Childhood Obesity

I'm sure you've all heard that obesity in children is still on the rise and you have probably heard it referred to as an epidemic. I recently read about a study done by the University of Michigan on the topic of childhood obesity that produced some concerning results. The study included 2000 parents of kids ages 6 to 11. Of the parents whose kids were obese 40% believed their kids were at a proper weight level. Amazingly once parents were informed that their child was obese 10% said that they weren't concerned about it. So basically there are parents out there that either don't know their child is obese or refuse to acknowledge it. There are also parents out there that know full well their child is obese but don't see it as a problem or don't care. It is frustrating to hear those kind of things considering the health of these children is in the hands of these parents. Some of the parents stated that they felt like it would be cruel or insensitive to tell their child that he/she is obese and needs to lose weight. I agree that it would be cruel considering the blame and responsibility should be on the parents. By making some healthy changes to the family's eating habits and by embracing a more active lifestyle both the kids and the parents would experience great improvements to their health. I know addressing obesity can be difficult and uncomfortable but ignoring it is really not an option. By letting it go unaddressed we are putting our children at risk of very serious health problems and failing in our duty to look out for them and keep them safe.

Measuring your heart rate

Your heart rate can serve as a basic indicator of your cardiovascular fitness level and your heart's efficiency. If you check your resting heart rate regularly you can also see results from your regular exercise. The general range for healthy adults is to have a resting heart rate between 60 and 100 beats per minute. If you are an athlete that participates in intense training and competition then the range is going to be lower, 40 to 60 beats per minute. To check your resting heart rate do it when you are relaxed and haven't been moving around a lot. Sit down and find your pulse, the easiest place is going to be in your neck slightly to either side of your throat, or on the inside of your wrist toward the thumb side. Once you can feel your pulse look at a clock and count the beats for 30 seconds, be sure you are counting your pulse beats and not the seconds on the clock. Multiply the number of beats you counted by 2 and you'll have your resting heart rate in beats per minute. It might be a good idea to write it down and check it every few days or once a week. Also, you may want to record what time of day you checked it so you can see if there is any variance throughout the day. Factors that will have an impact on your resting heart rate are: Activity level, Fitness level, Air temperature, body position, emotions, body size, and some medications. If you find that your heart rate is consistently below 60 or over 100 I recommend you go see your doctor and point it out to him/her.