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Family Wellness First
The E-newsletter for Parents to make Informed Health Care Choices
Issue
6: Back to School
Back to School bring
up several issues parents will make choices about. We have infomation for
you on:
1- Back Packs
2- Obesity and Diabetes Rate Increase.
Back
Packs:
There has been a raised awarenss
about the amount of weight children are required to carry to and from school
in their back packs and the potential injury to their developing spines. The
following article: http://my.webmd.com/content/article/92/101856.htm is
one of many articles that have been published around the continent warning
parents about the numerous injuries associated with back pack usage.
The I.C.P.A. has many articles related to this issue which include these growing
concerns and helpful tips for the prevention of injury. Please browse the following
articles for additional information. http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/children/backpacks.htm, http://www.icpa4kids.org/research/articles/childhood/backpack_research_newsletter.htm ** http://www.icpa4kids.org/newsletters/backpack_safety.htm
Finally, if your child complains of spinal discomfort associated with the use of back packs, find a Doctore of Chiropractic in your area who can help you address these issues before further spinal injury occurs. http://www.icpa4kids.org/find.htm
Obesity and Diabetes:
Back to school means
a more sedentary lifestyle and less parental supervison over our children's
daily diet. The rate of childhood obesity is on an alarming increase. Sugars,
carbs and "bad fats" are known to cause obesity and yet the American
diet is filled with these foods. School lunches and the presence of junk
food vending machines in cafeterias are offering our children choices we
may not feel so comfortable with. Will it change? Accoding to the release
of new federal guidelines--there will not be much support. Aug 27th Reuters
reported:
"A U.S. panel of nutrition
experts recently proposed new federal dietary guidelines that acknowledged
a link between soft drinks and weight gain, but stopped short of recommending
that overweight Americans eat less sugar...Consumer groups had hoped the panel
would bluntly recommend that Americans limit their consumption of soft drinks
and other sugary foods, a view sharply opposed by beverage makers and the sugar
industry, who say weight gain is due to many factors....The recommendations
included non-controversial language advising consumers to choose their fats
and carbohydrates "wisely" and to limit salt and alcohol.
'A reduced intake of added sugars (especially sugar-sweetened beverages) may be helpful in achieving recommended intakes of nutrients and in weight control,' the report said. The experts stopped short of directly urging Americans to cut down on soft drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, candy and other sugar-filled food, saying more research was necessary. Soft drink makers and the sugar industry contend it is unfair to link diabetes to soft drink consumption. They said an unhealthy lifestyle, not a particular food or beverage, increased an individual's risk of developing diabetes."
Although the guidelines have not been released, there is little anticipation that the recommendations will include the reduction of soft drinks. It will be up to us as parents to get to our schools directly and have the junk removed.
This Family Wellness First Issue is co-sponsored by Mothering Magazine
Family Wellness First comes to you as a courtesy of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association.
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