“Oh my God!!!!  We’re allowed to touch!”

“Look at the sign!”

Those were the squealing voices I heard recently at the brilliant Da Vinci-The Genius exhibit at the National Geographic Museum in Washington, DC.  The exhibit showcases full-scale machines, reproductions of famous Renaissance paintings, and detailed anatomical sketches from Leonardo da Vinci. The interactive inventions are beautifully crafted by Italian artisans working from Leonardo’s codices. And almost everywhere are signs that read, “Please touch.”

Kids were running all over pulling and pushing levers and laughing and squealing. And so were adults.

The interactive exhibit provides a clear reminder that as humans, we are  designed to manipulate objects in our world. To touch, grasp, push, pull, clutch, rotate, stroke, manipulate, poke, and hold. Perhaps no one personifies this ability better than da Vinci, who used his hands as an inventor, artist, scientist, anatomist, engineer, architect, and sculptor.

Exhibits should not be spectator events. Museum curators would be wise to watch kids interact in this space. One of the kids may be a future da Vinci.

Related posts

• Are humans designed to be endurance runners?
• Choreographing Cells: Dance Dance Evolution

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

“What color is your pee?”

“Straw-colored. Thank you so much for asking. What color is yours?”

“Apple cider. But at least I’m peeing. Hand me the water.”

This was the recent conversation among my friends after we biked on yet another unseasonably hot day. As we stretched out a bit, we asked each other about their pee — the color, the amount, the frequency. It’s our warped way of showing how much we really care about each other.

During this record-breaking hot summer, dehydration and heat illness can quickly become serious problems. The amount of heat your muscles produce can increase 20-fold during exercise as the majority of the energy they create is in the form of heat.

It’s important to keep an eye on the color of your urine, as well as listen to your body and keep an eye on your friends. Stay in the game with these ten tips to beat the heat:

1. Time your activity so you’re out and about in the early morning or late evening when it’s cooler. Plan a route that offers lots of shade. (A good rule of thumb:  if your shadow is shorter than you are, head for shade or indoors.)
2. Slow down. Take frequent rest breaks, especially if you aren’t used to hot weather. Consider shortening your planned activity. If it’s insanely hot, stay inside. Go to the gym or do laps at a mall.
3. Stay well hydrated before, during and after your activity. Carry a water bottle around with you and keep one on your desk at work. Drink two to three cups of fluid two hours before exercise to ensure you are hydrated. If you tend to forget to drink during an activity, set your watch to beep every 15 minutes to remind you to drink, or drink every time you see someone else drinking.
4. Drink cold beverages. Freeze your water bottle or use an insulated container. Consider using a camelback-type device that allows you to carry a large volume of fluid and makes frequent drinking easier. (The entire pack or just the water reservoir can be frozen.)
5. Reach for a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage rather than plain water, if you’re exercising for longer than an hour.
6. Pay attention to your urine. You should pee often, and your urine should be light (think lemonade). If your urine is dark and scanty, it’s concentrated — a sign that you are dehydrated.
7. Dress for success. Wear light-colored, lightweight, loose-fitting clothing.
8. Don’t go for the burn.  Use a broad spectrum, water-resistant, breathable sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher. Apply 30 minutes prior to heading out the door and reapply every 2 hours. Sunburns decrease the body’s ability to cool itself.
9. Know the signs of dehydration and heat illness. They include dry mouth, thirst, small urine volume, irritability, general discomfort, headache, apathy, weakness, dizziness, cramps, chills, vomiting, nausea, irritability, excessive fatigue and/or decreased performance.
10. Weigh yourself in the buff before and after exercise. For each pound of weight lost, drink 2 cups of fluid. (As low as a 1 percent drop in body weight can impair exercise performance and increase the risk of heat injury.)

Show your friends you really care – ask them about their pee.

Related posts
Are humans designed to be endurance runners?
Carbohydrates and sports performance: rinse, repeat, win?

Also see: Family Sunscreen Guide: Tips to have fun in the sun safely (NWF)

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

Back by popular demand, more insights from the textbook, Introductory Physiology and Hygiene, by H. W. Conn, Ph.D., published by Silver, Burdett and Company, in 1908.

