Health: Eat Smart, Be Healthy, Learn More
By Mimi Rothschild
The answer is always the same and it's simple: eat less, exercise a little and you'll lose weight. Still, the homeschool student should be aware that roughly 44 million Americans are overweight and dieters are spending an average $30 billion a year on weight loss programs to get rid of the extra weight. Even with all these programs, it seems that no matter what approach most people take, the weight comes back. That's the conclusion the National Institutes of Health came to after a 13 member panel of obesity, metabolic, and other experts gathered last spring.
Studies showed that nearly two thirds of the weight lost was gained back within a year and almost all the loss returned after five years. Experts are beginning to shift their focus to weight management. Rather than pursuing dieting strategies, experts are starting to recommend adopting a healthy lifestyle with a reasonable approach to consumption and exercise.
Traditionally, 'overweight' has been defined as 10 to 20 percent above an optimal weight for height derived from statistics. Some scientists believe that this simplistic measurement should be altered to consider the amount and distribution of an individual's body fat. The distribution and amount of body fat is a significant indicator of a health risk. Abdominal fat has been linked to more adverse health risks than fat in the hips or thighs. A calculation of hip-to-waist ratio should be included to determine if an individual is overweight.
Regardless of how it is measured, obesity among Americans has increased during the last 20 years and this is having an adverse affect on public health. In order to combat this, the homeschool student can follow some simple guidelines for weight management.
Regular physical activity not only increases caloric expenditure, it also increases the feeling of well-being and raises energy levels. Studies indicate that exercise can regulate appetite. The real challenge for homeschool students looking to maintain healthy weight is in fitting exercise into a life-long habit.
The support of friends and family or support groups makes long-term weight regulation easier. The motivation that each individual has to lose weight is key as well. Individuals who choose to lose weight as a lifestyle change are more likely to succeed than those simply looking to fit in smaller jeans.
When the focus is on the positive health benefits of losing weight, people are more likely to succeed with long term weight management. Choosing smaller, more frequent meals throughout the day helps maintain blood sugar levels and avoid feelings of starvation which leads to binging.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Rothschild is a homeschooling mother, writer, children's rights advocate, and Founder and C.E.O. of home education company Learning by Grace, Inc. She and her husband of 28 years reside with their 8 children right outside Philadelphia, PA.
Rothschild launched Learning By Grace, Inc. because she believed that our nation's public school system has failed parents and students. Learning By Grace, Inc. offers online education through a multimedia-rich curriculum to PreK-12 children across the country and throughout the world.
An accomplished author, Rothschild has written books regarding education published by McGraw Hill and others. Her Homeschooling News Café Blog consists of the most current and relevant education news.Electronic reproduction of this article is permitted if content is published unchanged, appropriate credit is given, and the article title links to corresponding article webpage.
