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live well FALL 2007 A BEACH CITIES HEALTH DISTRICT PUBLICATION 10 easy ways to keep your kids fit not so sweet: what you should know about fructose schedule inside

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livewellF A L L 2 0 0 7A B E A C H C I T I E S H E A LT H D I S T R I C T P U B L I C AT I O N

10 easy ways tokeep your kids fit

not so sweet:what you should know about fructose

schedule inside

is also available

online at

www.bchd.org

livewell

FALL 2007 | LIVE WELL 1

contents

10 PilatesPilates is a popular exercise regimen that helps strengthen core muscles and increasepostural alignment. Stabilize, move andbreathe from a new intelligence!

F A L L 2 0 0 7

8Asset Building:The Path from Childhoodto Responsible Adulthood 16 Yoga

Yoga classes for all levels.

18 Center for Health & Fitness

The gym at Beach Cities Health District.

12 Wellness ClassesFind balance. Eat better. Get a health screening. Classes to help you live well.

schedules

features

20 Health in the News

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Be a role model. “If youwant your kids to bephysically active, be active

yourself,” recommends CindyFoster, AdventurePlex generalmanager and certified healtheducation specialist. Foster saysnothing encourages physicalactivity in children like parentswho make it a priority in theirown lives.

Do it together. Fosteralso recommendsfamily-friendly activities.

John Wordin, executive directorof Southern California’s FitnessChallenge Foundation, agrees itcan be as simple as taking thefamily on an evening walkthrough the neighborhood. AtAdventurePlex, families can climbthe rock wall or navigate theropes courses together.

Walk to school. Asthe acting chief of the California Center

for Physical Activity, Lisa Cirilloversees Walk to School Monthin October. She encouragescommunities to establish year-round walking activities. “Parentscan make neighborhoods moreconducive to exercise by gettinginvolved at the community level.Check to make sure sidewalks

If you were like most kidswhen you were young, recesswas always on your mind.After school you’d race homeon your bike, and summergave you even more reasonsto build a fort or explore theneighborhood. But today’srising levels of childhoodobesity and Type II diabetessignal a dangerous shift. Kidsjust aren’t as active as theyused to be. Keep your childactive and healthy with thesesimple tips.

1. 2. 3. by Ch r i s t i na Ko s ta P ro c op i ou

10Ways to Keep Kids

ACTIVE

are connected and safe forwalkers,” says Cirill.

Limit screen time. TheAmerican Academy ofPediatrics recommends

children over 2 years spend lessthan two hours a day with screenmedia. Excessive television view-ing has been linked to physical,academic and behavioral problems.Foster says television and othermedia can be a barrier to keepingkids active. “Parents can offeralternatives or compromises. Forexample, limit screen time to anhour a day and balance that withan hour of activity,” she says.

Encourage play.Wordin says parentscan keep kids active

by simply sending them outside.“Tell your kids to go out andplay. There’s sure to be some-thing outdoors they’ll find funthat will keep them moving.”

Start early.“Appreciation formovement can start as

early as 6 months,” says Foster.6-to-12 month old children in theDiscoverers Class at AdventurePlex explore and develop theirmovement skills. At 12 to 18months, children enter anExplorers Class designed toincrease coordination, balanceand motor skills development.

Make chores fun.With older kids, makechores entertaining

rather than merely instilling asense of responsibility. “Youmight say to your kids, ‘Who cancollect the most litter or rake themost leaves?’” Wordin and Cirill

say getting children — even littleones — involved in gardening isgood exercise.

Put kids in charge.“Let your kids takeownership of the day’s

or week’s activity,” says Foster.You might allow your child tochoose an AdventurePlex classlike hula dancing or karate.

Be silly. Engaging your child’s imaginationcan also encourage

movement. “Think creatively withyour kids. Can they hop like abunny, run like a gorilla, stretchlike a cat or walk like a spider?”asks Foster, who believes sillinessis a good motivator.

Attend an event.Wordin says fitness events can

motivate and expose parentsand children to differentactivities. The Fitness ChallengeFoundation’s annual event at theRose Bowl (tentatively scheduledfor January 26, 2008) featureshealth screenings, fitnessclasses, noncompetitive eventsand healthy food preparationdemonstrations.

