16-Feb-2007
=== Power Programming Newsletter ===
1. ) Success Stories From The Counselors Office
2. ) Book News
3. ) News You Can Use
4. ) Article: Genetics or Denial?
5. ) Quote of the Week
It’s been pretty chilly and icy up here in the Northeast and I know many of you that are reading this can identify with this. For all of you Northeasterners out there, I’m sorry to say that I’ll be heading to sunny Scottsdale Arizona tomorrow morning to play some golf with friends.
1. ) SUCCESS STORIES FROM THE COUNSELORS OFFICE
I’ve got a 13 year old boy I’ve been working with. As you probably know, childhood obesity is now the number one health threat to kids. So far so good. This kid has not had soda, junk food etc. etc. in several weeks, nor does he want any of it. He has become more active and his weight-loss is very apparent.
2. BOOK NEWS
The first piece to the publicity was just launched. My publicist just sent out over 100 press kits, with advanced reading copies, to major magazines and newspapers across the country. The lead time for print media is 3-6 months. Once May 1st arrives, the fun will begin.
3. NEWS YOU CAN USE
Weis says he was afraid he would 'drop dead' from obesity
See the whole story here
http://www.knoxnews.com/kns/football/article/0,1406,KNS_321_5352578,00.html
4. Feature Article: Genetics or Denial?
The other day my wife and I were out with the kids and decided to stop at an Italian restaurant in nearby Waldwick NJ that we had heard about. We got there early, about 5:15 P.M, to avoid the crowd. The hostess asked if we had a reservation, which we didn’t, and then peered over the top of her eyeglasses and said, “I’ll see what I can do.” She browsed around the empty restaurant, paused for a second, and said, “how about this table right here.” We were seated right next to the entrance, which offered a generous arctic breeze every time the door opened. But we were happy that she was able to accommodate us as we presumed that every other table was soon to be accounted for from all of the reservations they were expecting.
Since we were sitting two feet away from the hostess, we couldn’t help but hear everything she said and we soon learned that reservations were only accepted for parties of 6 people or more. We wondered why the hostess stuck us in the windy, corner table when there were 20 other tables-for-four that were empty. Perhaps she assumed that our two children would cause a ruckus. Thankfully they didn’t. None of this really mattered because the less-than-impressive food was enough to keep us from going back there anyway.
Now, I’ll get my point. When my entrée came out, it was accompanied with a side of string beans. Then something strange happened. My mind brought me back to my grandparent’s house when I was about 6 years old. I could see the entire scene playing in my head. “Tommy, eat your string beans.” I hated string beans and I still do to this day. This reflective moment at the restaurant finally provided me with the answer. If I had not been forced to eat string beans as a kid, maybe I’d be able to tolerate them as an adult. It’s similar to a lot of the learned behaviors many of my weight-loss clients have developed, but on the opposite end of the spectrum. Because they were told to eat everything on their plate as a kid, since there were so many starving people in the world, the habit stayed with them as adults. They eat everything on their plate, even if they are full.
This whole restaurant experience on that frigid night got me thinking. Are all of the obesity cases that we presume to be “genetic” really about genes? Or are they the result of behavior patterns people develop from their parents or grandparents, and then transfer to their own children? I’m leaning toward the later and I’ll tell you why.
As a father of two children, ages 3 1/2 and 4 months, I spend a lot of time with friends and colleagues who also have young children. If you happen to have young kids you can relate to this. I always hear expressions like, “you should see how much Johnny eats,” or “Vicky is off the charts” or this or that. To put it bluntly, it’s not uncommon for a parent to brag about the size of their young child or about how much he can eat. And very often, these glorifications come from parents who could use a gym membership or nutrition 101 class.
When a child is “off the charts” or “could eat a whole box of cookies by himself” parents may look at this as sign of a strong, healthy, growing child. But it’s not a sign of that at all. It’s a sign of danger because research shows that young kids who are “off the charts” in weight are at much greater risk of being overweight throughout their lifespan. And there’s more.
I got to wondering about this concept even deeper. Could those “my child is off the charts” or the “you wouldn’t believe how much Johnny can eat” expressions be validations to a parent that his/her own weight problem must certainly be genetic? After all, if the kids are overweight too then it must be the family genes, not the box of oreos. Maybe some parents are in denial and are afraid of the truth, that they just might have to change their eating and exercise habits and that maybe their kids need to do the same. Of course I’ll never be able to prove this theory and would never attempt to go down that path, but the least I can do is offer some tips that will ensure you’re doing everything possible to prevent your child from becoming overweight. Here are some proven methods.
∑ When your child tells you that his/her tummy is full, it usually means that he has eaten enough. Don’t force him to keep eating.
∑ If your child is a “big” kid, take note of how much food he/she eats and the kinds of foods he’s eating. If you give a kid a neutral food (one that’s not his favorite) and he tells you he’s had enough then so be it, he’s had enough. When kids overeat its usually because they are eating the foods they like the most, which are most always the unhealthy ones like pizza, fries or chicken fingers. Their craving for the taste outwits their tummy signals. Look at like this: when was the last time you ate oranges or vegetables until you were completely stuffed? Probably never. But, when was the last time you ate a bag of chips until you were stuffed? You get the picture.
∑ If your child tells you he wants a snack, offer him some raw vegetables or fresh fruits. If he responds, then he probably was a little bit hungry. If he doesn’t, then it’s not about hunger. He just wanted to stimulate his taste buds with some junk food.
∑ If your child is off the charts in weight but not in height, be careful. You had better evaluate what he/she is eating and how much physical activity he’s getting.
5. QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It's not denial. I'm just selective about the reality I accept.”
- Bill Watterson
