A Healthy Mind and Body For Your Child
by Paul Ries, LCSW, LIMHP
Lincoln, Kids! Newspaper

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Recently I read about how military basic training recently had to have a makeover. As the drill instructor that was interviewed indicated that they have noticed that new recruits are not as physically fit as past generations. He went on to discuss how this is not an issue along the lines of cardio fitness but all around fitness. This got me to thinking about why these changes have been put in place and looking at other day in and day out actions that have also changed in the way that children spend their free time as well as formal efforts to bolster fitness. So I began to do a little research and learned that the average American child spends several hours per day in front of some electronic device (tv, computer, phone, etc). Dietary habits are poor and consist of processed foods, portion sizes more than double what is needed and frequently meals are bought most frequently from fast food chains. Similarly, I have also noticed a spike in my practice from parents seeking assistance with their child who has been identified by their primary care physician as either having obesity, risks associated with obesity or other challenges when it comes to dietary regulation.

Our country until recently has not put an emphasis on exercise and nutrition. This is not to say that some favorable programs have not been established. It is my impression that the school system does a good job educating children about diet, exercise and nutrition. However, on the same token the food choices are often filled with high fat, processed and of low nutritional value. Similarly, physical education requirements have continued to decline. There are also many good organizations such as the YMCA that commit to youth fitness in a variety of ways (organized sports, family activities and affiliations with some of the city school systems). Local parks and recreation programs are also available to our youth. None-the-less we are still plagued by the health complications associated with overweight children.

I would like to discuss some of the issues that I have been addressing with the children in my practice and look at ways to resolve these issues. Children who live a sedentary lifestyle are the greatest to be at risk of being overweight. In our society we tend to look at things as an either/or proposition. Being active would include playing at the park, riding a bike to a friend’s home, climbing a tree, playing tag or hide and seek. Your child does not have to be a great athlete or involved in organized sports in order to be physically active. As a matter of fact children who are allowed free play time are much more likely to also develop other helpful social skills like negotiation, problems solving, communication, etc as they work together with other children to develop the rules and parameters of these activities. Our children and to a certain degree us parents rely way too much on the electronic media for entertainment. These activities need to be limited and secondary to interactions with others, completion of other daily expectations (chores, homework, etc..) or family time.

Secondly, children look to parents for the lead. If what they see is us living a sedentary lifestyle what basis will they have to learn about daily exercise? They answer is they will not. They will likely do what we do. Therefore, we need to exercise regularly, play with our children outside and really engage our children to physically challenge themselves when appropriate. For example I took my five-year-old daughter for a three-mile hike recently. I did not expect her to walk the entire distance as it was quite challenging terrain. However, I did expect her to walk some of the trail and I set up breaks and also piggyback rides for part of the hike. She started off not even wanting to go but by the end she wanted to do another hike the next day. Of course I obliged. Exercise is one aspect of mental health that I do not underestimate with any person, as what I have discovered is that if someone is physically fit they are generally happier, have more energy and are able to cope with stress more appropriately.

I would also encourage parents to provide healthy snacks and fresh food to their family. Meals that are high in nutrition and vitamins are more satisfying and will keep you full longer. These meals need to be high in fresh fruits and vegetables, high in fiber and low in salt and other preservatives. I also encourage that parents and children take portions of their foods and put them on small plates. If we have a large plate then it will get filled with food and most likely all of it will be eaten. If you plop the pizza on the coffee table in front of the TV it will all be eaten. Study after study indicates that if there is a physical barrier, even a small one like walking to the kitchen for seconds that will provide enough deterrent to curtail binge eating. I would also discourage eliminating all junk food from your diet. This forbidden fruit is often hard to resist and when people cheat they will often cheat big time and polish off the box of cookies, bag of chips or pint of ice cream. You have to stick to a plan of measured portions of your favorite dessert and no more.

When you begin this transition make a plan with visible and measurable goals. This will not always be a specific weight. Make it a positive goal such as I will cook all dinner meals at home for three weeks or I will pack my lunch daily. Understand when you are eating for comfort vs. nutrition. Emotional eating can lead to serious problems to your health. Stick to your plan and when it becomes too difficult to resist then do something else like go for a walk, call a friend, etc until the urges pass. If you plan to reward yourself don’t do it with food. This is often the action that leads to backsliding more than anything else. Reward yourself by going to a movie (no popcorn), shopping or some other out of the home activity.

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