Childhood Obesity

There's considerable hype in the news about the incidence of childhood obesity and the risks. As usual, scare stories abound with calls for government intervention and/or large-scale social changes. But apart from the over-the-top reactions, there are some basic facts that remain.

5 Eating Tips to Living in a Lean body

If any diet worked, there wouldn’t be so many on the best seller list to follow. Maintaining a healthy body weight is as much about what you eat as it is about what’s eating you. Excess food or lack of food is used to deny or mask emotional hunger. Food is a powerful drug, however there is no need to spend your time counting calories or points to achieve a long lasting healthful body weight. Most animals maintain their body weight within a narrow range, suggesting a naturally "built-in" system of weight regulation or set point that our body wants to maintain

Basic Nutritional Needs for Kids

A variety of foods drawn from the groups outlined in the kids' food pyramid will help supply their basic nutritional needs. As you select different foods, keep in mind the different amounts they should have as well.

Food Labels – Eat to be Healthy and Lean

Do labels like fat free, low fat, reduced fat, light, more, less, high and low make your head spin like a top as you toss food into your shopping cart? What does it all mean? Which is best? I thought people were confused by how to exercise until I started investigating their grocery shopping beliefs. Since we are left to decipher nutrition labels, it’s no wonder Americans are confused, deceived and ultimately obese. Find out what it all means here.

How Many Calories Do Kids Need?

The question posed by the title has no unique answer, of course. The amount of calories needed by kids, as with adults, will vary quite a bit from individual to individual. But, also as with adults, general guidelines can still be given.

The New Food Guide Pyramid for Kids

Packing a whole lot of information into a small space can be great. But it can also be confusing. That might be true for some who have seen the food pyramid graphic and information updated by the USDA in the spring of 2005. Unraveling it isn't hard, though, if you just follow a few simple steps.

Vitamins, Minerals, and Other Good Things for Children

Vitamins and minerals aren't just helpful, they're critical to good health. Deficiencies in one or more essential compounds can (and often does) quickly lead to health problems. While most of the names are familiar to parents, they're not always sure why the common vitamins and minerals are so important.

Which Foods Contain What Nutrients?

Every parent knows by now that there is a list of essential vitamins and minerals, and many other helpful compounds that can be found in food. They may even be aware of the recently modified Food Pyramid that outlines the 5 essential food groups and oils. But which foods contain what substances is sometimes less well known.