To learn more, check out thefollowing books at the Center forHealth Information, BCHD’s freehealth library: “10 Ways to Keepyour Child Active: Trim Kids” byMelinda Sothern, Ph.D., M.Ed.,C.E.P.; “Helping YourOverweight Child: A FamilyGuide” by Caroline J. Cederquist,M.D.; and “Fit Kids!” by KennethH. Cooper, M.D.

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Body MassIndex andChildhoodObesityMany of us have heard of BMI, or BodyMass Index, and a few of us may evenknow our BMI score. But what does BMImean for children?

BMI is a number calculated from a person’sheight and weight. The Centers for DiseaseControl and Prevention view this number as a reliable indicator of body fat for most people and it is used to screen for weight categories that may lead tohealth problems.

In children, BMI is used to screen foroverweight, at-risk overweight orunderweight, but it is not used as adiagnostic tool. If a child has a high BMI, further examination by a medicaldoctor would be needed to determine if excessive fat is a problem.

What you can do as a parent to ensure your child is protected from childhoodobesity and other health risks is toencourage healthy eating, model an active lifestyle, and ensure that your childreceives regular check-ups from a healthcare provider.

Childhood obesity is caused by multiplefactors including genes, behavior, culture,metabolism, environment and socio-economic status. As a parent, you havecontrol over the kinds of foods you buy and the types of activities you plan. By making healthy decisions, you can take significant strides in preventive health for your entire family.

– Donna Murany

6 LIVE WELL | FALL 2007 WWW.BCHD.ORG

This corn-derived additive appearson labels for items you’d expectlike sodas, cookies and candy. Italso appears in other foods likefruit jelly, ketchup, whole wheatbread, barbecue sauce, fruit juice,crackers, cereal, yogurt andapplesauce. High fructose cornsyrup is popular with foodmanufacturers because it extendsshelf life and costs less than sugar.

A research study tracked thetiming of the introduction of high fructose corn syrup with the start of the nation’s obesityepidemic. The findings led some

nutritionists to believe highfructose corn sweeteners arepartially responsible.

Dr. Robert Lustig, a University of California San Franciscoresearcher, determined many kidsare obese due to high-calorie, lowfiber diets that promote hormoneimbalances and prompt them toovereat. He identifies excessivefructose as a leading culprit.

“Today’s Western diet is highly‘insulinogenic,’” Lustig says. “Inother words, our meals featurefoods with increased energy

densities, high fat content, highglycemic indexes, increasedfructose composition, decreasedfiber and decreased dairy content.”

“In particular, fructose (too much)and fiber (not enough) appear toact as the cornerstones of theobesity epidemic due to theiraffects on insulin,” he adds.

According to Lustig, insulin blocksthe signals traveling from thebody’s fat stores to the brain bysuppressing the effectiveness ofthe hormone leptin. This hormoneregulates caloric intake and

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Surprising Facts and Hidden Dangersby Ch r i s t i na Ko s ta P ro c op i ou

Obesity rates have tripled among children in certain agegroups and doubled among 2 to 5 year-olds since 1980. One reason may be a relatively new and ubiquitous foodsweetener – high fructose corn syrup.

FRUCTOSE—

expenditure. When functioningproperly, leptin increases physicalactivity, promotes feelings of well-being and decreases appetite, heexplains. If leptin is suppressed,the reverse effect occurs,characterized by increased foodintake and decreased activity.Insulin also promotes dopamine, a brain chemical that delivers a“high” after eating. This can leadto overeating as this pleasurablefeeling becomes addictive.

Beach Cities Health District(BCHD) nutritionist and registereddietitian Jeanne Peters advisesparents to read food labels in thegrocery store and avoid productsthat contain high fructose cornsyrup as much as possible.“Choose foods with the most fiber per serving and the leastamount of sugar per serving,”Peters says. “When people eathigh fiber foods, their hunger is more satisfied.” Peters saysanother answer is to offer kids a variety of foods daily. Overseveral days, let children eat foods representing all thecolors of the rainbow.

