A glimmer of hope: U.S. obesity may have reached a plateau.

Centers for Disease control investigators found that during 2009-2010 the prevalance of obesity among adult women and men did not significantly change when compared to 2003-2008. On an equally hopeful note, the prevalance of obesity among children and adolescents remained about the same during 2003-2010. All is not well, though. Almost 36% of adults and 17% of children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese--not just overweight. Sadly, there is no indication that obesity is declining.

PositiveTip: Regular physical activity along with consistent healthful dietary choices empowered by God's Grace are the best weapons against this epidemic.

Playing with your children is a natural tool to build resiliency.

Play is an important part of growing up healthy. It contributes to the social, emotional, cognitive and physical well-being of children. The American Academy of Pediatrics has expressed concern that when academic achievement is emphasized over recess and regular physical activity, children living in poverty may have the most to lose.

PositiveTip: Participate in playful, physical activities with your children to help them become tomorrow's productive citizens.

Overweight children who snore may suffer from learning difficulties.

Overweight children aged 10-16 years old with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) often have difficulties with attention span, and suffer increased depression and anxiety. This study found that 30% of students with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) received a grade “C” or below, while only 15% of students without obstructive sleep apnea received a C or lower. Conversely, 15% of students without obstructive sleep apnea received an “A”, while none of the students with obstructive sleep apnea received an “A”.

Young children learn best from interactions with humans not TVs or computers.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published a policy statement in 1999 that addressed only TV exposure by children younger than 2 years old. It has now updated this statement based on new evidence to include video programs and games. Key findings include the fact that evidence does not support the educational value of even educational video programs and heavy media exposure in this age group can delay language development.

PositiveTip: Unstructured play time and interaction with humans best facilitates creativity, problem-solving, reasoning and motor skills in toddlers.

Flu shots reduce hospital admissions for children.

Want to keep your child out of the hospital even if they get the flu? A single pediatric dose of the H1N1 vaccine administered at least 14 days before diagnosis was 85% effective at keeping the kids out of hospital according to Canadian research. A single dose is suboptimal, but in an emergency can be very helpful.

PositiveTip: Flu season is starting. Have you and your kids been immunized?

Mothers of young children get less exercise.

Canadian researchers reported at OBESITY 2011 that moms of children under 6 years of age get less physical activity than those who do not have children at home. This study found these women averaged 6.38 minutes less of moderate to vigorous intensity excercise each day--or about 45 minutes per week, almost one-third less than the recommended 150 weekly minutes!

PositiveTip: Dad, step-up and do your wife a favor: watch the kid(s) while she exercises! Short of that, Mom: bundle-up the children and take them with you for a brisk walk.

Childhood obesity risk can be reduce by up to 41% by eating more whole grains, vegetables and nuts.

A study of children and adolescents found a greater intake of whole grains, vegetables and nuts reduced the risk of excess weight by 41%, 40% and 33%, respectively.  Higher fat dairy products increased the risk of overweight and obesity by 36%. Nuts do have higher calories from fat but increases satiety and may decrease food intake in future meals.

PositiveTip:  Plant foods when consumed with minimal processing have higher nutrient levels and lower calorie-density thus limiting the risk of weight gain for adolescents--and probably adults, too!

A few minutes of watching "SpongeBob SquarePants" in 4 year olds lowers attention and cognition.

A small, randomized, controlled study found that 4 year olds who watched fast-paced cartoons for only 9 minutes did significantly worse on tests of attention and cognition than those who spent the same amount of time drawing with crayons. How long do these effects last? More research is needed.

PositiveTip: Allowing your young children to watch fired-up cartoons may at least temporarily impair their attention and cognitive capacities.

For healthy brain development infants and toddlers need at least 12-14 hours of sleep daily.

The American Academy Sleep Medicine recommends that infants get a minimum of 14 hours of sleep per day and toddlers 12 to 14 hours for healthy development. Parents are urged to make this a priority in starting their child’s health habits on the right foot. Even if your toddler fusses in an attempt to stay up, stick with it until it is a habit.

PositiveTip: Young children need their sleep! If you struggle in accomplishing this, check out these excellent tips.