Your kids and the SCREEN -Win the ongoing battle
Intro
Chances are if you have children, they have a video game console and they love playing it. With things becoming so advanced e.g., virtual reality games, playing online with friends on Xbox, PS4, Nintendo Switch, and so on, it is impeccably easy to become distracted for hours on end in this virtual world. "Clocking in" for hours a day playing video games can be a fun thing for your kid to do but, it builds habits that won't support their health and fitness come the long-term. While building this virtual habit, their activity takes a strong seat in the back because it can be hard to find the activity more enjoyable than a video game that's made to hold your attention and entertain you. This highlights my next point on the rise of obesity in youths.
For clarifications, I will be following the meaning The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) used. The CDC says a child is age 2 to 11, while an adolescent is between the ages of 12 and 19 (1).
Info
The information on Overweight and Obesity in Youths is alarming. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 2007 to 2008, the study found that 19.6% of children and 18.1% of adolescents were obese (2). These numbers are absolutely mind-blowing compared to the 4% and 6.1% of children and adolescents, respectively, who were obese in the 1971 to 1974 NHANES data set (3).
Kids simply aren't as active as they used to be. With all the new technology and the foods and snacks available going outside to play can be less enjoyable than staying in and playing with your friends online, watching TV, or playing games.
This is the ongoing battle we're faced with. We have the responsibility as trainers and coaches who work with children and also as parents, brothers, sisters, etc. to make activity fun for children. Youth exercise importance needs to be known. Simply playing outside with others develops social, physical, and mental skills! However, that does not go to say that video games or TV are bad. I'm not saying that. There are plenty of healthy and active people who love their weekend game on Xbox or PS4. Video games have even been shown to help improve sensorimotor learning(4)! What I am saying is that the ratio of activity to games or screen time is largely in favor of the latter.
Kids should get about 60 minutes of activity daily and as they mature, they can gradually and progressively increase what they do. Experts even recommend that youth participate in resistance training 2 to 3 days per week with at least 1 day between each session to serve as a time to rest and recover (5, 6).
Resistance training has been known to have positive effects on gross motor skills, bone mineral density, body composition, and psychosocial well-being. Also, not to mention being active, exercising, and playing with others and the experience youths have while doing so effect things like confidence, self-perception, self-esteem, emotional well-being, and body image. All are things that can be improved in a fun, safe, and engaging way that involves exercise.
In addition to Youth exercise, nutrition is also a key factor. As you've heard the phrase "you can't out exercise a bad diet," it is true! Imagine eating 10,000 calories and then trying to then burn off the same 10,000 calories in the same day. Can you even imagine the duration and type of activity you'd have to do to even come close to it? Nutrition for Youths need not be as difficult as social media makes nutrition for just about anyone else. Nowadays, it's easier than ever for people to pick up food away from home. It's even easier than ever to get fast food delivered directly to your doorstep and faster than ever because of delivery services and apps that do the same.
A trend in Youths nutrition shows that there is a shift in the place meals are eaten. More meals are being eaten away from home and there is large increases in total energy (calories) from salty snacks, soft drinks, and pizza (7). As you could imagine because these meals aren't home cooked and easily customizable (as in its easy to add nutrient dense foods to any given meal) these meals are usually at fast food establishments where the foods picked tend to be higher in calories, fat, added sugars, and sodium, and lower in fiber and other nutrients that are essential for vital functions (8). And that's just the food! When given the choice between water and soda I know as a child I'd usually always opt for the soda because it was sweet, there was so many flavors and water just seemed boring. That does not go to say that ALL children will usually pick soda or something sugary like I did back in the day. I'm just saying that if kids go for what tastes good instead of what's healthy or more nutritious, they may end up picking sweet, sugary, calorie containing beverages more often. I'd also like to add that just about any fast food establishment you walk into will have their menu of low calorie or "healthy" options and diet drinks and water but children don't have the same decision making skills as adults, nor do they know enough about their health to have it in mind, usually.
Helping you win the ongoing battle
Making things fun for them doesn't have to be so tough. Most of the parents I know are doing an amazing job putting their children into team sports, recreational programs, after school programs and much more. Now, despite the effort to be active, heavily restricting video games and screen time may not be an option (for some parents, at least). After speaking with MULTIPLE parents, those who work with kids daily, and from what I've learned about Youth Exercise & Nutrition, I've come up with some practical tips that may give your child an advantage for habits they'll have practiced for later on in life. While they are watching TV, playing games, etc. you can help them build some of these habits so they have less of a chance of developing unsupportive ones that stick with them as they get older.
Helpful Habit Tips:
1. If they are going to play games or watch TV, avoid putting the consoles or TV in their bedroom.
As ridiculous as this may sound, putting consoles and TV's in their room will promote the habit of associating their room with games and TV instead of sleep. This can promote bad sleep habits. Plus, having the "equipment" in the living area might just promote family togetherness from a young age. you might even get an understanding of what your child is doing on the games, what they’re watching, who they’re playing with etc. You get to see what they’re experiencing.
