard on children, the elderly, pets and those who are ill, but anyone can be affected. Check on family or neighbors who might not have air conditioning or means to keep cool enough; some municipalities have cooling stations to help. (more)
Education World – Jim Paterson
We’ve long known getting students to move during the school days may help them focus and behave better, but research is also showing that a very deliberate type of physical activity might have some of the best benefits for them and their teachers – yoga. (more)
Health Day – Len Carter
While recommendations call for adults to exercise for 30 minutes a day, kids need double that amount — yes, 60 minutes of physical play a day. And being active as a family can make it easier for kids to reach this goal. For starters, make it a point to plan family outings that involve exercise, like going to a water park in summer and snow tubing in winter. (more)