As the obesity epidemic grows in scope, so too does the “blame game.” Lack of exercise, over-consumption of food, sedentary work environments, lifestyle choices, biological predispositions, genes…the list of possible culprits for America’s fatness goes on.

Fast food is a common target. Earlier this month, an advocacy group launched a campaign petitioning 26 hospitals across the country to remove a major fast food restaurant from their cafeterias with the aim of sending a “better message” to consumers.

Some of the reasoning behind the group’s initiative comes from a 2006 study published in the journal Pediatrics that concluded that allowing fast food centers to operate in hospitals not only affects guests’ consumption of fast food on the day of their visit, but also unintentionally boosts the perception of the “healthfulness” of fast food in general. Here’s more research that supports the initiative:

• The prevalence of obesity-related diseases has risen sharply over the past thirty years, and the number of fast food restaurants in America has more than doubled over the same period (The National Bureau of Economic Research).
• Studies have shown that “consumption of fast food among children in the US seems to have an adverse effect on dietary quality in ways that plausibly could increase risk for obesity.”
• Studies have shown that increased proximity to fast food restaurants is linked to an increase in obesity.

Courtesy of wagnerfpa.wordpress.com.

So being near to fast food increases the likelihood of obesity, but will removing fast food from hospitals (and other institutions and neighborhoods) help solve the problem?

Consider this:

• The New York Times recently reported that studies have shown that “there is no relationship between the type of food being sold in a neighborhood and obesity among its children and adolescents.”
• Restrictive “diets” and the “diet mentality” in general do not lead to long-term effective weight-loss. What does work, according to a recent study by the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, is eating less fat, exercising more, using prescription weight loss medications, or participating in commercial weight loss programs.
• Calling for removal of fast food from hospitals sends the message that fast food restaurants are “bad” and can be blamed for obesity, lessening personal responsibility for our own health.

Blaming fast food restaurants for obesity can place us on a slippery slope.  Should we remove buses from our streets to force people to choose the less convenient, but “healthier” walking or biking options?  After all, sitting for long periods of time is correlated with obesity, and most adults do not get the recommended level of exercise.

Similarly, while we should limit consumption of fast food, we can’t eliminate it from the American diet as long as there is a demand for convenient, inexpensive, and (arguably) tasty food.  We need to improve health through education and develop incentives that encourage healthy lifestyle decisions, proper nutrition, and exercise.

Perhaps a partnership between hospitals and Weight Watchers (or other proven commercial weight loss programs), or the establishment of walking groups or active events within hospital walls, could promote lasting change.

We won’t make any progress in the fight against obesity by playing the blame game at the expense of taking responsibility for our health into our own hands.

Courtesy of www.topnews.in.

What do you think? Will restricting fast food lead to a decrease in obesity? How can we as individuals, families, and institutions promote a healthier America?

Courtesy of reachphysio.com

Last week the results of a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics disproved the belief held by many parents that playing “active” video games like Wii Fit and Dance Dance Revolution could increase their kids’ activity levels. However, before you throw away your Wii Fit systems and go back to the drawing board, let’s take a look at the study to determine whether video game fitness really is too good to be true.

• Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX gave Wii consoles to 78 kids (ages 9-12 and above average weight).
• Half the kids were given their choice of two “active” games (e.g. Wii Sports) and the other half were given their choice of two “inactive” games (e.g. Super Mario Galaxy).
• Kids’ activity levels were measured for 13 weeks using an accelerometer (a motion-measuring device) worn on the belt.
• Accelerometer logs showed that throughout the study period, kids with the active games didn’t get any more exercise than those given inactive video games, with both ranging between 25-29 minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activity each day.

• Accelerometers have been shown to monitor activity accurately, however, the location of the accelerometer can impact what movement is actually recorded. For example, an accelerometer on a kid’s belt may not be able to pick up all of the motion generated by the upper body in a boxing game.
• Actual game time logged was not recorded.
• Other “active” game systems such as “Kinect” involve more full-body interaction than the Wii.
• Fitness games aren’t interesting enough to hold a kid’s attention.

Courtesy of wii.gamezone.com

All parents want what’s best for their kids. They want them to be the smartest in the class, or the fastest on the team.  They give them time, money, support, encouragement, and love, all to help them be the best they can be.  For many families, this is especially true when it comes to fitness and sports.