Apparently the Tour de France riders never learned as children that they should sit straight, ride slowly, and stop before they are too tired. However, they did learn about the importance of ‘out-of-door’ exercise.

The handwriting over the chapter title reads “Begin” most likely marking the start of a lesson or assignment. Almost all the chapters have this, and the end of the chapter on ‘How to strengthen the muscles’ has the handwriting, “End of 1st quarter.”

Don’t miss Twelve Everyday Health Rules from the same book which was picked up by the NIH MedlinePlus Magazine spring/summer 2010 edition for their ‘Then & Now” feature.

Related posts

• What can pro cyclists teach us about pain?
• Childhood Obesity By The (Big) Numbers
• The Magic of Red Helmets

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

There were several themes that resonated throughout the recent Health 2.0 Goes To Washington conference. Two of the most powerful and provocative ones centered on patients and data.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T
Patients want – and deserve – respect. The kind of R-E-S-P-E-C-T that Aretha Franklin favors. It’s simple: patients are at the center of the health care system and they should be heard and they should participate.

The Health 2.0 conference featured a patient on almost every panel as well as an outstanding Patient 2.0 breakout session. The amazing presenters are helping to redefine what it means to be a patient or a patient advocate. They are educated and empowered. They are active participants in their own health and/or the health of those around them. They demand access, information, and control, which are all the byproduct of respect.

“Content comes from the patient, it belongs to the patient, and it should be up to the patient to decide who to share it with.”  – Regina Holliday

While there are very big issues on the table (such as access to medical records), often it’s the small signs of respect that can make a large and lasting impact. A few examples that were given:

• Health care providers taking the time to write down a diagnosis or instructions, rather than just providing information verbally in a stream of polysyllabic words. (Regina Holliday)
• Health care providers encouraging patients to use the web to set up appointments, ask questions, and interact, so, as Gordon Brown from Myca said, “the waiting room is wherever the patient is.”
• Physicians tilting a computer screen that holds lab results so a patient can see their own information (Dr. Ted Eytan).

This message of respect clearly resonates far outside the conference walls. Recently a friend angrily said, “I walked into my doctor’s office, signed in, and no one at the desk even looked up to greet me.”  This group clearly is not going to stand for this type of treatment. As moderator Gilles Frydman, founder of ACOR.org and ParticipatoryMedicine.com said, “These patients are not the old type of patients.” Cue Aretha.

Data, data, data
A second overarching theme at the conference centered on health data. The biggest buzz was generated by the newly launched Community Health Data Initiative (CHDI), highlighted by Aneesh Chopra, Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Office of Science and Technology Policy, The White House; and Todd Park, CTO of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

The CHDI data set will ultimately consist of thousands of measures of health care quality, cost, access, and public health (e.g., obesity rates, smoking rates). It will include data produced for the Community Health Status Indicators, County Health Rankings, and State of the USA programs. Data will be available at the national, state, regional, and county levels, as well as by age, gender, race/ethnicity, and income (where available). This initiative is part of HHS.gov/OPEN, and is in search of a better name (vote here to rename the CHDI).

Useful health data abound, but tend to be tucked into nooks and crannies. The key is to “unlock the mojo” according to Todd Park. There is a growing spirit of accessibility, transparency and collaboration towards a big data ‘commons.’

Health data are much more than community health maps, mortality stats, and nucleotide sequences.

• Data are in the random observations scratched in lab notebooks that will never be published in scientific journals, but that are being coaxed out in forums and conversations;
• Data are in pharmacy records;
• Data are in web metrics from sites such as Pillbox, Health Central, and Everyday Health;
• Data are in the anecdotal information shared on sites like PatientsLikeMe and Sermo;
• Data are in the art on easels and t-shirts. Data are on murals, such as those painted by patient advocate Regina Holliday;
• Data are in the posture, tone of voice, and hand gestures of individuals sharing their stories via video on sites such as The Moment.

