Schools found improving on nutrition and fitness
By KEVIN SACK
Published: October 20, 2007, New York Times
ATLANTA, Oct. 19 — Spurred by the growing crisis in child obesity, the nation’s schools have made “considerable improvements” in nutrition, fitness and health over the last six years, according to a new government survey that found that more schools require physical education and fewer sell French fries.
The cafeteria offers salad, fruit and yogurt, and nearly an hour of physical education is required daily.
The survey, which is conducted every six years, shows that more schools than six years ago offer salads and vegetables and that fewer permit bake sales. More states and school districts insist that elementary schools schedule recess and that physical education teachers have at least undergraduate training. More states have enacted policies to prohibit smoking at school and to require courses on pregnancy prevention.
Perhaps most striking, 30 percent of school districts have banned junk food from school vending machines, up from 4 percent in 2000. Schools offering fried potatoes in their cafeterias declined, to 19 percent from 40 percent.
The results of the survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention elicited cheers on Friday from public health and education officials, as well as warnings against complacency.
In some instances, the officials pointed out, progress toward healthier living and learning was notable only because so many schools had started from such low points.
The percentage of districts that require elementary schools to teach physical education increased, to 93 percent last year from 83 percent in 2000.
But just 4 percent of elementary schools, 8 percent of middle schools and 2 percent of high schools provided physical education each school day, as is recommended by the disease control agency. One-fifth of schools did not require physical education at all.
Although the researchers found that the proportion of schools selling bottled water grew, to 46 percent from 30 percent, they also said three-fourths of high schools sold soft drinks and that 61 percent sold potato chips and other high-fat snacks.
“What we’re seeing is that the nation’s schools really are making progress in addressing the obesity crisis and teenage tobacco use,” said Howell Wechsler, the director of the division of adolescent and school health at the disease agency and an author of the study. “But large numbers of schools are still not implementing recommended policies. We need all the nation’s schools to have environments that make it easy for children to make healthy choices.”
In some instances, Mr. Wechsler said, states set policies that districts and schools do not immediately embrace, particularly when mandating physical activity.
“It takes a while for the policies to go down,” he said. “Local school districts just haven’t been able to figure out how to make time for physical education in the school day.”
The overall picture, however, suggests a nationwide response by school administrators and elected officials to concerns about children’s weight and inactivity.
A recent national survey determined that 17 percent of children from 2 to 19 could be classified as overweight. The prevalence of overweight children for all age groups is nearly double that of a decade ago.
In 2004, Congress passed a law requiring each school district to develop a “wellness policy” to promote the students’ health by setting goals for nutrition education and physical activity. Those policies are just now taking effect, and some school administrators predict that the next survey will show more marked improvements. Some schools have set out to place health education on a par with academics. In Los Angeles County, Sepulveda Middle School has banned soft drinks and eliminated unhealthy snacks from the school store. Salad, fruit and yogurt are always available in the cafeteria, said Patricia J. Pelletier, the principal.
Nearly an hour of physical education is required daily, the school offers after-hours training in distance running, and it has started a class on healthy cooking for parents.
“If kids are healthy and have healthy lifestyles, they’re going to be better students,” Ms. Pelletier said. “They’re going to be in school, and they’re going to be connected with the teachers in a better way.”
Dr. David K. Appel, director of the Montefiore School Health Program, which provides health services to 15 schools in the Bronx, said the improvements noted in the study “show that we are now in the early stages of a comprehensive societal response to what could be the greatest health challenge the U.S. has ever faced, which is pervasive childhood obesity.”
Dr. Appel said much more needed to be done, particularly in educating families and gaining the support of marketers of fast food and soft drinks.
The survey found that nearly two-thirds of schools prohibited tobacco use in all locations, including at off-campus functions, up from 46 percent in 2000. Another finding was that the proportion of states that require middle schools to teach human sexuality grew, to 59 percent from 46 percent.
The report found a variety of indications of healthier cooking in school cafeterias. Fifty-five percent reported that they had removed the skin from poultry before cooking, up from 40 percent, and 46 percent now use low-fat cheeses, up from 31 percent. But 12 percent of elementary schools, 19 percent of middle schools and 24 percent of high schools offer students brand-name fast food from businesses like Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
Mens and women discard old clothes
Today in the state of Energised, in the country of Fit Australia, there was an extraordinary chain of events taking place.