Gretchen Oshita, BCHD YouthServices director, says the healthdistrict trains parent docents toteach nutrition education in theclassroom. During these lessons,students learn the differencesbetween high-quality and low-quality sugars and fats, and theimportance of eating foods thatare close to nature’s source andminimally processed. Through itsObesity Prevention program,BCHD has partnered with theRedondo Beach Unified SchoolDistrict (RBUSD) to provide farmfresh fruits and veggies on saladbars at elementary schools.

RBUSD superintendent Dr. StevenKeller says, “Addressing thephysical needs of students is alsopart of serving the whole child.Farm fresh fruits and vegetablesare the ideal for school nutrition,and we are certainly moving inthat direction. Thanks to the health district and our childnutrition services program I think the synergy has been greatly enhanced.”

Oshita advises parents to expandtheir thinking beyond merely whattheir children eat to why they eat.

“Children often eat for reasonsother than hunger — stress,boredom, numbing emotions or burying feelings,” she says.

“The solution is not just diet andexercise. It’s looking at behavioralelements, parental support andenvironmental factors,” saysOshita. “Kids must learn to listento their internal signs of hungerand fullness. When they reconnectwith these signals, they’ll eat onlywhen they’re hungry, and stopeating when they’re full.”

Read more about the sugarcontent in kids’ foods. VisitBCHD’s free health library, TheCenter For Health Information, and check out: “Helping YourChild Lose Weight the HealthyWay” by Judith Levine, R.D., M.S.; “Feed Your Kids Well” by Fred Pescatore, M.D.; and “A Healthier You” by U.S.Department of Health and Human Services.

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DID YOU KNOW…Family meals protect youth fromcommon behavioral risks

Eating meals together as a family may protect your child againsttobacco and alcohol abuse, according to a 2000 study atColumbia University. The study found that children who do noteat dinner with their families are 60 percent more prone tosubstance abuse while those who ate dinner with their familieswere 20 percent less likely to drink, smoke or use illegal drugs.

Further evidence of the benefits of family meals for youth wasfound in a 2004 study by University of Minnesota epidemiologyprofessor Dianne Neumark-Sztainer. Neumark-Sztainer studiedthe eating habits of 4,746 adolescents and found that frequentfamily meals protect against low grade-point average,depression and suicide, particularly among adolescent girls.

In a culture that values thinness as a measure of beauty andhealth, eating disorders are prevalent among adolescent girls.Neumark-Sztainer’s study found that 18 percent of girls who ateonly one or two family meals a week reported practicingextreme weight control behaviors, as compared with 9 percentof girls who ate three to four family meals a week.

The study found that 74 percent of teenagers polled reportedthat they enjoyed eating meals with their families, anencouraging statistic for parents who may want to establishmore frequent family meals.

Visit www.bchd.org for ideas on how you can make family mealsboth nutritious and fun.

T8 LIVE WELL | FALL 2007 WWW.BCHD.ORG

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by Christina Kosta Procopiou

Through its school-based healtheducation programs, BCHDexposes children to a framework ofdevelopmental assets established inthe 1990s by the national non-profitorganization, the Search Institute.

The Search Institute maintains thatasset building, or purposefullyhelping youth experience positiveexperiences, relationships,

opportunities and personalqualities, may influence choicesthey make and help them becomecaring, responsible adults. These developmental assets aregrounded in child/adolescentdevelopment research, riskprevention and resiliency.

According to Cindy Foster, generalmanager of BCHD’s AdventurePlex,

while these 40 assets are part ofthe healthy framework for Californiaand included in the school healthcurriculum, they are notincorporated successfully at allschools. The California Healthy Kids Survey shows that beach cities children benefit from theprogramming rooted in assetbuilding offered by BCHD.

Asset Building—The Path from Childhood to Responsible Adulthood“Kids will be kids,” is something most parents have said of their children. Kids, however, aren’t predestined to usealcohol or smoke. Helping youth develop positive assetscan help prevent some of the ways in which they can belabeled “bad” kids.

