Category: Blog

Posted September 7th, 2010

Nothing marks the passage of time more than the first day back to school.  Our kids are another year older, and another year closer to growing up and flying out of the nest!  I can feel the anxiety in the air, mixed emotions — excited to go back, and yet dreading to see summers’ end.
 
Remember these words from Fred Rogers Transitions are almost always signs of growth, but they can bring feelings of loss.  To get somewhere new, we may have to leave somewhere else behind.  Give your kids an extra hug and kiss, send them off to school and congratulate yourself for being a great parent!

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Posted September 1st, 2010

Children and teens are seeing fewer television advertisements for fruit drinks, regular soda and sweets such as candy, cookies and pastries, according to a study recently published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.  However, youths of all ages are exposed to substantially more TV ads for fast-food resaurants. 

What does this all mean? 

Self-regualtion pledges by major food and beverage companies to eliminate uhealthy TV ads targeting children ages 11 and younger must be monitored and assessed.  As the report indicates advertisers, despite self-regulation pledges, are finding alternative ways to build brand loyalty among kids.  Robert Wood Johnson Foundation President and CEO, Risa Lavizzo-Mourey, M.D., M.B.A., said:  “Research shows that marketing has a strong influence on what children consume.  Yet unhealthy foods are still marketed to kids.  Restricting the marketing of uhealthy foods is one of the most powerful and cost-effective ways to change what children consume and reduce childhood obesity.  Studies such as this one will help us evaluate the impact of industry self-regulation.”   

Click here to view a summary of the study.

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An online survey of parents of children in grades K-12 revealed what we (parents), already knew.  Parents nearly unanimously agree that schools should provide more physical activity throughout the day; and schools should limit access to unhealthy snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages. Nearly two-thirds of the parents surveyed believe schools play a major role in instilling healthy habits in students. 

School will start in just a few weeks.  Now is the time for parents to work with the PTA or other parent groups to make sure schools create a healthier environment for our children.  Go to the resource section of my websit www.parentactionforhealthykids.org for help in working with your school.  To get ideas, download a copy of the “Let’s Move” nutrition and physical activity toolkit.

The survey was conducted for the Alliance for a Healthier Generation by KRC Research.  You can read the report on the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation website.

**This information has been shared with you by Barb Flis, mother of two and creator of Parent Action For Healthy Kids.

Posted August 16th, 2010

I am so excited and proud to direct you to the First Lady’s Let’s Move website www.LetsMove.gov where you can benefit from all the great tools just released for parents.  You might recall that last March I was honored to be one of 10 people invited to Washington D.C. to provide input in developing tools for parents for the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative to end childhood obesity in a generation.  I am so proud to say these great tools are a reflection of what the First Lady’s staff heard from those of us at the table who work with parents and families. 

The links for parents on Let’s Move recognize that parents are busy and benefit most from simple steps that include specific examples of what parents can do to help their families eat healthy and move more.  Whats more, the parent links give you direct, on the spot assistance.  If you are looking for a local playground, just type in your address and you will see a map of your community with all the local playgrounds; the same for nature, outdoor events, forests and parks.  Do you wonder how many fruits and veggies your child needs?  There is a place to type in their age, gender and amount of physical activity and it will give you the exact amount.  These are just a few examples of the support Let’s Move provides to parents. If you are determined or even just a little curious about whether you can help your family eat healthier and move more, then the Let’s Move website is definitely worth exploring. 

I would like to hear how the Let’s Move web site helped you!  Please email me at barb@parentactionforhealthykids.org or send me a message on Facebook.  Include a picture if you like.  I’ll blog about you on my website so that your stories can be shared with others.

Thanks Mrs. Obama for acknowledging the powerful role of parents. 

If you haven’t already, join my Call to Action to raise healthier kids!

Barb

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Posted August 14th, 2010

North Carolina family takes the 100 days of eating right challenge.

After reading “In Defense of Food” by Michael Pollan, Lisa Leake realized all the junk she was feeding her family.  She and her husband Jason decided to take the challenge! They challenged themselves to eat only “real” food for 100 days.  Processed foods came off their grocery list and they only allow themselves to purchase items with five ingredients or less and nothing they buy is refined.
 
You can read more about the Leakes in this inspirational article written by Jennifer Rothacker at the Charlotte Observer. Read “100 Days of Eating Right”.  You can also read Lisa Leake’s Food Illusion blog at momscharlotte.com and her 100 Days blog at 100daysofrealfood.com.  Here you can learn about her 100-day challenge and see if you and your family might consider giving it a try.  Congratulations to the Leake family!

 

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Posted July 21st, 2010

What a great group of parent leaders at the Kentucky PTA Leadership Convention.  Here I am with Leigh McGuire (left) and Cyndi Gatman (right) from Kelly Elementary and Past Kentucky PTA State President Janice Jackson (center).  Our workshop about the importance of parents when it comes to school health opened the door to many creative and easy to implement ideas like healthier food at classroom parties and PTA meetings, getting kids more physical activity like doing recess before lunch, developing safe walking routes to school and Family Fun Days to raise money as opposed to selling candy. I know many of these will be implemented in the coming school year.

Leigh and Cyndi are anxious to go back to Kelly Elementary with their action plan to make their school and community a healthier place for kids.

Lucky for me, I get to return to Somerset, Kentucky to talk more about school health on November 6th.

Share ideas and learn more on our Facebook page! Look forward to talking to you there. Barb

 

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The 4th of July is a time to be with family and friends and get outside and play.  Take a bike ride, a swim, or toss a ball.  Let’s be real, this probably isn’t going to be the day when your eating is going to be 100% healthy. 

In the words of the late Erma Bombeck:   You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4, not with a parade of guns, tanks, and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness.  You may think you have overeaten, but it is patriotism.

Have a happy and safe 4th of July everyone!

Posted June 17th, 2010

Dear Parents,

Thank you for signing on to my Call to Action for parents in support raising healthy, physically active children! As you know, I was honored to be invited to Washington D.C. to provide expertise to the First Lady’s Let’s Move initiative. However, when I returned I realized that actually affecting change would require a grass roots effort on the part of the community’s most influential people – the parents.

By joining my Call to Action, you have taken the first step in becoming an advocate for healthy eating and physical activity and I am honored to serve you by facilitating this unified effort. Now we need to support each other by sharing stories of what we are doing in our homes, schools and communities. We also need to hear what is not working in order to address the barriers to change head on. Please email me stories of your successes and challenges so that we can all begin to benefit from each other’s experiences in working to raise a healthier generation.

I want to be a resource for you, answer questions, get needed information, blog your stories and bring our voices together to make changes at the state and federal level. To that end, I will be emailing you updates, blogs of what you and your peers are doing, and requests to take action on important issues.

Sincerely,
Barb Flis
Founder of Parent Action For Healthy Kids

 

 

 

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