Men and women of all ages were donating their old clothes to charity.
With the fit and healthy epidemic hitting Fit Australia, people are handing in clothes that do not fit them any more.
Some dresses are now being used for tents. Shirts as shade cloth and belts getting chopped up and made smaller.
This is due to the country's new trend towards regular exercise and healthy eating.
Charities are excepting the clothing but have no one to give it to.
A spokesman from one of the charities stated, that even low income earners are finding it costs nothing to get outside and get healthy again. Therefore do not need the large fitting clothes so kindly donated.
Men and women of all ages were donating their old clothes to charity.
With the fit and healthy epidemic hitting Fit Australia, people are handing in clothes that do not fit them any more.
Some dresses are now being used for tents. Shirts as shade cloth and belts getting chopped up and made smaller.
This is due to the country's new trend towards regular exercise and healthy eating.
Charities are excepting the clothing but have no one to give it to.
A spokesman from one of the charities stated, that even low income earners are finding it costs nothing to get outside and get healthy again. Therefore do not need the large fitting clothes so kindly donated.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Positive and sensible eating!
Country Fit Australia applauds sensible eating for its citizens
Limit Intake of Starches for Effective Weight Loss?
Posted by EditorsChoice
Sunday, 07 October 2007
Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight is a myth.
Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body.
A healthy eating plan is one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. Is low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Limit Intake of Starches for Effective Weight Loss?
Posted by EditorsChoice
Sunday, 07 October 2007
Starches are fattening and should be limited when trying to lose weight is a myth.
Many foods high in starch, like bread, rice, pasta, cereals, beans, fruits, and some vegetables (like potatoes and yams) are low in fat and calories. They become high in fat and calories when eaten in large portion sizes or when covered with high-fat toppings like butter, sour cream, or mayonnaise. Foods high in starch (also called complex carbohydrates) are an important source of energy for your body.
A healthy eating plan is one that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products. Includes lean meats, poultry, fish, beans, eggs, and nuts. Is low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and added sugars.
Tuesday, October 9, 2007
GETTING THE HEAD TO THINK - EXERCISE!
GETTING YOUR HEAD AROUND POSITIVE THOUGHTS AND EXERCISING
The New Visualization Breakthrough: Mental Training Tactics for Health and Fitness Success
Posted by EditorsChoice
Sunday, 07 October 2007
Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can't get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.
A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it's fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. If you "program" only the desired outcome successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it.
Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training" technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures.
You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.
Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries:
"If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal."
- Zig Ziglar
"The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you."
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
"Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination."
- Claude Bristol
"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."
- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author
Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, some people can't get past feeling that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest assured, however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal success that has been used by some of the highest achievers the world.
The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally.
In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has validated visualization scientifically. Here's something that was written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:
"The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery."
So much for being a "cheesy" self-help technique.
Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don't realize its many applications. Arguably the most common use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and other performers as a form of "mental rehearsal." Research shows that "practicing in your mind" is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both is more effective than either one alone.
A common use of visualization in the fitness context is "goal visualization." In your mind's eye, you can see yourself having already achieved your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You can also visualize a specific performance goal such as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift like a squat or bench press.
One creative way you can use mental imagery is called "process visualization." Once you've set your goals, it's easy to come up with a list of the daily habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to reach your goal. So write down the action steps and visualize them - the entire process, not just the end result. See yourself food shopping and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people visualize their entire "perfect day" as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.
The least known of all mental imagery techniques is called "physiology visualization." An example would be picturing the fat burning process in your body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might be giving subconscious instructions to your body's cells, organs and tissues?
Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I'm not suggesting that you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, (there's a step in between thought and manifestation - it's called action - a step that many self help
The New Visualization Breakthrough: Mental Training Tactics for Health and Fitness Success
Posted by EditorsChoice
Sunday, 07 October 2007
Understanding the mind's role in motivation and behavior is one of the most critical elements in fitness success. If you struggle with changing habits and behaviors or if you can't get motivated, then even the best training and nutrition program is not much help.
A fascinating fact about your subconscious mind is that it's completely deductive in nature. In other words, it's fully capable of working backwards from the end to the means. If you "program" only the desired outcome successfully into your "mental computer," then your subconscious will take over and help you find the information and means and carry out the actions necessary to reach it.