Health data are numbers and letters and charts and maps.
They are also images and sounds and body movements — or a lack thereof.
Health data are DNA misspellings and raised voices. They are MRI scans and wringing hands.

“Data need to turn into motivators for individuals and ROI for businesses.” – Esther Dyson

What health data are you sharing?
How are you going to change health outcomes with data?
What questions are you answering with the data from others?

Buzz about Health 2.0 Goes to Washington

• Susannah Fox, @SusannahFox, e-patients.net: Health 2.0 DC: Passion & Execution at Scale
• Gilles Frydman, @gfry, e-patients.net: Why a Patient 2.0 Panel at the Health 2.0 DC conference?
• Jane Sarasohn-Kahn, @healthythinker, Health Populi & Mobile Health News: Patient Power Through Data Liberación
• Krystle Kopacz, So Health, Health Central: Health 2.0 DC: Most Memorable Moments
• Lygeia Ricciardi, @Lygeia, The Health Care Blog: Health 2.0 Came to Washington—And Now it Needs to Stay
• Regina Holliday, @ReginaHolliday, Regina Holliday’s Medical Advocacy Blog: A matter of perspective
• Ted Eytan, MD, @tedeytan, Still about listening: Health 2.0 DC and Ragan Health Care Communicators Summit
• Matthew Browning, @MatthewBrowning, Your Nurse Is On: Health2.0 Goes To Washington-A Summary

Health 2.0 images and video

• Leroy Jones, Jr., @TechnicalJones, Talking Technology: Health 2.0 DC ~ images of the day and video interviews
• Cindy Throop, @cindythroop, Flickr: Health 2.0 Goes to Washington
• Phil Baumann, @PhilBaumann, Video interview of Ted Eytan and Regina Holliday at Health 2.0 2010
• icyou: Health 2.0 DC video interviews (search tag is “Health 2.0 Washington”)

Health 2.0 Resources
Health 2.0 Goes to Washington main site
Health 2.0 Conference main site
Twitter tag: #health2con

Available presentations from Health 2.0
Amy Romano (@midwifeamy) Maternity Care 2.0
Regina Holliday (@ReginaHolliday): Patient 2.0

Related posts
Health 2.0 STAT: Plugged in and Unplugged
The mHealth Summit: Local & Global Converge
What I did during my summer vacation: HealthCamp

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

“The river is woven into our history. It graces our landscape. And in a modern urban environment, it is a reminder of our connection to the natural world, to ideas larger than us, and to our past and future.” – Patrick Smith, TEDxPotomac Organizer

The inaugural TEDxPotomac drew its name and inspiration from the Potomac River. Ideas surged and ebbed and flowed and branched.

The word cloud above highlights actions and ideas passionately conveyed by speakers and participants throughout the day. Some concepts that resonated:

• Humans have a basic need to collaborate. [Berit Oskey]
• We need context to give meaning. Find something in your world and discover its name and learn something about it. [Bob Corrigan @bobcorrigan @eolpm]
• The difference between first and second place: Do one more thing one more time. [Josh Sundquist @joshsundquist]
• Engage people. Share results. Ask for feedback. Listen. Repeat. [Craig Newmark @craignewmark]
• Redesign your expectations of what is possible. [Yoko K @yokokami]
• Data is power. Information is power. [Shannon Hader]
• Foster accountability over scapegoating, dispersion of power over concentration of power, transparency over anonymity. [Frances Moore Lappé  @FMLappe]
• Live your life in pursuit of what makes you want to jump out of bed in the morning. [Warren Brown @cakelovewarren]
• Excellence touches people deeply [Steve Moore @readysetdc]
• Civility is a big deal. Be nice. [Craig Newmark @craignewmark]

And from the final talk of the day highlighting the theme of rivers and water:
Water is life. We are all environmentalists. Water connects us all across the globe. [Alexandra Cousteau @acousteau]

Thanks to the organizers, speakers, sponsors, and other participants for sharing their time, energy, and passion.

