National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month
Shelby Stein, RDN, LRD – Community Dietitian
In 2017, of children enrolled in Head Start through grade 11 in Fort Berthold, 61% were classified as overweight and 40% as obese. Childhood obesity puts kids at risk for health problems that were once seen only in adults, like type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Childhood obesity is a complex health issue. It occurs when a child is well above the healthy weight for his or her age and height. Many factors contribute to excess weight gain. These factors can include eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages, not getting enough physical activity, frequent engagement in sedentary activities such as watching television or other screen devices, use of certain medications, and poor sleep habits. The good news is that childhood obesity can be managed and even prevented.
September is National Childhood Obesity Awareness Month. In support of this, the Fort Berthold Diabetes Program encourages your family to make healthy changes together. Eating healthy and being physically active together as a family helps promote a healthy weight for all as well as helps decrease risk for chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. Try starting with small steps like the ones listed below to help improve the health of everyone in your family.
Make healthy meals and snacks: Buy and serve more vegetables, fruits, whole-grain foods, and lean meats and proteins. Try out some of the following healthy snacks and remember to eat snacks at the table or in the kitchen, not in front of the TV.
• Top a slice of whole-wheat bread, apple slices, or a banana with peanut butter
• Make “ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and raisins)
• Serve a few whole grain crackers with a string cheese
• Melt some cheese in a wheat tortilla to make a quesadilla – try adding black beans in the quesadilla too
• Mix air-popped popcorn with raisins and peanuts
• Dip raw veggies like carrot sticks, broccoli, and cucumber slices in low-fat dressing or a bean dip like hummus
Avoid sugary beverages: Drink water instead of sugary drinks like soda, juice, energy drinks and sports drinks. G
Get active: Walk around the neighborhood, go on a bike ride, play basketball at the park, go to a local fitness center or gym, try an at home activity like stretching or yoga, or check out our free Zumba fitness classes from 6-7pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays at the Northern Lights Aerobics Room!
Limit screen time: Keep screen time (time spent on the computer, watching TV, or playing video games) to 2 hours or less a day.
In an effort to improve the health of the children of the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation, each year the Diabetes Program screens all children for height, weight, BMI, and A1C (if needed) in all schools in Fort Berthold. Based on their BMI and/or A1C results from these screenings, children are invited to participate in our Healthy Futures Program. Healthy Futures is a program that educates children and their families about healthy lifestyles and provides the support and tools they need to make healthy lifestyle changes. As part of Healthy Futures, children and families are scheduled for visits with Dr. Martin, pediatrician or Aubrey Mowery, pediatric nurse practitioner and myself, a registered dietitian nutritionist. Other fun Healthy Futures activities include a camp in the summer, cooking classes and nutrition events, and fitness and activity events.
For more information about childhood obesity or about Healthy Futures, please call the Diabetes Program at 627-7931 and follow us on Facebook.