Did you know many children are experiencing an onset of diseases and health-related issues that only affected the adult population in the past? It is my fervent belief that most of the common chronic conditions that we are seeing affect the youth today are directly related to their dietary pattern and the severe reduction of regular physical activity. Though this may be common knowledge, there doesn’t seem to be a significant decline in the number of incidences affecting the youth population.1 The goal of this journal is to stimulate parent and child involvement in taking initiative in reducing and preventing risk associated with such chronic conditions and possibly, reversing current issues causing illness and contributing to an unhealthy lifestyle. The journal is designed to encourage regular physical activity, increase awareness of food intake and monitor what kinds of foods are consumed. It can also be used as a tool for weight loss as well as weight management- for over nourished, undernourished and improperly nourished children who are ready to make changes in their diet and behavior to experience healthier living. Parental involvement and encouragement will be fundamental in the child achieving this goal. Below I provide the definition of over nourished and undernourished and my description of improperly nourished to provide better understanding as it pertains to each child. Overnourish - to nourish excessively so as to hinder growth and metabolism.2 Undernourish- to deprive of or fail to provide with nutrients essential for health and growth.3 Improperly nourish – over consumption of prepackaged or processed foods with minimal nutrient content and little to no consumption of natural, whole foods. This could be in combination with overnourish or undernourish. For example, a child can be undernourished and improperly nourished by only eating a small amount of packaged foods daily. Or a child can be overnourished by eating a large amount of packaged foods and snacks and sugary drinks only daily. 1. See the HHS.gov website for statistics on youth and obesity. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, PCSFN: Facts & Statistics, https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/ index.html (accessed Apr. 27, 2018). 2. Collins English Dictionary, s. v. “overnourish”, accessed Apr. 27, 2018, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/overnourish. 3. Collins English Dictionary, s. v. “undernourish”, accessed Apr. 27, 2018, https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/undernourish.
Once parents are aware of what type of nourishment and dietary habits applies to their child, they are able to assist the child in what foods to eat more or less of. For an overnourished behavior type, the parent would assist with reducing the child’s food consumption to a healthier amount based on recommendations for their age and height. When dealing with an undernourished behavior type, the parent would use the same method for finding the appropriate amount of food for the child to consume. However, they would have to be more creative in getting the child interested in consistently eating more. Lastly, when addressing improper nourishment parents have to gradually remove and limit access to most, if not all, prepackaged and processed foods the child may be used to having. Parents have to be mindful of each child’s need and take a caring, delicate approach when making these changes. In this journal there is a section provided for setting weekly goals. Here parents can talk with their child and see what goals they would like to set for the week. It may be more beneficial to start slowly and progressively increase when implementing dietary changes for your child. On the next page you will find a chart to help guide you in finding your child’s age, height and weight requirements.
Chart of Height and Weight for Children Many parents and doctors use height and weight charts as a means to gauge how a child is developing. The charts included are results of the guidelines and growth charts provided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). They are intended to provide an average weight range as well as normal range of height and weight for children in various age groups for both girls and boys.1
1. See the HHS.gov website for statistics on youth and obesity. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, PCSFN: Facts & Statistics, https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/ index.html (accessed Apr. 27, 2018). 2. Collins English Dictionary, s. v. “overnourish”, accessed Apr. 27, 2018, https:/ 1. See MDhealth.com for information on height and weight for children. /www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/overnourish. MDhealth, Children’s Health: of Height and Weight Apr. for Children, 3. Collins English Dictionary, s. Chart v. “undernourish”, accessed 27, 2018, http:/ /www.md-health.com/Weight-Chart-For-Kids.html https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/undernourish. (accessed Apr. 27, 2018).
Height and Weight Chart for Girls1 GIRLS
AVERAGE VALUES
NORMAL RANGE
AGE (YRS)
WEIGHT (POUNDS)
LENGTH (INCHES)
WEIGHT (POUNDS)
LENGTH (INCHES)
2
26.5
33.5
22.5-32.1
31.5-36.0
3
31.5
37.0
25.5-37.5
34.5-39.5
4
34.0
39.5
28.5-44.1
37.0-42.5
5
39.5
42.5
32.5-52.0
39.5-45.5
6
44.0
45.5
36.0-59.0
42.0-48.5
7
49.5
47.7
39.5-68.0
44.3-51.5
8
57.0
50.5
44.0-79.0
46.5-54.2
9
62.0
52.5
48.0-90.0
48.5-56.5
10
70.5
54.5
55.0-104.5
50.0-58.7
11
81.5
56.7
61.0-117.0
52.0-61.0
12
91.5
59.0
68.0-135.0
54.5-64.0
13
101.0
61.7
75.0-147.0
57.2-66.4
14
105.0
62.5
83.5-158.0
58.7-67.5
15
115.0
62.9
89.0-167.0
59.5-68.0
1. See MDhealth.com for information on height and weight for children. MDhealth, Children’s Health: Chart of Height and Weight for Children, http://www. md-health.com/Weight-Chart-For-Kids.html (accessed Apr. 27, 2018).