TEDxPotomac Resources

• TEDxPotomac site
• TEDxPotomac on Twitter @tedxpotomac    #tedxpotomac
• http://twitter.com/tedxpotomac/attendees-2010
• TEDxPotomac on Flickr
• TEDx site (x = independently organized TED event)
• Main TED site

TEDxPotomac buzz

• Craig Newmark: Will 2010 be the new 1517?
• Think Tank Creative Event Recap: TEDxPotomac
• Threespot TEDxPotomac Booth-o-rama gallery
• ReadysetDC – Attending TEDxPotomac
• Shared Purpose: Beyond Politics: Can we find a shared purpose?
• politicsunder30.org – TEDxPotomac Recap!

Related posts
The Magic of Red Helmets
New Year’s Resolutions: The Magnetic Poetry of TEDx MidAtlantic
Twelve Everyday Health Rules–From 1908

Image generated by Wordle  http://www.wordle.net/

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

‘A previously skinned knee’ courtesy of massdistraction on Flickr

Guest post by Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA

“Play, Incorporating Animistic and Magical Thinking Is Important Because It:
Fosters the healthy, creative and emotional growth of a child;
Forms the best foundation for later intellectual growth.
Provides a way in which children get to know the world and creates possibilities for different ways of responding to it.
Fosters empathy and wonder.”
- Rachel Carson, “A Sense of Wonder”

Remember Red Light, Green Light; One-Two-Three; Tag, You’re It; Mother, May I? Or Kick-Ball?  These are just some of the good ole’ fashioned outdoor games kids used to play, and they are making a come-back. There’s nothing better than the sound of kids playing outdoors. Even kids playing outside making up their own games can bring them a lot joy and can be great exercise. With all the technology that surrounds us today, it’s great to see kids playing in the park, and in their backyards.

It’s no secret that outdoor play and fresh air are great for kids overall physical and emotional well-being. In fact, a study in the journal Pediatrics concludes that children ages 8 and 9 who had more than 15 minutes of recess had better classroom behavior. This study suggests that school children in this age group should be provided with daily recess.

If you’re looking for some ideas to help keep your kids playing outside, Disney Family.com lists ‘10 Fun Outdoor Games for Kids.’ From Big Foot Relay to Pick Pocket Tag to Name-It Ball, you’ll find some ideas here that will keep your kids active.

Be prepared for life’s little mishaps
As the saying goes, kids will be kids. You never know when a fall or a bump on the head may land them in the ER. Even with a watchful eye, sometimes things are bound to happen. But don’t let this interfere with your child’s free-play.

Being prepared can help you navigate the ER maze and can lessen your anxiety knowing you have all the necessary information at your fingertips. As a registered nurse and an administrative head nurse who covers the pediatric ER, I know it’s not uncommon for parents to be anxious. And as a mom, I understand this too. I’ve been on both sides. Let’s face it; the ER can be overwhelming and frightening. Being prepared is your first step in taking charge of you and your family’s health in the ER.

Here are some key pointers to help you be proactive. These are excerpted from an article I wrote as a medical contributor to Real Simple magazine on emergency rooms.

Always carry a list of your children’s medications and their medical history with you
The emergency room can be scary and answering the simplest questions can be difficult. Having everything written down makes it easy for the doctors and nurses to get an accurate health history. You’ll still need to answer questions by the staff, but having your updated medication list and medical history list with you can be a life saver.

Where can you find a medical history form?
There are some sites where you can create a small information card. However, some people are on so many medications that the small size isn’t sufficient. If your child is on an inhaler for asthma make sure you include it on the medical form. Does your child take any medications for ADHD? Does your child have allergies? What type? Food? Or man made? Be specific. Do they have any past hospital admissions? This is just some of the information you need to include. For a 6×4 size that you can simply carry in a photo wallet, I’ve created one for you (Download the card).  Simply print, complete and carry. Keep a list for you, your kids, spouse or significant other, parents and grandparents. It’s great for college students as well. Men can simply fold and carry in a small wallet.

