Below I have posted a summary of Mrs. Obamas initiative, every parent should be aware of. It is doable right now, no matter who you are. It is your obligation to read it, live it and pass it along. Chose one point this week, add another next week, and before you know it it is your own truth and way of living.
Let’s Move
First lady Michelle Obama launched her “Let’s Move” campaign the second week of February to highlight, and hopefully help remedy the current childhood obesity epidemic. If you think epidemic sounds a little too dramatic, then consider this: It is estimated that one out of every three children in the United States is obese.
The Formula
The American Academy of Pediatrics has a simple formula for helping prevent childhood obesity. It’s 5-2-1-0, and it breaks down like this:
5:
Eat five vegetables and fruits a day (the majority of this should be vegetables). I would also add that you limit your fructose consumption from fruits to under 15 grams per day. You can use the table lower on this page to help you determine the fructose content of common fruits.
2:
Limit screen time — TV in particular — to 2 hours or less a day. (The AAP says to avoid any screen time for children under the age of 2. Another interesting variation of this comes from Robert Lustig, MD who is a pediatric endocrinologist at the University of California who specializes in weight loss. He integrates this into the next one in that for every minute of screen time (TV or video games) a minute of exercise is required.
1:
Do one hour of physical activity a day.
0:
Have zero sugar-sweetened drinks This is an easy one that EVERY child would benefit from following.
About the Author
Gwen Lawrence is a fitness professional whose practice includes private yoga training, class instruction and her sport-specific Power Yoga for Sports training program www.poweryogaforsports.com. Gwen’s unique combination of dance, massage and yoga training experience, coupled with her extensive knowledge of anatomy, and nutrition, provide her clients, and athletes with overwhelming benefits. Gwen is the yoga coach for several New York Yankees baseball players, team yoga instructor for the New York Giants, New York Knicks, New York Red Bulls, New York Rangers, several major college teams, including Yale and UNC, and many youth teams. Her writing appears in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Fitness Magazine and shape.com. Gwen lives in New York with her husband, and three teenage boys.
