Want to Help Kids Improve Academically? GET THEM MOVING!!
kids, activity, cognitive developmen, fitness, free play
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Want to help your kids do better in school ? Get them moving. That’s the message from a growing field of research linking physical activity with better academic performance.
At a time when many schools have reduced or eliminated gym classes and recess, experts say the worry goes beyond the childhood obesity epidemic.
The concern is no longer JUST that kids face obesity and health risks down the road.. Research indicates that inactive kids might not do as well in school as their fit peers
In one of the latest studies in this field, researchers found that middle-school students who performed best on fitness tests — which gauged aerobic capacity, strength, endurance, flexibility and body composition — performed better academically as well.
Experts speculate that exercise may boost academic performance in various ways, including: burning off pent-up energy and allowing kids to pay attention better and focus on their work; boosting self-esteem and mood; and increasing blood flow to the brain, helping with memory and concentration.
Studies in older people have found that cognitive function is significantly better among those who are active. Now we're seeing data that shows the benefit of activity in children's cognitive development too!
Some educators say they notice a difference, too. In a nonscientific poll, teachers noted that kids' alertness and attention span improve after short breaks that include physical activity.
Organized sports not always the best answer
So if your child’s school is lacking in PE and recess, should you hurry to sign your kid up for sports? Not necessarily. While sports certainly can help kids to shape up, regular free play — at the playground or your backyard — may work just as well or even better. Coaches in competitive sports obviously give the most play time to the most skilled players. Sitting on the bench for most of ... read entire entry
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on 10/6/2008
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28.7
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Cholesterol Drugs for 8-Year-Olds - A Sad State of Affairs!
children, high cholesterol, cholesterol drugs, physical activity
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Are you as appalled as I am to hear that the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that some children as young as 8 be given drugs to reduce their cholesterol levels — and that they could end up taking these drugs for the rest of their lives?! After reading the academy’s report, I am even more dismayed about what this recommendation says about children’s health.
The academy recommended that children as young as 2 who have risk factors for heart disease or whose family medical history is not known should be screened for high cholesterol. And it proposed that children 8 or older with very high concentrations of LDL, or “bad,” cholesterol — 190 milligrams per deciliter or above — be considered for drug treatment to drive levels below 160 or even much lower.
The new recommendations are based on evidence that the damage leading to heart disease begins early in life. While cholesterol levels among adolescents have remained stable, the new stance reflects concerns that childhood obesity is increasing and that the prevalence of high blood pressure may be increasing.
The recommendation has provoked furious debate among pediatricians. Critics complain that there is no evidence that giving statins to children will prevent heart attacks later in life and that there is no data on the potential side effects of taking the drugs for decades.
Still, it can’t be good for children to have very high cholesterol levels. The new recommendations apply to these high-risk youngsters, not to all children. Short-term studies indicate that the statins are safe and effective in children and adolescents, and one statin has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for use in children as young as 8.
The academy did urge that good diets and physical exercise be tried first, but the drug recommendation has attracted the most attention. I can't help but wonder if it will open the way for drug ... read entire entry
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on 8/13/2008
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7.6
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