Consent to Treat Form
Parents, in case you’re not with your child at the time of the mishap, you can give your caregiver a consent-to-treat form. In case of an emergency, having a notarized consent-to-treat form signed by the child’s caregiver will prevent treatment from being delayed. Of course any life-threatening illnesses or injuries are always top priority, but for a non-critical case, having the proper forms will help expedite the process. Find the consent-to-treat form at http://emergencycareforyou.org/, the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) Web site. (A friendly reminder, for any non-threatening life emergency, even with a consent-to-treat form it doesn’t guarantee that you’ll be seen right away. Your child will be triaged by the nurse.)

Here are a few simple tips:

The Dos:

• Communicate clearly with the doctors and nurses in the ER
• Be calm
• Be patient
• Be assertive
• Be persistent
• Be honest and provide a complete and accurate health history

The Don’ts:

• Don’t be rude, loud or obnoxious
• Don’t be combative or angry
• Don’t lie about your child’s condition

We’d love to hear from you. Does your child spend time playing outdoors? What type of games do they like to play? In case of a little mishap that may land your child in the ER, are you prepared? Do you carry a medical history form with you, as a “just in case?”  If not, we hope you’ll download the free form and carry it with you, just in case!

About Barbara Ficarra, RN, BSN, MPA
Barbara is an award-winning journalist, media broadcaster, media trainer, medical blogger, speaker, and health expert.  She is creator, executive producer and host of the Health in 30® radio show, a live 30-minute program that brings listeners the latest health and medical news and information with leading medical experts, and empowers listeners to take charge of their health.

Barbara is founder and editor-in-chief of Healthin30.com. Her blogs on Healthin30.com offer practical advice for spectacular health, focusing on prevention and patient empowerment and Barbara shares a nurse’s inside perspective on healthy living and personal health, as well as the latest legal and political health care issues making all the headlines. Barbara sorts through latest research and provides readers with relevant information without any of the confusing medical jargon.

Barbara is a featured writer on Huffingtonpost. Her blogs appear in the Living, Health, Entertainment, Addiction and Recovery Section; to name a few. She has received awards for her health journalism, including the Journalism Award of Excellence from the American College of Emergency Physicians. The winning program, “Ins and Outs of the ER,” covered what patients should expect in the ER and the challenges created by crowding and waiting.

Barbara is a registered nurse active on the front lines of health care: She is a head nurse at a level 2 trauma center and covers multiple medical and surgical units, critical care, oncology, cardiology and step-down units, the psychiatric in-patient unit and the women’s and children’s units including the pediatric emergency room. Her clinical experience ranges from oncology to general medicine and surgery.

Barbara is a patient advocate who always encourages patients and their families to be proactive and take charge of their health. Barbara focuses on patient (health consumer) empowerment and engagement and healthy living. Barbara is available for consulting and media training as well as speaking presentations for the general public and medical professionals. You can learn more and reach her at http://healthin30.com/.

Related posts

• Childhood Obesity By The (Big) Numbers
• Kids and Media Use: Letting their fingers do the walking?
• Top Gift Ideas for Outdoor Play From The Blogosphere
• 100+ Top Play Resources

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

The fast moving, participatory world of social media is embraced by the White House and the CDC, as well as by professional athletes and major corporations. This presentation, given by invitation at the 2010 American College of Sports Medicine Health and Fitness Summit, educates health professionals on the basics and illustrates how social media and mobile technology can be used to promote programs and engage, educate and motivate individuals.

The resources  cited or utilized for this presentation  are listed below. If you have questions, comments, suggestions, or more examples,  feel free to contact me through the ‘contact’ page or  post a comment below. I’d love to hear from you!