Height and Weight Chart for Boys1 BOYS
AVERAGE VALUES
NORMAL RANGE
AGE (YRS)
WEIGHT (POUNDS)
LENGTH (INCHES)
WEIGHT (POUNDS)
LENGTH (INCHES)
2
27.5
34.2
22.8-33.0
31.7-36.3
3
31.0
37.5
26.1-38.5
35.2-39.8
4
36.0
40.3
29.0-44.0
37.5-43.2
5
40.5
43.0
33.0-52.5
39.8-45.7
6
45.5
45.5
36.5-59.0
42.2-48.6
7
50.5
48.0
40.5-68.0
44.5-51.3
8
56.5
50.4
45.0-77.0
46.7-54.3
9
63.0
52.5
49.5-88.0
48.7-56.5
10
70.5
54.5
56.0-100.5
50.5-58.8
11
78.5
56.5
60.5-114.0
52.0-61.0
12
88.0
58.7
66.5-130.0
54.0-63.5
13
100.0
61.5
74.5-144.0
56.3-66.6
14
112.0
64.5
84.0-159.5
59.1-69.7
15
123.5
67.0
92.5-172.5
61.6-71.7
1. See MDhealth.com for information on height and weight for children. MDhealth, Children’s Health: Chart of Height and Weight for Children, http://www. md-health.com/Weight-Chart-For-Kids.html (accessed Apr. 27, 2018).
How To Use This Journal Effectively Parents should begin with discussing the importance of routine physical activity and eating healthy foods regularly with their child. After discussing this information with the child, parents can then instruct their child how to use their journal to record their daily meals, snacks and activities by walking them through the sample page below.
To Use This Journal:
Tear the stickers out of the book. Place stickers for the allowances for items such as chips, cookies, soda or ice cream on the monthly calendar. That way the child knows when to have that kind of food and the parent is monitoring how much of that kind of food the child is consuming.
Make it a point to review the journal with their child. This demonstrates that this is important to the both of you and that you are actually paying attention to their efforts. Parents should praise hard work and remind them to keep trying even if they fall short of their goals. It might be necessary to review the journal daily or every other day when the child is first starting out. However, after some repetition and practice weekly monitoring may be more acceptable. Involvement is strongly emphasized but finding your own rhythm and comfort zone is recommended.
Helpful Tips Based On Your Child’s Dietary Behavior:
Model the behavior you are requesting from your child If your child sees you making healthier choices, then they will more likely do the same. Limit how often you all dine out and choose healthy alternatives whenever possible. You are your child’s teacher and example! Limit access to unhealthy snacks and foods by not having those types of items in the house/pantry Teach your child how to balance their meals For example, spread out the snack allowances over the course of a month. Show them how they can have their favorite foods such as pizza but with a healthy side item like fruit or salad. Always encourage a serving (1 cup) of water with each meal Be aware of portion and serving sizes. Make sure to know how many servings are offered or represented in the portion of food that is served Try to allow at least two hours between dinner and bedtime Make sure your child receives adequate rest Find ways to incorporate activity in the family routine Seasonal sports Family bike rides Hike a trail or path as a family YouTube exercise videos on rainy or wintery days Discourage sleeping and lounging after eating Suggest the child help with the dishes or put away the leftovers They can also simply wipe the table clean and sweep the kitchen Do not always reward good behavior with unhealthy snacks/treats. Consider healthy treat/snack options such as an organic smoothie, granola or dried fruit with nut trail mix Allow you child to participate in the grocery shopping process For example, let them choose a vegetable they would like to have that week or select their favorite fruit Get creative! Incorporate new flavors and explore new recipes for them to try Build colorful meals for your child
Useful Resources https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/InteractiveNutritionFactsLabel/#intro https://www.eatright.org/for-kids Here you can find recommending amounts for fruits, vegetables and water intake based on children’s age, weight and activity levels along with tons of useful tips, recipes and more. https://www.cnpp.usda.gov/ https://healthfinder.gov/ https://www.hhs.gov/fitness/resource-center/facts-and-statistics/index.html https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/kids-healthy-eating-plate/ A free downloadable guide to The Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate Copyright © 2015 Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. For more information about The Kid’s Healthy Eating Plate, please see The Nutrition Source, Department of Nutrition, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/kids-healthy-eating plate. https://www.nutrition.gov/subject/life-stages/teens/parents-caregivers-andteachers
Dear Parent, With this journal, we can work together creating health awareness for your child. The fact that you purchased this journal is a sign that you are willing and ready to help your child get an understanding of their role in sustaining their health and wellness. I hope that you and your child are empowered throughout this process and experience great success. Share the journey with friends and family! Making an individual change and sharing what you have learned can contribute to the collective improvement of everyone’s health. In health, Lesley You are the catalyst to true change!