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Donna Feldman
Denver Health ExaminerDonna Feldman grew up in New Jersey with a nutrition-obsessed mother who put wheat
germ in everything. She rebelled, but during a college all-nighter, she picked up a copy
of a popular nutrition paperback, eventually earning a Master of Science in Nutrition at Cornell University. She now has a private practice in nutrition counseling in
Boulder County. Contact her at health.examiner@mindspring.com.
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Couch potato teens
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
The latest news on low physical activity levels of teenagers really isn't new. We all know that kids are spending more and more time in sedentary pursuits that involve staring at a screen. Adults do the same thing. What's new is that numbers have been attached to the problem. According to a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, physical activity decreases dramatically from age 9 to age 15. While boys were more active than girls, their activity levels decreased just as much over time. Lead author and professor emeritus Dr. Philip Nader of UCSD describes the situation as "a crisis".The study measured all Moderate To Vigorous Physical Activity (MVPA) using a gadget similar to a pedometer. All movement, from walking to active play or sports was measured. While 9-year olds moved 3 hours/day, 15 year olds moved just 49 minutes per day. The biggest drop in activity came around puberty. While researchers didn't attempt to explain this, most parents know the answers. Kids drop out of sports, hang out more with friends in situations that involve sitting, video games and TV watching. They may become more involved with Facebook and MySpace, and spend more time at a computer. Walking and biking become uncool for many teens. They demand to be driven everywhere, and parents oblige. Some kids stay active in organized sports, but many drop out as they get more involved with other school and social activities. Without the structure of practices and games, physical activity drops off. The self-discipline and scheduling required to follow through everyday on an individual exercise plan is difficult enough for adults, let alone teens.
As if parenting teenagers weren't tough enough. Sedentary teenagers easily turn into overweight teenagers. The potential health and psychological fallout for overweight teens is another set of worries. Unfortunately, the experts didn't suggest any easy ways to pry teenagers away from the computer or TV. That study doesn't exist. Parents are left to do the best they can in a cultural setting that discourages activity. At least here in Colorado, we have plenty of opportunity and good weather, making physical activity easier.
(MS Clip art) 
The government recommends 60 minutes of daily activity. Here are some tips for parents to keep kids moving:
- Set a good example: walk whenever possible as part of daily life
- Assess walking routes to activities or school for your child and walk those routes with them.
- Make time for family activities that involve biking, hiking or some other physical activity
- Set limits on computer and TV use and enforce those limits.
- Encourage participation in rec or club sports, dance, school sports and other movement-based pursuits. Even marching band involves movement
Topics: child physical activity , sedentary teens
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Recess before lunch - finally common sense
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
Recess first, lunch second. (www.cbsnews.com)There plenty of parental and societal angst about kids' nutrition, especially in schools. Feel-good changes, like restrictions on vending machine selections and birthday party cupcakes, give people... Read More
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John McCain: one foot in the grave?
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
The intense scrutiny of John McCain's vice presidential choice is heightened by McCain's age and his cancer history. The media hordes assume that anyone over age 70 is likely to keel over without warning, at any time. His past melanoma diagnosis... Read More
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Down Syndrome - detectable, not preventable
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
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Looking for health at the DNC
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
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Tear gas in your future?
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
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Obama vs. 'Bama
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
Pay more for medical insurance? (wordpress.com) Here's news sure to raise the ire of Barack Obama and his policy makers: The state of Alabama is planning to charge overweight state employees $25 per month for medical insurance. ... Read More
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Drugs in tap water revisited
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
After the Associated Press published the results of a 5-month investigation of drugs in public water supplies, Congress rounded up the usual suspects for hearings, and the topic faded away.Since then, increasing green consciousness (all those shipped... Read More
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Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
Every year around this time, we hear the cliched jokes about the dreaded Freshman 15 - those 15 (give or take a few) unwelcome pounds that many new college freshmen accumulate during first semester. The simplistic explanation is that kids are pigging... Read More
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This weekend - climb four 14ers so you can eat like Michael Phelps
Donna Feldman - Denver Health Examiner
The two biggest Olympic stories of the week are the little girl who was the real singer on opening night, but not cutesy enough for prime time visibility, and Michael Phelps' diet. He's reported to eat 12,000 calories a day, yet his swim trunks... Read More
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