Resurrect Health

Don’t Be in Denial…is Childhood Obesity in your House?

Teleshia — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:07:53 +0000

My hubby and I went to the mall this past weekend. As we were walking around, the mall was filled with a lot of overweight children and teenagers. And what was even more disheartening was to see teenage girls with stomachs so big, we couldn’t tell if they are overweight or pregnant! This got me mad because this overweight problem with children is preventable! We can do more but I can’t figure out why we won’t. I was talking with a dear friend about my frustrations and she posed a very serious question to me (see my Question and Answer section below).

I love the fact that our very own first lady, Michelle Obama, has generated a lot of attention toward childhood obesity. We as parents have got to be more diligent in doing all we can to prevent our children from looking like this. This picture is NOT what a child’s body should look like. But unfortunately, this has become the norm and many people are not phased by it or are not doing enough to eradicate this problem.

In my last article, I talked about your BMI (Body Mass Index) and how you can calculate it on your own to determine if your weight status is underweight, normal, overweight, or obese. Well, in this week’s article, I want to take it to the next level. I want you to take some measurements to determine your child’s status. But the question is, will you be courageous enough?

BMI can be easily calculated by dividing your child’s weight (in pounds) by their height (in inches) squared and multiplying that number by 703. As an example, if your child’s weight is 175 pounds and their height is 5’4”, their BMI would be [175 ÷ (64)2] x 703 = 30.0. Once you calculate their BMI, use the table below to determine their weight status.

BMI Weight Status

Below 18.5 Underweight

18.5—24.9 Normal

25.0—29.9 Overweight

30.0 and Above Obese

The reality of this is…the numbers don’t lie…the size of their body really does matter too! About 32% of children and adolescents are obese or overweight. Almost 20% of children ages 6 to 11 and 18% of those ages 12 to 19 are obese. Such children are at a greater risk for weight-related health problems such as high cholesterol and diabetes, and they have an increased chance of becoming obese adults.

I strongly recommend that you take your child to the doctor. MAKE THE DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT TODAY!!! The doctor can perform a physical to determine if your child is currently pre-diabetic or have other conditions. PLEASE, for the sake of your child, don’t be in denial…take your child to the doctor.

We’ve got to be more diligent in helping our kids NOT be in the situation of poor health so early in their lives. This is the very first time that health experts are predicting that parents will outlive their children because this generation of kids are getting weight-related illnesses at younger ages.

I applaud those women who come to me with advice on how to encourage their children to eat better foods. Just like with anything else, it all starts in the home. It’s about addressing the foods that you allow your child to eat and not to eat. It’s about identifying what types of foods are you bringing into the house and it’s about the types of foods that you are buying when you are on-the-go. If you need help in this area, please contact me. Not only am I qualified to coach you in healthy eating, I have two toddlers of my own and I choose to feed healthy foods. Reach out to me…I am here to help you!

I would love for you to join the conversation. Please comment below if you think size really matters?

Does Size Really Matter?

Teleshia — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 01:31:56 +0000

The short answer is YES, the size of your body really does matter. Health experts use the Body Mass Index (referred to as BMI) to determine if your weight status is underweight, normal, overweight or obese. Just in case you were wondering, overweight and obese are NOT synonymous…they mean two completely different things. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems”.

Approximately one in three adults and one in six children are obese. Obesity is epidemic in the United States today and a major cause of death, attributable to heart disease, cancer, and diabetes.

That’s why it’s very important for you to know where you stand. But if you’re wondering, how would I know what my BMI is? Well, I’m glad you asked. Unless you have a specific scale that measures BMI, it can be easily calculated by dividing your weight (in pounds) by your height (in inches) squared and multiplying that number by 703.

As an example, if your weight is 175 pounds and your height is 5’4”, your BMI would be [175 ÷ (64)²] x 703 = 30.0. Once you calculate your BMI, use the table below to determine your weight status.

BMI Weight Status

Below 18.5 Underweight

18.5—24.9 Normal

25.0—29.9 Overweight

30.0 and Above Obese

If you are in the normal category, Congratulations and keep up the good work!!! If you are in a category other than normal, you should seek the advice of your licensed healthcare professional to help you remedy your particular situation!

If you are underweight, that does not give you a free pass to eat all you want and load up on unhealthy foods. If you are in the overweight or obese category, it is imperative that you devise an action plan NOW to “Down Size Your Dress Size” and reduce your risk of attracting weight related illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recognized that 34% of adults are obese. And did you know that obesity rates have been linked to more strokes among women aged 35 to 54? So if you are included in either of those statistics, I strongly encourage you to take control of your health because it will affect the quality of your life.

If you already have a weight-related disease and must take medication, please do NOT become complacent and definitely do NOT give up. If you “Down Size Your Dress Size”, you can put yourself on a track to reducing the impact of your illness or reversing it altogether. If you don’t believe me…ask your doctor!

But in order for you to determine your BMI, you have to get on the scale!

Here’s something that will make you go hmmmm…….

Two kids were looking carefully at bathroom scales on display at the store. “Have you ever seen one of these?” one boy asked the other. “Yeah, my mom and dad have one,” replied the other. “What’s it do?” asked the first boy. “I don’t know,” the second boy answered. “I think you stand on it and it either makes you mad or cry. At least, that’s what it does to my Dad and Mom.”

Does the scale make you cry? Are you afraid of the scale because you don’t want to know what it says. Well, knowledge is power. You have to know where you are so you can put a plan in place to get you where you need and want to be.

You should weigh yourself at least once per week. But don’t weigh yourself too often. Your weight will naturally fluctuate from hour-to-hour and day-to-day depending upon the foods you eat, whether your menstruating, etc. For consistency sake, you should use the same scale, in the same place (bathroom floor vs bedroom carpet), preferably without any clothes on and at the same time (i.e., in the morning before you start to eat and drink).

I would love for you to join the conversation (anonymously if you prefer). Please comment below if you think size really matters!