It’s election time and although our country is facing some huge economic issues, I do want to know how each of them stand on their policies about children’s health.  Well, I found a report that was commissioned by a bipartisan group to analyze their position on this.  Here is a quick summary from the report.

Here is what the report concluded:

McCain’s plan:

• The McCain tax credit will weaken families ability to afford coverage for their children
• It does not keep pace with the expected increase in healthcare costs
• The tax credit does not allow for added cost for children who are born or adopted
• The current 19 million children with special health care needs currently insured by employer coverage may be barred from insurance
• Sick children, those with pre-existing conditions, could be charged much more for heatl coverage
• By allowing the insurance to be sold across state line, millions of children will lose the protection of having guaranteed benefits
• It estimates that 55 million children could lose coverage for well-care visits
• 18 million could lose autism care
• 16 million could lose lead poisoning treatment
• Funding for public insurance programs for low income children could be reduced

Obama’s Plan:

• Plan wants to ensure that all of 8 million + uninsured children will have health care coverage through a combination of public and private coverage options
• Requires parent to enroll their chilren in a healthcare program
• Public programs that are successfull will be expanded
• Continue and expand Medicaid and State Children’s Health Insurance Program
• Tens of millions of children will benefit from improved protections in the private health insurance market

In California, Governor Schwarzenegger is reviewing a bill, SB 1420, that would require certain food chains to put their nutritional information on their menu.

Do you think that would make a difference in food choices, for you, for your children?

Just imagine, you are looking at a menu for one of your family’s local fav dinner spot, and suddenly you see 600 calories next to those fries you always order. Or perhaps, 800 calories. Would you still order it?

It makes you stop and think doesn’t it. Most Americans underestimate the amount of calories in a food item. I am the first to raise my hand. I was reading the book, “Eat this, Not that” by David Zinczenko. I had my mouth opened a few times. I read the calories and fat and thought, I totally got that wrong.

I am a strong advocate for this bill.

At least if we have the information and then we can decide, hopefully, make a better choice.

Well, according to this article, England’s government has now created a new national policy measuring program that essentially will send height and weight measurements home as part of a school report card.

Here is a few interesting notes:

• they will not state the child’s BMI (they should have a BMI to age percentile for their country, though)

Telling these measures without the BMI score (in my opinion) does not give parents good information.  Why, you ask.  Well,  weight has to determined “healthy, overweight etc, relative to height.  If you weigh 50 pounds and are 3 foot tall that is very different than a 50 pound person that is 4 1/2 feet tall.  So that is why we have a BMI measurement.  It gives a relative number based on these two factors and helps us gauge if we are at a healthy weight.

Just in case you don’t know, for adults:

• below 18.5  Underweight
• 18.5-24.9 Normal
• 25-29.9 Overweight  (66% of us Americans are here or in the next one)
• 30 and above:  obese

Okay, back to kids,  but kids are growing and so BMI scores are not so easy to use as a guage for their weight status because we have to factor where they are on the growth chart.  So we use:  BMI to age percentile  (to read more and check out what your child’s BMI score is click here.

I am not sure how this will completely help parents when England doesn’t give them all the information.

And then one other note:

• obese children will not be catorgized as obese, they will use the words:  “extremely overweight”.

We have this problem here in the US.

What can we learn from this.  How many of you go to the doctor and he/she tells you what your child’s height and weight is.  Do they calculate the BMI score?  Do they tell you what it means?  Here is a pediatric sheet (scroll to the bottom of the page)  you can take to your child’s annual visit to discuss key points like BMI score so that you as parents are getting all the key health points discussed.  Early detection is the key and prevention is the solution.  So information is everything!

I was at an obesity conference a few months ago and it’s a “hot” topic.  Should we tell parents that their child is obese,  some health organizations say “YES”.  Other health and governing bodies say “NO”.  Too harsh.

Does it really matter?  Here is where government and organizations can get bogged down over something so trivial.  The child is at risk for serious life long health issues.  Who cares what you label it, the meaning is the same.  So shouldn’t we just be honest and just give them all the information they need!  It’s not about the label, it is about helping that child and family move towards a healthier lifestyle.

And it has to start today.  Don’t focus on what your child has been eating…  Let’s focus on making one change this week.  I have fun agreements that you can print up to use a discussion guide for changing food habits.  As always, keep it simple, one goal at a time and be patient.  Changing habits takes time.

The American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Nutrition has just updated its recommendations for cholesterol testing for children.  It used to be recommended for children 2 years and older whose parents had risk factors of:
Heart disease
High cholesterol levels
Disease and cholesterol levels of parents unknown

Now the new guidelines recommended cholesterol testing for all children who have risk factors starting at age 2 but no later than age 10.  These risk factors include:
Kids who are overweight
Kids who are obese
Kids with diabetes
Kids with high blood pressure
Kids that smoke

Why the change in guidelines?  Well, studies are finding changes in kids arteries that can lead to heart disease.  These changes are beginning in childhood.  By intervening during childhood through early diagnosis they can:
Start early education to change children’s eating habits, physical activity and some even need medicine.  This early intervention or treatment can possibly prevent heart problems later in life.

Today is National Summer Learning Day. Events are happening all over the United States and even worldwide, promoting the importance of learning during summer.

At Nourish Interactive, we wholeheartedly support summer learning and that is why we are a member of the Center for Summer Learning, sponsored by Johns Hopkins University. We agree that children need high quality engaging summer learning opportunities to stimulate their minds and practice important skills. Whether your child is going to a summer program or camp or simply at home, there are plenty of good learning opportunities. Kids can learn about healthy eating and exercise by playing our fun online nutrition games for kids including Chef Solus and the Food Pyramid Adventure, our healthy meal planners to learn about the kids’ USDA food pyramid and create a balanced meal and much more.

To give you some background, the center was founded after a undergrad student began a summer reading program. The university then conducted a study and found that kids who participated in the reading program during summer, outperformed those children who did not by 50% a grade level!

For more information about the importance of Summer learning activities for your child, click here.

A poll was conducted in Australia indicating that the majority of parents want junk food ads regulated.

According to this article, in Australia, a consumer group took a poll of 320 parents and found that 8 out of 10 parents wanted some kind of regulation on junk food ads targeted to children. In the survey, 8 out of 10 parents also stated that right after their kids saw a “junk food” commercial, they “pestered” their parents to buy that food for them.

Well the Advertisers did not agree with the survey and felt that it was too small of a sample size to make any conclusions.

So I ask you parents, how do you feel?

What is your experience?

If the advertisers saw the opposite effect, in other words, kids see commercial, pester their parents, and that ensures an emphatical “NO”. I wonder if they would change their marketing strategies.

I guess my point is - Isn’t it up to us parents in the end? Don’t get me wrong, the advertisers are certainly making it harder on parents. But… I mean, doesn’t the buck stop with us?”

The three candidates, Clinton Obama and McCain discuss their views on childhood obesity and nutrition.

According to this article, here is what each candidates says about childhood obesity:
Clinton: ban junk food in school that participate in school lunch or breakfast programs
Provide foods that meet or surpass the nutrition standards
Make the school breakfast program universal for all students in low income communities
Double the summer feeding program

Obama: convene a high-level task for identifying opportunities for coordination, collaboration across departments, establishing consensus regarding priorities for action
Ensure departments had the appropriate resources and authorities to implement recommendations from task force

McCain: do a better job of teaching children and their parents about child health, nutrition and exercise.

They were also asked other questions like what the role of federal government should be, national regulation on food advertising and marketing to children and should there be changes to the No Child Left Behind law. Here is the article to see the answers each one of them gave.