But before plowing into hours of practices and training sessions with spring sports right around the corner, it’s important for parents to ask themselves, “Are my kids working out too much, or not enough?”

According to research done at the University of Michigan, exercise is key to combating the obesity epidemic, especially in a nation where 15% of all children are estimated to be overweight.  However, it’s also possible to push kids so hard in organized activities and athletics that they run the risk of injury and mental/emotional fatigue.

So, how do we determine what’s really best for kids?

Existing research isn’t too much help here.  Many studies have been done on childhood fitness, and many sets of guidelines have been published.  According to Harold Kohl, an epidemiologist from the University of Texas, there are at least 27 sets of official guidelines from various organizations without a lot of data to back them up.

For example, we don’t know why 60 minutes is more sufficient than 30 or 45, how play time or unorganized activity fits into the picture, or how individual differences impact the results.  Fortunately, the experts do agree on a few things:

• Kids who exercise have stronger muscles, greater endurance, and bones that are denser and have greater mineral content.
• When obese children exercise regularly, their body fat, blood lipids, and blood pressure may fall.
• Kids should not exercise as “little adults;” for example, it may not be safe for kids to run on a treadmill for 30 minutes straight.
• Exercise impacts all children differently – some get more benefit than others, and some get none at all.
• Left on their own, most children know best what their bodies need.

So what does this mean for families?  Children spend a lot of time being told what to do by parents, teachers, peers, and the media.  Maybe it’s time to include our children in the decision-making process, and in turn, teach our kids to listen to their own bodies.

Whether they choose to participate in organized athletics or unorganized activity (“just play”), they stand to gain the benefits of building and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, without risking physical or emotional burnout.  Activity can contribute fun, creativity, new skills, teamwork, and personal fulfillment to a child’s life.

And if “the single best activity you do is the one you will do”, let’s allow our kids to choose how to become the best, healthiest, and happiest, they can be.

What sports and activities do your kids enjoy most?

Why do we care about trends? Researchers study them, writers report them, teachers teach them, and tweeters tweet them.  Although there are many advantages to being “in the know,” one of the most important reasons to pay attention to trends is that they can help us prepare for and adapt to changes ahead.

Over the past six years, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has identified trends in the fitness industry with their ”Worldwide Survey of Fitness Trends” (you can view the full 2012 survey text here). Come January 1, some of the most popular resolutions will be health- and fitness-related, so let’s get a jump on meeting our goals by looking at what the 2012 fitness trends mean for us.

Educated, certified, and experienced fitness professionals are the core of a rapidly expanding industry. In spite of tough economic times, consumers still place a lot of value in getting and staying healthy.  The fitness industry has responded to this need by employing qualified trainers and instructors.

What does that mean for you? You can breathe a little easier knowing that you can trust your fitness professionals to lead you in safe and effective workouts, helping you reach your goals faster and giving you more bang for your buck.

Strength training is here to stay. Having been near the top of the trends list for several years, strength training is the first training “type” on the trends list, accompanied by personal, core, functional, and group training.

What does that mean for you? Since most of us sit at a desk all day, adding a little weight-bearing exercise such as resistance training can help improve our energy levels, mood, and overall functionality. Expect fitness centers to continue to update equipment and training options to facilitate strength-training programs that meet the needs of all types of exercisers – a stronger body is yours for the taking!

No one will be left behind. Training options are becoming more population-specific, with new programs being tailored to the aging Baby Boomer population and the fight against childhood obesity (just to name a few). Your fitness professionals are trained specifically to work with a variety of individuals from athletes to people fighting obesity or other diseases.

What does that mean for you? The fitness industry is actively trying to meet you where you are to help you get the most you can out of an exercise program, regardless of your goals or fitness level.  In other words, you don’t have to start off looking like Jane Fonda to make exercise a part of your life.

It’s all about energy. Zumba, boot camp, and spinning are growing in popularity.  These group classes are high-energy and fun, and put the emphasis on pushing your physical limits.