In 2005, 80 percent of RBUSDninth grade students reportedhaving high levels of expectationsat home and in the community (adevelopmental asset), comparedwith 63 percent of respondents inL.A. County and 63 percent ofRBUSD students surveyed in 2003.Only 53 percent of studentssurveyed in 2003 in Californiareported high levels ofexpectations at home and in the community.

“I think what the survey resultsshow is that BCHD programmingis making a difference,” saysFoster. “Our schools in the beachcities have shown less alcohol anddrug abuse and bullying violencebecause, in my opinion, we arehelping kids build assets.”

Carolyn Seaton, executive director,Educational Services for ManhattanBeach Unified School District, saysthat a preliminary review of theresults of the 2007 CaliforniaHealthy Kids Survey might indicatethat the district’s substance abusepolicy is having a positive effect on students. The study shows animprovement between 2003 and2007 in the percentage of ninth-graders who report having usedalcohol and marijuana.

“Results like this could beattributed to the total districtfocus we have on substance abuseprevention,” says Seaton. “It’s aunified front of police officers,faculty, students, parents, BeachCities Health District, the medicalcommunity and administrators.”

Substance abuse preventionprogramming in Manhattan Beachschools includes having a sub-stance intervention advisor at MiraCosta High School, a voluntarydrug testing program for student

athletes and a Safe Spaceprogram through which parentscan designate their homes asdrug- and alcohol-free gatheringspaces for students.

In Redondo Beach, studentleaders from 12 schools jointogether monthly and work onservice projects. In 2006 theyraised money in support ofhurricane victims. Foster says that giving students suchopportunities provides them with high levels of expectations,another developmental asset.

Anita Boyd, now a college studentat California State University ofDominguez Hills, was a participantas a fourth grader in BCHD’sschool health program.

Boyd recalls learning how to eat right and avoid dangerousbehaviors like smoking. “Theydidn’t just say, ‘Don’t smokebecause it’s bad for you orbecause it will kill you,’” she says. “They said it in a way thatmattered to me as a kid by tellingme ‘Don’t smoke because youwon’t be able to run as fast as you did today if you smoke.’”

Foster says BCHD helps builddevelopmental assets withinschools and outside of them.“Starting when children are veryyoung is the way to go.”

Did you know…Good Nutrition MayHelp Ease Anxiety Although most experts agree that additionalscientific evidence is needed to support theclaims of “anti-anxiety diets,” recent studiespoint to the validity of certain nutrients inhelping to reduce the impact of stress.

Dr. Jonathan Davidson, M.D., director of theAnxiety and Traumatic Stress Program at DukeUniversity Medical Center, recommends a dietrich in omega-3 fats, whole grains and freshfruits and vegetables, the essential componentsof the Mediterranean way of eating. “We nowhave some evidence that this same diet is goodfor your brain and, hence, for your moods,emotional states and cognitive abilities,” says Dr. Davidson.

Folate (or folic acid) also has been linked tomental well-being, as outlined in the book“Complementary and Alternative Treatments in Mental Health Care” (James Lake and David Spiegel, editors, American PsychiatricPublishing, December 2006). A chapterdedicated to nutritional supplements presentsevidence that folate supplementationeffectively helped subjects with severedepression reduce their symptoms.

You can help prevent or minimize symptoms ofanxiety with a few minor dietary adjustments.Reduce your intake of foods high in saturatedfat, such as red meat, full-fat dairy products andbutter. Substitute these with fish, lean meatssuch as chicken, and olive oil for cooking andsalad dressings.

Foods high in refined white sugar such ascookies and processed sweets may trigger acrash in blood sugar levels, which may causejitters and anxiety. Opt for fruits instead; theirnatural sugar (fructose) does not cause drasticfluctuations in blood glucose.

And as counter-culture as it may sound, youmay consider eliminating caffeine from yourdiet if you are prone to anxiety. Most nutritionexperts agree that caffeine-laden beveragesmay exacerbate symptoms of anxiety, so optfor herbal teas or go decaf.

As with all health-related lifestyle changes, seekthe advice of your doctor before altering yourdiet or exercise routine.

— Pamela Corante

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