Basic Guidelines  and information

• AIDS.gov Using new media
• CDC eHealth marketing
• FDA’s 2.0 / Social Media Strategy (slideshare)
• The HHS Center for New Media
• Social Media and Web 2.0 in Government
• Stanford University Persuasive Technology Lab: Captology
• White House OpenGov

Reports

• ComSCORE, The 2009 U.S. Digital Year in Review. A Recap of the Year in Digital Marketing, Feb 2010
• Kaiser Family Foundation Report, Generation M2: Media in the Lives of 8- to 18-Year-Olds. Victoria Rideout, Ulla Foehr and Donald Roberts, January 2010

Pew Internet & American Life Project http://www.pewinternet.org/ Recent relevant reports include:

• Internet, broadband, and cell phone statistics. Lee Rainie, Jan 5, 2010
• Social Isolation and New Technology. Keith Hampton, Lauren Sessions, Eun Ja Her, Lee Rainie, Nov 4, 2009
• Twitter and Status Updating, Fall 2009. Susannah Fox, Kathryn Zickuhr, Aaron Smith, Oct 21, 2009
• The Social Life of Health Information. Susannah Fox, Sydney Jones, Jun 11, 2009
• Chronic disease and the internet. Susannah Fox, Kristen Purcell, Mar 24, 2010

Policies

• List of social media policies
• HHS Standards and policies

mHealth

• Mobile Health News The World Bank Day @ mHealth Summit October 28, 2009
• The pocket spy: Will your smartphone rat you out? Gedes, L. New Scientist, 14 Oct 2009
• EpiSurveyor: Data collection on mobile phones made incredibly simple
• GeoChat: Integrating mobile field communications with situational awareness

Examples

• CDC Mobile
• CDC – H1N1 video contest winner
• National Wear Red Day, NHLBI, NIH Wear Red group photo pool on Flickr
• Please Rob Me
• Project Masiluleke
• text4baby
• TSA blog

Terminology

• Smac wiki  Wiki of social media definitions
• Webopedia Online dictionary and search engine for computer and Internet technology definitions
• What is e-health? G Eysenbach, J Med Internet Res 2001;3(2):e20, 2001

Stats

• CTIA-The Wireless Association®  Wireless quick facts
• Facebook stats
• Social Media Statistics

Journals

• Journal of Consumer Health On the Internet
• Journal of Medical Internet Research
• Journal of Participatory Medicine

Miscellaneous

• Food spotting
• FourSquare
• Geocaching
• Get up and move
• Nokia Sports Tracker
• Quantified Self

Staying up to date

• Mashable
• SocialMedia.biz
• TechCrunch

Related posts

• Kids and Media Use: Letting their fingers do the walking?
• The mHealth Summit: Local & Global Converge
• Health 2.0 STAT: Plugged in and Unplugged

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

Childhood obesity is epidemic. We see evidence of it every day – at mall food courts, in video arcades, at school bus stops. But just how bad is it and how much is it costing us?

‘Child Obesity: The Way Forward’ is the theme of the March 2010 issue of Health Affairs, a leading health policy journal. In a special briefing held in Washington, D.C. to highlight the journal issue, authors summarized their work, policy briefs were circulated, and passionate individuals shared questions and experiences. Here are some key numbers from the meeting and journal papers to quantify the magnitude and implications of what we see every day. (Full references are below.)

How bad is the childhood obesity epidemic?

• Nearly one in three U.S. children and adolescents aged 2 through 19 years are overweight or obese (more than 23 million youth). [Odgen 2010]
• About one in six children (16.4%) ages 10 to 17 are obese. [Bethell, Singh]
• Nearly one in three very young children who enroll in Head Start programs are overweight or obese. [Tarullo]
• Over the past 40 years the rates of overweight and obesity have more than quadrupled among children ages 6 to 11, and have more than tripled for adolescents ages 12 to 19. [Data spanning from 1963 to 2004; Ogden 2002, 2006]

Disparities, and disparities within disparities

• Across states, there is a wide range in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children ages 10-17, ranging from 23.1% in Utah and Minnesota to 44.4% in Mississippi. [Bethell]
• Between 2003 and 2007, the disparity in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in U.S. children ages 10-17 grew wider between publicly and privately insured children, lower-and higher-income children, and Hispanic and non-Hispanic children. [Bethell]
• Nationally, in 2007, 44.8% of children in poverty were overweight or obese, compared to 22.2% of children living in households with incomes above 400% of poverty. The disparities based on poverty vary two- to threefold across states. [Bethell]
• Illustrative of the substantial disparities that exist within states as well as among states, Minnesota had the highest disparity ratio (2.61) between children with private vs. public health insurance, despite having one of the lowest overall overweight/obesity rates nationally.  [Bethell]