What does that mean for you?Releasing stress through dancing, high-intensity training, and cycling will leave you feeling strong, accomplished, and ready to tackle life’s challenges.  You just have to be willing to give them a try.  And although not “trending” anymore, Pilates fans shouldn’t be worried that their favorite class is going to disappear; only time will tell whether these new arrivals and old favorites will continue on as actual trends rather than fads.

The key this year is to work with Midtown to customize a fitness program that will leave you feeling refreshed, rejuventated, and (hopefully) like you had a darn good time.

Now that you know what’s to come in 2012, it’s time to use this information to start doing something that will work for you.

Your 2012 motto shouldn’t be “once I meet my goal, I’ll be happy.” Instead, how about you take a chance on what the industry is giving you and say “it’s time to give myself knowledge, revitalizing energy, and a sense of accomplishment, and add some more fun to my fitness routine.”  Now that’s a reason to work out today.

What do you think of these trends? Have you already tried any of these fitness programs or plan to in 2012? What are you going to do differently in your workout routine this year?

Member blogger Kathleen Hermann talks about ways for families to engage in fun fitness activities during the holiday season.

We all have holiday traditions, from Aunt Linda’s green bean casserole to fireside carols to the annual donning of the matching sweaters.

However, a lot of our traditions around the holidays focus on heavy, fat-laden foods. And there’s nothing wrong with that. Traditions are important, and the holidays are a good time to indulge as long as we do not indulge to excess.

Still, it is a good time to assess whether your family has any healthy holiday traditions, namely involving physical activity. If not, then why not consider starting one?

Growing up, we watched my father every Thanksgiving morning amble through a Turkey Trot 5k. A former college basketball star measuring 6’8″ in height, he was by no means a runner and it was often humorous to watch him lurching down the final stretch. Nevertheless, he loved how running that race (which was, in fact, the only race he ever ran each year) made him feel on Thanksgiving Day.

As soon as we were old enough, us kids joined him, engaging in a friendly competiton with eachother for place and time. There was something special about knowing no matter the weather — and we had our share of unseasonably warm days as well as days with a foot of snow — we knew where we would be Thanksgiving morning. After an endorphin high of running a race like a Turkey Trot in a huge crowd of like-minded runners, the rest of the day was gravy (pun intended).

There are, in fact, many different ideas for holiday traditions involving fitness, with  new opportunities forming each year. It’s not important what you do as long as you do your best to mix the holiday, family and friends (or even pets) with fitness. Here are some ideas for healthy traditions you may not yet have tried:

1. Run a Turkey Trot Next Year
Did you know that the first “Turkey Trot” was started right near us in Buffalo during Thanksgiving of 1896? Back then it had only six runners, but today that same Buffalo race regularly has over 10,000 participants. Now there are Turkey Trots all over the country, of differing lengths and terrains. If running bores you, look for a Turkey Day challenge obstacle-like race. The feeling of having accomplished something will make the food taste that much better.

2. Backyard Touch Football
This is a fun, special tradition that many families have already incorporated into their holidays for generations. Instead of sitting on the couch in a food-induced coma, head out for your own friendly-family or neighborhood competition. Children especially will cherish watching adults take part in a fun family game with them.

3. Take a Holiday Walk
There’s no sweeter image to me on holidays than when I see entire generations of a family out walking down the road in a big pack. The sight of an elderly grandmother pushing a stroller, uncles and aunts engaging in jesting banter, and mixed-age children running ahead just seems to be one of the best ways to unite as a family. Even if it is only you and your dog celebrating this year, take a special walk -perhaps on a nature trail- and enjoy the time to reflect on the holiday and giving thanks.

4. Engage in a Seasonal Activity
The holidays are a great time to let your inner child run free. Whether there are young ones with you or not, there’s no reason you can’t go tobogganing, ice skating, or build a large snowman. All of these activities will  have you sweating off enough calories for that pumpkin pie you ate.

Holiday traditions don’t have to be focused only on sugar cookies and stuffing. Embrace a tradition involving physical activity and your holiday will combat stress, lift your mood, and make the time richer and brighter. More importantly, you may not end the holiday season five pounds heavier and feeling like a sloth. It is never too late to start a new tradition!

Does your family have a healthy holiday tradition or story?

I’ve attended a fair number of dance recitals.

My younger sisters from my dad’s second marriage were heavily involved with dance as young children. As the proud big sister, I dutifully ended each recital.