Many people are familiar with affirmations and goal-setting as ways to give instructions to your subconscious mind. But perhaps the ultimate mental training" technique is visualization. In one respect, affirmation and visualization are the same, because when you speak or think an affirmation first, that triggers a mental image, being as the human brain "thinks" in pictures.
You can use visualization to plant goals into your subconscious mind. You simply close your eyes, use your imagination and mentally create pictures and run movies of your desired results. If repeated consistently with emotion, mental images are accepted by your subconscious as commands and this helps with changing habits, behavior and performance.
Although there are some new and creative ways to use visualization, (which you are about to learn), this is not a new technique. Visualization has been used formally in the fields of sports psychology and personal development for decades and philosophers have discussed it for centuries:
"If you want to reach your goal, you must 'see the reaching' in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal."
- Zig Ziglar
"The use of mental imagery is one of the strongest and most effective strategies for making something happen for you."
- Dr. Wayne Dyer
"Perhaps the most effective method of bringing the subconscious into practical action is through the process of making mental pictures - using the imagination."
- Claude Bristol
"There is a law in psychology that if you form a picture in your mind of what you would like to be, and you keep and hold that picture there long enough, you will soon become exactly as you have been thinking."
- William James, 1842-1910, Psychologist and Author
Despite these glowing endorsements and a long track record, some people can't get past feeling that this is just a "hokey" self-help technique. Rest assured, however, that visualization is an effective and time-tested method for increasing personal success that has been used by some of the highest achievers the world.
The Soviets started to popularize visualization in sports psychology back in the 1970's, as detailed in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." They dominated in many sports during that period, which validated visualization anecdotally.
In the last 10-15 years, there has been some groundbreaking new brain research which has validated visualization scientifically. Here's something that was written recently by Dr. Richard Restak, a neuroscientist and author of 12 books about the human brain:
"The process of imagining yourself going through the motions of a complex musical or athletic performance activates brain areas that improve your performance. Brain scans have placed such intuitions on a firm neurological basis. Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that the mental rehearsal of an action activates the prefontal areas of the brain responsible for the formulation of the appropriate motor programs. In practical terms, this means you can benefit from the use of mental imagery."
So much for being a "cheesy" self-help technique.
Although visualization is widely used today, even people who are familiar with it often don't realize its many applications. Arguably the most common use of visualization is by athletes, musicians and other performers as a form of "mental rehearsal." Research shows that "practicing in your mind" is almost as effective as practicing physically, and that doing both is more effective than either one alone.
A common use of visualization in the fitness context is "goal visualization." In your mind's eye, you can see yourself having already achieved your physique goal or your ideal goal weight. You can also visualize a specific performance goal such as completing a difficult workout or a heavy lift like a squat or bench press.
One creative way you can use mental imagery is called "process visualization." Once you've set your goals, it's easy to come up with a list of the daily habits, behaviors and action steps necessary to reach your goal. So write down the action steps and visualize them - the entire process, not just the end result. See yourself food shopping and grabbing fruits, vegetables and lean proteins, ordering healthy foods from restaurant menus, saying no to sodas and drinking water instead, and going to the gym consistently and having killer workouts. Some people visualize their entire "perfect day" as they would want it to unfold. When you do this as vividly, emotionally and in as much detail as you can, you will be neurologically priming your brain to carry out those behaviors.
The least known of all mental imagery techniques is called "physiology visualization." An example would be picturing the fat burning process in your body or seeing the muscle fibers growing larger and larger. Using this technique, could it be possible that you might be giving subconscious instructions to your body's cells, organs and tissues?
Well, consider the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a physician and cancer researcher who taught his patients (as one part of a comprehensive program), how to visualize powerful immune cells devouring the cancer cells. I'm not suggesting that you can cure cancer or materialize a lean and muscular body just by visualizing, (there's a step in between thought and manifestation - it's called action - a step that many self help
Thursday, October 4, 2007
APP.COM - DAY OF SMART TIPS | Asbury Park Press Online
Another part of the world like Fit Australia!
Families doing something about it!
APP.COM - DAY OF SMART TIPS | Asbury Park Press Online
Families doing something about it!
APP.COM - DAY OF SMART TIPS | Asbury Park Press Online
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
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