Food and drink

• Sugar-sweetened beverages and 100% fruit juice comprise 10-15% of the total calorie consumption of children and adolescents (ages 2-19).  [Frieden, Wang]
• Americans’ average daily calorie intake in 2007 was 400 calories higher than in 1985, and 600 calories higher than in 1970. [Wallinga]
• The inflation-adjusted price of carbonated soft drinks decreased ~24% from 1985 to 2000, while the prices of fresh fruit and vegetables rose 39% (based on USDA data). [Wallinga]
• Less than one in ten Americans meet the levels of fruit and vegetable consumption recommended in the 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. [Wallinga]

Physical activity

• Only 42% of children ages 6-11 years, and only 8% of adolescents’ ages 12-19 years, obtain the recommended 60 min/day of physical activity.  [Troiano]
• A quarter of high school students do not meet recommended levels of physical activity (60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day) on any day. [Frieden, Eaton]
• Less than 4% of adults engage in enough physical activity to improve health, although approximately 40% of adults claim they do. [Frieden, Troiano]
• The odds are 1.21 times greater for a child to be overweight or obese if they do not participate in sports and other activities outside of school. [Bethell]
• The odds are 1.21 times greater for a child to be overweight or obese if they do not have local access to a park or recreation center. [Bethell]

Lifestyle & environment

• Children who have a TV in their bedroom or watch more than 2 hours of TV on average per day are more than 1.5 times likely to be overweight or obese. (This relationship holds when socioeconomic and other factors are adjusted for). [Bethell]
• For U.S. children ages 10-17, 35.0% have no access to recreation or community centers; 26.7% have no neighborhood access to sidewalks or walking paths; and 19.2% have no access to parks or playgrounds (as reported by their parents). [Singh]
• Children living in neighborhoods with the most unfavorable social conditions are 50% more likely to be physically inactive; 52% more likely to watch TV more than 2 hours a day; and 65% more likely to engage in recreational computer use of more than 2 hrs/day, as compared to children living in most favorable social conditions (based on 2007 data).  [Singh]
• Children living in unsafe neighborhoods have 61% higher odds of being obese and 43% higher odds of being overweight than children living in safe neighborhoods (after adjusting for age and sex).  [Singh]
• Children living in neighborhoods with no access to sidewalks or walking paths, parks or playgrounds, and recreation or community centers, have 32%, 26% and 20% higher adjusted odds of obesity than children in neighborhoods with access to these amenities, respectively.  [Singh]

Health

• Approximately 70% of obese youth have at least one additional risk factor for cardiovascular disease, such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol. Nearly 40% have at least two additional risk factors.  [Frieden]
• Children who are obese after age 6 have greater than a 50% chance of being obese as adults, even if their parents are not obese. [Frieden]

School achievement

• The odds are 1.32 times greater for an overweight or obese child to repeat a grade in school. [Bethell]
• The odds are 1.59 times greater for an overweight or obese child to miss more than 2 weeks of school during the school year. (These data do not include children who have special health care needs.)  [Bethell]

How much does obesity cost?

• Almost 10% of all medical costs in 2008 were attributable to obesity. [Finkelstein]
• The estimated cost of treating obesity-related illness was $147 billion/year in 2008. [Finkelstein]
• The direct costs of childhood obesity include annual prescription drug, emergency room, and outpatient costs of $14.1 billion, as well as inpatient costs of $237.6 million. [Cawley]
• Obesity-related job absenteeism costs $4.3 billion annually. [Cawley]
• The decrease in productivity in obese individuals while at work (presenteeism) totals $506 per obese worker per year. [Cawley]
• Obesity-related illnesses cost Medicare $19.7 billion and Medicaid $8 billion in 2008. [Cawley]
• Private health insurance plans paid $49 billion to treat obesity-related illness in 2008. [Cawley]
• According to mathematical modeling, U.S. children who were age twelve in 2005 will incur an estimated $2.77 billion in attributable medical expenditures over their lifetime. The twelve-year-olds who were overweight and obese and become obese adults will incur an estimated additional $3.47 billion in medical expenditures. Further mathematical modeling indicates a one-percentage point reduction in obesity (from 16.3% to 15.3%) in children who were age 12 in 2005 would save $260.4 million in total medical expenditures. [Trasande]

What numbers do you find the most frightening?
What numbers are you going to change?

