It’s no laughing matter—just as adults struggle with their weight, kids in America are packing on the pounds. It’s time to get off the couch, get off the rollercoaster diet and get fit!

A BIG Problem

You don’t need to be as skinny as a rail to be healthy. But too many kids across the country are either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. And Arizona youngsters are no exception.

Overall for our state, 12 percent ranging from age 10 to 17 are already considered overweight, and 18 percent are at risk of becoming overweight, says registered dietician Glenna McCollum-Cloud, who heads up the Chandler Education Foundation and is in talks to publish her book called “The Handy Diet.

Those numbers mean that almost one out of every three Arizona kids is too heavy, nearly identical to the numbers you’ll find nationwide. Although these numbers don’t seem to be going up, way too many kids weigh too much!

Some Heavy-Hitting Health Risks

Being overweight can be hard on your body. Over the years, it can lead to certain diseases and ongoing health problems. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being overweight can increase your risk of high blood pressure, arthritis, high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, breathing problems and even some cancers.

Unfortunately, there is great concern because we are starting to see Type 2 diabetes in younger children down to the age of 9 or 10, McCollum-Cloud points out. Type 2 diabetes is a condition where your body can’t convert sugar and starches into energy as it should. More times than not, it has to do with how much you weigh in relationship to your height and your…body shape, she continues.

A negative self-image also can be a result of being overweight. Self-image, whether you’re in elementary, middle school or high school, has a lot of implications (in terms of) a child’s lifestyle and their overall health, McCollum-Cloud adds.

Learning a New Way to Live

As a student, you learn a lot every day. So why not learn how to live in a fun and healthier way?

Times have changed for kids and families. Overall, kids are indoors a lot more than they used to be, occupied with fun gadgets like high-def TVs, fantastic video games, iPods and cell phones with texting keyboards.

(Kids) just don’t move their bodies as much as they need to because their pacifier is the computer, (video) games and TV, asserts Jyl Steinback, who wants to show kids throughout the country how they can live healthier AND have fun at the same time. Steinback, who has been called America’s Healthiest Mom, just launched the Web site: www.shapeuparizona.com. Part of this campaign is the Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program for kids, which is kicking off with a fabulous free festival on Oct. 19 at the Mesa Community College football field.

But the opposite is also true—some kids are terribly over scheduled, spending their afterschool hours traveling from one activity to the next so the family is always on the go.

Both lifestyles have their shortcomings when it comes to living healthy. Kids who are indoors too much may not be active enough. And kids who are on the go often end up in the drive-thru, scarfing down a double cheeseburger.

The experts say that the key to learning to live healthy is a combination of staying active and eating better.

Moving in the Right Direction

For at least an hour a day, put down the game controller, put down the cell phone, and get moving! It’s recommended that kids play or exercise at least 60 minutes a day for five days a week, McCollum-Cloud says. But even the schools struggle with scheduling enough time for physical activity.

For those who aren’t into sports, playing is a great way to be active. There still needs to be time every day when children are encouraged to play, she continues. When you play, you don’t necessarily think of it as exercising. But if you’re having a great time, you’ll want to do it again. Somehow we need to recapture the fun of being active.

If you enjoy playing sports, you’ll probably think of it as being more fun than exercise! So whether you dance, walk, run, bike, swim, jump rope, skateboard, tumble in the gym, dribble a basketball or kick a soccer ball, you’ll be burning calories and raising your metabolism (which helps you burn calories even when you’re at rest).

You Don’t Need to Be on a Diet to Be Healthy

Watch TV or read the papers and you’ll see that diets come and go. Unfortunately, so do the extra pounds for almost all dieters. Instead of learning about the latest fad in diets, learning what foods to eat and what portion sizes are correct is a smarter approach for kids.

I don’t think a diet is good for anyone, McCollum-Cloud says. Learning how to choose healthier foods on a day-by-day basis (is better). In the long run, you’ll end up being more within your ideal body weight range.

Steinback was alarmed to find out that many students skipped breakfast before coming to school. What they’ve found out statistically and scientifically is that learning is more positive when they eat breakfast, she explains. I find that the kids who start off eating healthy first thing in the morning are better to their bodies—they want to take care of them.

But with families so busy and mornings so hectic, who has time to make a healthy breakfast?

The way I approach it is I try to get to the fun. I get the kids involved in colors: the red colors, the purple colors, the blue colors, oranges and all the colors of the rainbow that make up the Food Pyramid, Steinback explains. Because they’re so busy in the morning, I try to get them to start with a smoothie and throw a variety of different colors in, whether it’s the berries or bananas or the orange juice. To save on time, you put the ingredients in the blender the night before and stick it in the fridge so all you have to do is blend in the morning, she says.

McCollum says that many kids need to increase their awareness of what they eat and decrease their calories. If you begin implementing a healthy, colorful diet, it will increase their awareness of the foods that they’re eating and secondly, it will help them decrease their calories because they’ve become more aware of choosing healthier food. Maybe carrots and broccoli instead of potato chips, she suggests.

Make It a Family Thing

The family that plays together stays in shape together. And the family that shops together learns a lot together!

There’s a lot to learn when you help with the family shopping at the grocery store.

Shop the perimeter (of the store). That means you’re getting back to your basics. You’re eating your fruits and vegetables, which are usually on the outside aisle. You’re eating your lean meats, which are also on the perimeter aisle, your dairy products and less refined foods.

Steinback suggests you plan on eating six times a day. Isn’t that a lot of food? When we eat six times a day, it is portion control. We have our three meals, but we’ve got three snacks, and that’s what makes it six times, she explains. When we eat in littler amounts, we have more energy and don’t get that tired feeling after lunch. I find people have better metabolisms, better energy and enjoy the day more this way.

Beary Berry Breakfast Smoothie

Here’s a simple smoothie for breakfast or anytime. Have your parent help you with the blender if needed!

Load your blender with these ingredients:
1/4 cup granola
1 banana
1/2 cup yogurt (plain or your favorite flavor)
1 cup ice
2 cups fruit juice (orange, grape, apple or whatever)

Blend & enjoy with a friend!

Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program Kicks Off for Kids!

Teachers, Parents & Kids—

Check out this new fitness program for classrooms K–6. The program is organized into six modules. And each topic is broken up into four to six fun lessons, which are 20 to 30 minutes long.

Teachers utilizing the Hip Hop Healthy Heart Program are eligible for 10 hours of professional development and certification through Rio Salado College. The fun component has to be there. It gets them excited, and it gets the teacher excited because its such a fun way to teach, explains Jyl Steinback, who is spearheading the program through Positive Living, LLC. We've laid out these plans so simply with objectives, lessons and handouts.

The program includes these modules:
1. Meet Doctor Beat: Your Fascinating Heart
2. Eat Good Food, Dude: Nutrition for Great Health
3. Take Down da Pressure: Keeping the Pressure Down
4. Improve Your Groove: the Many Benefits of Exercise
5. Grin it, Win it: Dental Health Means Heart Health
6. Think Hip ‘n Happy: Positive Thinking for a Healthy Heart

Visit www.shapeuparizona.com for details.

Shape Up Arizona Fitness Festival Kicks Off Program
Sunday, Oct. 19 • 4–8 p.m.
Mesa Community College
1833 W. Southern Ave.

Fabulous family fun and great health info for educators!
• Radio Disney games
• Fitness competitions
• Food tastings, smoothies & MORE!!!