The two-year-olds were consistently adorable. There was always one guaranteed on-stage tantrum. The costumes were cute (if a bit cotillion-esque). The music was standard kiddie-tune fare. The dance moves were simple and age-appropriate.MORE

It’s Ask the Trainer time again, and Brian Wilmot is taking on your questions this month.

Brian has a fascinating background.

He made Jamaica’s National Swimming Squad at the age of 10 and competed at an international level until age 17. He started Body Building and personal training at 18 and competed in body building until age 24. He won the NPC Amateur New York State Championships for his weight class. He’s also the author Slim and Trim.  After becoming certified by The American College of Sports Medicine as a Health Fitness Specialist (HFS) and having earned several certifications prior, Brian worked in a medical office as a health fitness specialist for six years. He joined the Midtown personal training team in 2000, and his current fitness quest is Seidokan Karate.MORE

Last week, my daughter helped her preschool teacher pronounce the word “quinoa.” She has no clue what Lucky Charms taste like.

Photo courtesy of Paxton Holley

She doesn’t beg me to buy her gummy snacks or potato chips when we go shopping because they are not a part of her world.

But when she starts first grade in another year, her school cafeteria will offer her chocolate and strawberry milk. In another handful of years, she’ll have her own allowance money, and she’ll be confronted with vending machines loaded with unhealthy snacks, strategically located in kid-friendly places. And of course, a vast array of junk food and sugar-laden cereals are located at her eye-level in the grocery store.MORE

In what should come as a surprise to no one, McDonald’s self-proclaimed “bowl full of wholesome” is anything but.

mcdonalds.com

This week, Mark Bittman’s NYT column focused on the the fast food giant’s Fruit and Maple Oatmeal. As Bittman notes, the oatmeal itself contains seven ingredients, the “cream” that’s added contains an additional seven ingredients, only two of which are actually dairy, and a single serving of the menu item contains more sugar than a Snickers bar and more calories than a McDonald’s hamburger.

McDonald’s is hardly at the forefront of the “Eat Real Food” movement. The fact that they’ve managed to take something as healthy and basic as oatmeal and turn it into chemical-laden garbage is hardly newsworthy. After all, this is the company whose salads are loaded with saturated fat, sodium, and mega calories.

I agree with Bittman in that the problem here is McDonald’s marketing tactics. They’ve taken something that the population considers healthy, and they market it to the hilt as healthy and “wholesome.”

But it’s not.

Yes, it’s our job as consumers to read labels and research the nutritional components of the food we eat. We have the choice not to eat at McDonald’s, or Burger King, or their many counterparts.   

And yet some don’t. And many of these people do not have the food education necessary to arm themselves against the ubiquitous giant of McDonald’s, of which there are four within five minutes of their home. These are the people most harmed by deceptive marketing techniques aimed at making them believe they are making a healthy choice when they are not.

In an ideal world, we would all be label-savvy. We would all eat real food. We would all eschew McDonald’s and live hip to the fact that when they say “wholesome” what they really mean is “wholly addicting and bad for you.”

But that’s not the world we live in. The obesity epidemic, to which fast food is a contributor, is not going anywhere, and when people make poor food choices (either because they don’t care about their bodies, or because they believe what they’re eating is healthy because McDonald’s told them so), we are all affected from the strain placed on health care costs.  

So why not place limits on deceptive advertising? Why not make it illegal for a company like McDonald’s to use words like “wholesome” (whose Merriam-Webster definition is “promoting health of the body”) to describe their oatmeal, which contains, as Bittman says, “11 weird ingredients you would never keep in your kitchen.”

What do you think about McDonald’s marketing techniques? Have you tried their oatmeal? I promise, I won’t tell a soul.

I did not grow up playing sports.

A childhood illness kept me indoors for most of my elementary school years. I read. I wrote stories. But I missed the chance to experience the thrill, camaraderie, and teamwork of organized sports.

As a mom, I want for my children what I missed. And because  “Midtown” and “Tennis” go together like “Snow” and “Rochester,” I thought this would be the perfect place to start their experience with sports.

In September, my four-year-old daughter entered the phenomenal Junior Tennis program. Peggy Schuster coached her Level 7  group lessons, designed for the preschool set.

