Fit Kids For Back To School
by Amy E. Lemen

Backpacks loaded down with books and papers, new clothes ready for wearing — it’s back to school for kids all over Austin and Central Texas.

Classes like reading, writing and arithmetic keep kids’ minds sharp, but how about what they’re eating? And does after-school fun mean watching TV or playing video games? If so, it’s time to re-think their playtime activities this school year.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) 2000 health and nutrition survey, the percentage of children and adolescents defined as overweight has nearly tripled since the early 1970s.

And, about 15 percent of children and adolescents ages 6 to 19 years of age are seriously overweight, not to mention more than 10 percent of preschool children between the ages of 2 and 5 are also considered overweight. It’s a serious situation that we should all be concerned about, especially at this time of year.
Crystal Rudiger, M.S., R.D., L.D., one of the owners of Nutrient Knowledge, a nutritional counseling practice in Round Rock, says she’s been seeing more and more children at her practice, particularly those with diabetes, cholesterol and weight issues.
While the issue of our children’s health is reaching epidemic proportions, the good news is there’s a lot we can do at home to ensure kids are getting — and staying — healthy this school year.

Eating Healthy - At Home and School

Most kids need to be out the door, fed and ready for school by 7 a.m., otherwise they’ll miss the start of the school day. We’ve all heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but according to some experts, it’s even more important for kids.

By the time most children wake up, it’s probably been at least 10 hours since they last ate. Kids’ brains and muscles need an energy boost to get them through a non-stop school day, so having a good breakfast is really crucial.

“Don’t let kids skip meals, especially breakfast,” says Rudiger. “Even if they’re grabbing yogurt and a banana while running out the door, it’s something to get them going.”

For lunches, get kids involved in making their own meals so they’re less likely to trade that peanut butter sandwich. And beware of choices that might look healthy on the outside, but are really loaded with junk your kids don’t need. A good rule of thumb when it comes to labels: the shorter the ingredient list, the better.

“Lunchables may be convenient, but they have zero nutrition,” says Amy Culp, R.D., L.D., partner of sCULPture Fitness and Nutrition. “You can make your own by packing low-fat, low-sodium sliced meats, peanut butter crackers you make yourself and low-fat granola bars.”
And beware of high-sugar, high-calorie drinks like sodas and juice boxes. In fact, Culp says to limit juices to four to six ounces per day.
“Our biggest challenges when it comes to childhood obesity are that we’re eating high-fat, processed foods and we’re drinking most of our calories,” she says. “You have to be creative and put thought and effort into making sure kids eat healthfully.”

Area School Districts and Healthy Kids

Luckily, area school districts are giving us a helping hand. As part of a statewide initiative to ensure proper nutrition, the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) is mandating that all school districts in Texas comply with a multi-part plan focused on changing kids’ diets while they’re at school. Put into practice last August, the plan calls for increasing restrictions through 2007.

For example, the Austin Independent School District implemented its Initiative for Healthy Kids last year. Instead of sodas, beverage machines are now stocked with healthier drinks like water, Powerade, juices and milk. Snack vending machines also received a much-needed makeover, with trail mix, granola bars, baked chips, pretzels and dried fruit replacing unhealthy candy bars. Tracy Diggs, coordinator of student health services for AISD, says the plan has been well received overall.

“Whether kids are in the cafeteria or at the vending machines, they have access to healthy options,” she says. “And our parents are relieved the options are available.”

As part of the initiative, schools are eliminating “foods of minimal nutritional value,” and campuses that aren’t in compliance with state regulations are subject to severe penalties, including tempered reimbursement for food service accounts. While state regulations apply only to elementary schools and middle schools, AISD and many other districts are extending the regulations to their high schools.

“At the K through 12th grade levels, all items in the cafeteria are baked, not fried,” says Diggs. “We also follow USDA guidelines for portion sizes and have nutritionists that create menus based on nutrients and daily calorie needs for different age groups.”

Vending machines and cafeterias aren’t the only food avenue to get an overhaul; district regulations also apply to food sold or given away on school premises, school or non-school organizations (PTA groups, fundraisers, booster clubs, etc), teachers, parents or any other person or group during the school day.

Somewhat surprisingly, unhealthy foods and beverages aren’t allowed on student field trips, either. So it seems that the days of grabbing cupcakes for class parties are over.

“With the number of kids and birthdays, kids could almost have cupcakes every day,” says Diggs. “It forces parents to be creative - instead of cookies or cupcakes, bring colored pencils or stickers.”

Get ‘Em Moving!

Children have a boundless supply of energy — they’re simply made to be active. That’s a good thing, because it’s crucial that kids burn off all that energy to stay healthy once they’re home from school.

“The biggest problem we see is inactivity,” says Rudiger. “And after school, kids are usually snacking on high-calorie foods, watching T.V. or playing video games, and they’re not expending a lot of energy.”

The good news is that we’re lucky to live in a town that is not only kid-friendly, but also has tons of activities that make getting exercise easy. For example, Chaparral Ice has monthly skating classes — a great after-school or weekend activity that’s ideal for escaping September heat. Leslie Martine, general manager of the facility, says parents will come in to sign up one child, but invariably the whole family ends up joining in on the fun.

“One kid will have an interest in hockey, then the siblings want to sign up, too,” she says. “We have a lot of families that skate with us and they love it.”

Classes are offered evenings and weekends and include the “Learn to Skate” and “Learn to Play Hockey” programs. Participants get discount cards with a class purchase — with the card, they can skate as long as they want for $3, and that includes skate rentals.
For those interested in hockey, discount equipment packages are available as well (full gear is required for hockey). Kids of all ages are welcome; Martine says there are simply “no excuses” not to play.

“We’ve totally renovated the Northcross facility, and people are coming out of the woodwork to see it,” she says. “Skating’s also a great cardiovascular workout and is great for kids’ coordination and balance.”

For more information or to sign up for classes, call 512-748-5743 or visit chapparalice.com.

Dance classes are another way to keep kids active — and there are a lot of them in Austin. Movin’ Easy Dance Wear, a local dance apparel shop with two locations (502 West 30th St. and 12129 Highway 620), offers a complete listing of all the studios in town that offer dance and/or gymnastics classes.

Schedules vary, but include morning, after-school and weekend classes in a variety of dance disciplines including ballet, twirling and tumbling. Visit www.movineasy.com or call 474-0980 for more information.

When it comes to eating healthy and getting exercise, no one needs it more than children. And like so many other things, they’re sure to learn from our actions. So make sure to eat healthy and exercise as a family, and everyone will reap the benefits.

“It’s hard to make changes as an adult, but you can really make a difference with kids,” says Culp. “It takes a little more effort to make sure they’re eating healthy, but it’s worth it in the end.” $