What causes children to be overweight?
Just like adults, children are overweight when they eat more calories than they burn through physical activity (in play and exercise). The CDC recommends that children get 60 minutes of activity each day to maintain good health. This is easy to explain, but hard to change because there are so many factors involved. Foods like fruits and vegetables may be more expensive or unavailable in certain communities. Safe spaces for children to play outside the home may be hard to find due to traffic or crime. Some communities have few affordable healthy lifestyle programs for families and children.
What can we do about it?
Teaching children about healthy eating and physical activity is necessary and we need to do it right away. We also need to make changes in schools and daycare settings, places where children spend a lot of time and where there is a great opportunity to promote a healthy diet and offer plenty of activity. By planting the seed of positive lifestyle behaviors at an early age, children will benefit with a lifetime of health and wellness. If children develop sound movement skills early, they improve their self-esteem and are more likely to practice healthful activities as adults.
This is where KID-FIT can help!
KID-FIT is a licensed curriculum that teaches children ages two through five the basics of healthy lifestyle habits. Through an age-appropriate physical fitness class, KID-FIT teaches sports skills, gymnastics, dance, rhythm and creative movement while enhancing muscular strength, endurance, heart health and flexibility. KID-FIT was founded by Michele Silence in Duarte, CA beginning in 1994. With little available in the form of preschool fitness programs and inadequacies in those that did exist, Michele decided to use her expertise to help children start developing healthy lifestyles from the start. This same year, KID-FIT classes began in the preschool where Michele’s child was enrolled. By 1998 KID-FIT was serving over a thousand children in Southern California, and the first instructor training program was designed and implemented. KID-FIT is now taught throughout the United States, as well as eleven different countries.
Children use fun equipment like scarves, bean bags, hoops and balls while learning about different parts of their bodies. At the end of one year, children will have learned a clear set of goals for each body system in addition to the importance of daily exercise and eating healthy.
More importantly, KID-FIT kids associate exercise with fun. This is an exciting first step to helping children enjoy long and healthy lives while decreasing their risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Why is KID-FIT different?
The educational component sets KID-FIT apart from other movement classes. Although other programs may mention that nutrition or teaching about the body is included, they have no set educational goals to meet yearly. KID-FIT has clear educational goals for each session throughout the entire year. Children are taught, through fun games and repetition, all about their bodies, organ systems, how to take care of them and why. Nutrition is a part of every class as are materials that reach into children’s homes such as newsletters, handouts, coloring sheets, recipes, class projects and more. In addition, parents receive detailed information at the start of each new session.
No other program produces these new, fresh materials each 6 weeks that involve parents and reflect what is currently going on in the world. Education is core to the KID-FIT program.
Lannette Wolford is a fitness professional, physical educator and mother. She considers herself a warrior in the battle of obesity. Lannette received her physical education degree from DePaul University and is nationally certified by the American Council on Exercise for Personal Training, the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America for Group Exercise, and the American Heart Association in First Aid and and Adult/Child/Infant CPR/AED. She also holds several specialty certifications in the fitness and nutrition arena.
For more information about KID-FIT, please contact our local Chicago area representative Lannette Wolford at Lannette@kidfitchicago.com or visit the website www.kidfitchicago.com.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
KID-FIT sounds like a great program! I wish they offered something similar in my area!
Staci A´s last blog ..Three Cups Book Review
This sounds terrific! Getting kids into a health routine at an early age is so important.
Cindi @ Moomette’s Magnificents´s last blog ..Guide to Walt Disney World With Preschoolers – Review and Giveaway
Love this post! It is very important to keep kids active from an early age.
What a great program! Hopefully we can start turning the trend around.
Carole´s last blog ..USDA Says You Don’t Care Anyway
I truly believe in healthy eating and exercise for kids. Also, education. I believe that kids do not learn unless they are active. It is so important, and I am doing the best I can with a conscious effort for my 2 and 3 year olds.
This is very similar to The Little Gym here in Virginia. It applies the same types of skills for kids…anywhere between 6 months and 12 years old. I think these programs are a great idea to get our kids educated on staying healthy and being fit. What they learn now will definitely be beneficial to them as they get older. I think it’s a great idea for parents to teach their kids and also live by what they preach. Thanks for sharing this with us.