Her nine-week lesson experience was, in a word, awesome. So much so that she’s now several weeks into another session of lessons.

Want to know why her lessons rocked?

Here are 7 Things You Need to Know About Level 7 Tennis at Midtown

1. The Lessons are 110% Designed Around Fun

Don’t get me wrong. The kids are learning the fundamentals of the game, including how to hold the racket, the different parts of the court, and how to correctly position their fidgety little bodies, but everything Coach Peggy does with the kids is centered around them having a blast. The drills have kid-friendly names, incorporate fun props like plastic dome hats to help with balance and cones for catching balls. The lessons are designed to teach kids how to play via a series of creative games.

2. Peggy Schuster has the Patience of a Saint

Trust me on this one. I’m Catholic and I know my saints. Level 7 tennis is for 3-and-4-year-olds, hardly the most attentive, easily directed, and focused age group to work with. But Peggy is the picture of patience. Sometimes the kids, my daughter included, are silly, goofy, and distracted. Peggy never loses her cool, talks to them on their level, and through some form of magical tennis pro power is able to bring them back into the lesson with a smoothness and ease she should package onto a DVD and sell for $29.99 to parents of preschoolers everywhere.

3. Your Child is Made to Feel Important and Safe

My daughter had a great start to her lessons. She went to the first two excited, happy, and fully engaged. And then something went awry in her little brain.

Suddenly, she no longer wanted to go to her lessons. She cried after walking onto the court for the third lesson. We had to leave. She refused to get into the car to go to her fourth lesson. She never gave a reason for not wanting to go. After a two-week hiatus, she agreed to return.

Coach Peggy welcomed her back. She placed a mesh dot used in some of the drills  in one corner of the court and told my daughter that that was her safe place. If she was worried or felt sad, she could go to that dot and feel safe. She never needed to use the dot, but the special attention Coach Peggy paid my daughter made a difference. She finished out the remaining five weeks of lessons without feeling upset again.

4. Lots of Effort is Invested in Planning the Lessons

My daughter is only four, so I don’t yet have a lot of experience with organized sports lessons or practices. But if they’re all organized and executed like the junior tennis lessons at the club, I would be thrilled. It’s obvious that Peggy invests a lot of time into planning the lessons. The energy level is always high. The kids are constantly moving, and one game or drill is always followed quickly by the next, to minimize distraction and keep the kids engaged.

5. Creative Drills Turn Lessons Into Games

All the warm-up activities and drills have great names such as “Sharks in the Water,” a balance drill where rackets placed in center court are the “sharks” and the kids follow Coach Peggy along the lines with small plastic domes on their heads and attempt to stay out of the “water”). Other fun drills include “Lobster Claws,” “Cleaning House,” and “Spaghetti and Meatballs.”

The kids also run obstacle courses designed to practice split steps and correct body positioning.

6. Teamwork is Tops

While my daughter has attended camps and classes before, this is her first foray into sports lessons. Coach Peggy places a lot of emphasis on teamwork, a new concept for my four-year-old. The kids are often paired together for drills, they gather in a group to go over new games, and they always form a team huddle together at the end of each lesson, where the kids place their hands in a pile, one kid chooses “the word of the day,” and they shout,  ”1-2-3 snowflakes” (or “ice cream” or “Superman”, etc.).

7. Your Child Will Improve

I will admit to being a skeptic about this one. My daughter would much rather glue macaroni to sheets of construction paper than race her bike down the street. She was not enrolled in Soccer for Babies. She’s not a natural athlete.

But she’s now able to hit the ball on a bounce. She can engage in a short rally with another player, and she knows the “ready” position. Her balance and agility are greater than when she started, and she’s able to keep her body positioned correctly most of the time. I can’t wait to see what she’ll learn next.

I am very impressed with what my daughter has experienced in her lessons. It’s easy to see why Junior Tennis at Midtown is so popular. It’s a professional, creative, well-run program designed to encourage interest in a great sport. Peggy Schuster is amazing with the kids, and my daughter adores her, often bringing her pictures she’s drawn for her.

I could not have asked for a better first experience with sports for my preschooler.

Do you have kids enrolled in Junior Tennis at Midtown? What do you think of the program?