2. Avoid eating and gaming or watching. Promote sitting down in a calm or relaxing environment to eat.
Considering they will watch TV and play games daily at some point, eating while watching TV and playing games don't allow them to slow down and focus on the food they're eating. Eating slowly, mindfully and at a designated eating area can give the body time to recognize where to eat, that it's full and help recognize satiety. In general, eating slowly may also help you digest better because you're not stuffing food down and getting on your way immediately. In addition, this might end up being a great practice for awareness of hunger cues! If they (or you) notice you put your utensil down while eating, that might just be your body telling you you're about 80% full and eating past that might result in feeling a bit too stuffed. This is a great tip for anyone. You might end up eating less and you may lose or maintain weight more easily, too!
3. Limit calorie-containing beverages to exercising and on an as-needed basis. Things like Gatorade, Powerade, etc. can certainly be helpful in providing quick energy if need be, but when at home having multiple beverages with calories, sugars, etc. won't provide much use when sitting around. Not to mention they add up as the days do on. Consider swapping fruit juices for whole fruit, calorie beverages for water, and maybe as they get older introducing them to teas.
4. Stick to a set bedtime and avoid screens near it.
First, I'd like to note; a kid should be living it up and doing what they love. Even if it means pulling an all-nighter every now and again. But, doing so consistently can't be beneficial and won't help in the future. Therefore, playing games and watching their favorite shows before bed can be a challenge to turn off. There is always something good on. If we develop a habit of staying up late and watching or playing, our sleep will surely suffer. As you know, being an adult and getting ~8hrs of sleep every night with or without kids can be a hard enough task. Starting them off young can help develop good sleep habits or a good sleep routine that can give them a head start for later in life. If you think about the general picture of what a child's night time routine looks like, it’s great! The bed time story! It’s such a great way to wind down and provide a break from screen time close to bed. As they mature, finding something to replace the bed time story can be helpful.
5. Make nutrition FUN!
Children can sometimes be hesitant when trying new foods. Asking your child to help prep a nutritious meal for the family, asking them for help with picking nutritious foods when shopping, even letting them have "final say" in what color vegetable they eat for a meal or two is a great way to involve them in the process. This not only increases exposure to the foods but allows you and your child to regularly learn more about nutritious foods. Leading by example and showing them you walk the talk and eat delicious and nutritious foods too, will allow you to look even more like a role model than you already are and support a nutritious lifestyle at home.
6. Avoid the marketing!
A lot of processed foods are marketed towards kids. Stick to mostly whole, minimally processed foods. I don't mean rid your home completely of processed foods but, you have control of how much is available. Dr. John Berardi from Precision Nutrition shared something that goes like this...
"Berardi’s First Law states: If a food is in your house or possession, either you, someone you love, or someone you marginally tolerate, will eventually eat it"
Theres a reason (plenty of reasons actually) why he's a leading expert in nutrition. If the food seems to be a “trigger” for you or your child consider not bringing it home or at least keeping it far out of sight.
In conjunction with good eating habits, fun, enjoyable activities and exercising can make the world of a difference for your child --and I truly hope it does.
If you want your child to have fun in a safe, supportive, and progressive enviornment, feel free to reach out to me and ask about Youth Exersice Training!
Thanks for reading! Questions and comments are welcome in the comment section.
-Tom Mercatante, NASM-CPT, YES, Pn L1-Nutrition Coach
P.S. I am certified as a Youth Exercise Specialist by The NASM and I am dedicated to making every child's activity and training experience fun, safe, and engaging. If you're in the area send me a message if you're interested in giving your child a safe and fun experience in a fitness club with a professional by their side!
P.P.S. In addition to being a NASM Youth Exercise Specialist, I am also a NASM Certified Personal Trainer, and a Pn-L1 Nutrition Coach. So, for all your needs like, burning fat and getting strong, please send me a message if you're interested and willing to work for results! (Check out the Client testimonial tab to see some client results and what others that I've worked with have to say!)
References
1. CDC. Basics About Childhood Obesity. CDC. http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/ basics.html. Updated April 26, 2011. Accessed September 9, 2019.
2. Ogden C, Carroll M. Prevalence of Obesity Among Children and Adolescents: United States, Trends 1963-1965 Through 2007-2008.http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_child_07_08/obesity_child_07_08.htm. Updated June 4, 2010. Accessed September 9, 2019.
3. Ogden CL, Yanovski SZ, Carroll MD, et al. The Epidemiology of obesity. Gastroenterology. 2007;132:2087-2102. Accessed September 9, 2019
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25318081. Accessed September 13, 2019
5. Mayo Clinic. Stretching: focus on flexibility. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ stretching/HQ01447. Accessed September 13, 2019.
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Physical Activity for Everyone. How much physical activity do children need? http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/ everyone/guidelines/children.html. Accessed September 17, 2019.
7. Nielsen SJ, Siega-Riz AM, Popkin BM. Trends in energy intake in US between 1977 and 1996; Similar shifts seen across age groups. Obes Res. 2002; 10: 370-378. Accessed September 17, 2019.
8. Bowman SA, Gortmaker SL, Ebbeling CB, et al. Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics. 2004; 113 (1): 112-118. Accessed September 17, 2019.
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