Definition of child overweight and obesity
Child overweight and obesity are based on body mass index, or BMI, which is based on height and weight measurements. Overweight is defined as the 85th through 94th percentiles of age- and sex- specific BMI; obese is defined as the 95th or greater percentile of age- and sex- specific BMI.  The CDC has information on BMI for children and teens, including a Child and Teen BMI Calculator.

References

• Bethell, C., et al. National, state, and local disparities in childhood obesity. Health Affairs, 29(3): 347-356, 2010. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0762
• Cawley, J. The economics of childhood obesity. Health Affairs, 29(3): 364-371, 2010. doi: 10.1377/hlthaff.2009.0721
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Health Affairs

• Table of contents from ‘Child Obesity: The Way Forward’ thematic issue (This issue is made possible with support from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation)
• Child Obesity Policy Briefs
• Video and slides from the March 2, 2010 briefing

Related posts

• Kids and media use: Letting their fingers do the walking?
• 7 Simple tips to grow active, playful kids
• 12 Everyday Health Rules – From 1908

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

I collect vintage health / wellness / fitness / physiology textbooks. While flipping through some of the books recently, I came across this wonderful set of everyday health rules. The list is from the first book in the series, Introductory Physiology and Hygiene, by H. W. Conn, Ph.D., published by Silver, Burdett and Company, in 1908. Most of the rules may be even more applicable today than they were over a century ago.  Enjoy!

And don’t miss the wonderful  ‘A 1930 Medical Record’ from Bob Coffield’s Health Care Law Blog.

Related posts:

• 7 simple tips to grow active, playful kids
• Are humans designed to be endurance runners?
• The Magic of Red Helmets

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.

Our ability to balance and grasp objects and accelerate our limbs through space allows us to experience the multidimensional, multisensory, global playground around us. Our urge to play and explore are so innately woven into our DNA that we routinely create new ways to engage with our universe – to experience wind and water and sky and earth. Extreme sports, such as those on display in the video above, showcase this innate urge to play.

Extreme sports are not just for highly trained, technically savvy adults. The Extreme Sports Camp (ESC) in Colorado offers extreme sports for individuals ages 5 and up with an autism spectrum disorder.

“”My son not only had the time of his life at this camp, but he was given the opportunity to overcome so many of his fears. Our children are not often challenged to the extent that I believe they should be, for their best benefit. This one week adventure provided a supportive environment that allowed him to experience many things beyond his typical boundaries, and gave him the chance to gain confidence, overcome fears and anxieties, and feel better about confronting new and not always so welcoming opportunities in the future.” – Laura from Tennessee

Like their professional and playful kindred spirits, the children also wear red helmets (and white ones and yellow ones). And they also wear big smiles on their faces.

We’re often admonished to “walk, don’t run.” But if we don’t occasionally try to run our fastest (or jump or climb) and feel the wind in our hair and the ground passing beneath our feet, how will we know what we’re capable of, what we have to watch out for, and what we ultimately can achieve?

About The Red Helmet video
This film was part of the Nissan Outdoor Games in 2008. Over one week, 5 teams compete to showcase 5 sports in a 5-minute film. Renowned kayakers, mountain-bikers, climbers, paragliders and base jumpers perform in teams with a cameraman and photographer to develop the most engaging interpretation of adventure sports in the outdoor environment. The competition takes place in Interlaken, Switzerland. The song featured in the video is ‘Cold Cold’ from the album Grus americanus by the band Stephanie’s Id.

Related posts
Are humans designed to be endurance runners?
What can pro cyclists teach us about pain?
100+ Top Play Resources

©2010 Kinetics. All Rights Reserved.