Search Results for: blog special needs children and obesity

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of June 18, 2012

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Every week, the Special Needs Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss topics that are relevant to parents of children who have a variety of special needs. Topics could cover ADHD, autism, Special Education, stories in the news, and more! The Parent’s Journal has an episode that was released on June 18, 2012. This episode is called “John Kemp”. The topic of this one is “Play and Friendship for Children with Disabilities”. It features John Kemp, author of the book “Reflections from a Different Journey”. The Coffee Klatch has an episode that was released on June … Continue reading →

Obesity Costs $190 Billion

It makes sense that as we get fatter as a nation, our healthcare costs rise as well. But, I was really taken back today when I read that obesity could cost the U.S. $190 billion in healthcare. A new study shows that the rising cost of obesity has doubled from what experts previously expected. The staggering cost of obesity may even exceed the healthcare cost of smoking – yikes. Maybe it is true that when you give up smoking, which has been pushing in our society (and rightfully so), you gain weight. What is all this money being spent on? … Continue reading →

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – April 8-14, 2012

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The Special Needs Blog Week in Review is a great way to keep up with everything that has been posted on the blog in the past week. It gives you a brief description of each one, so you can quickly find something that you are interested in reading. What did you miss last week? The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on April 9, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of “Hold the Gluten” podcast, which is called “Help With Celiac Research”. The episode featured Dr. Daniel Leffler of Beth Israel Medical Center, who discusses a … Continue reading →

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of February 20, 2012

Every week, the Special Needs Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss topics that are relevant to parents of children who have special needs. You can listen to the podcasts while you are driving, or while you are doing other tasks around the house. Listening to a podcast is a great way to learn something new. The Parents Journal has an episode that was released on February 13, 2012. This episode is called “Practical Tips for Parents Who Work From Home”. It features Leslie Spencer-Pyle, an expert on how to manage a home-based career or business … Continue reading →

Study Shows Link Between Sleep, Obesity, and Learning Problems

A study finds that there is a connection between lack of sleep, learning difficulties, and childhood obesity. The existence of one of these three factors increases the risk that a child will also experience the other two factors. It could mean that reducing one factor can decrease the risk of developing the other two. A study was done at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. It included 351 elementary school kids. The average age of the children in this study was eight years old. There were some variables that were the same with all of the children in … Continue reading →

Special Needs Children and Obesity

I have heard a lot of talk about obesity in children. Advice to prevent that ranges from “feed your child better foods” to “turn off the video games”. Parents of kids who have certain special needs require more tools than those pieces of advice. Your child’s medications could be affecting his or her weight. Kids that are extremely overweight, or obese, face certain health risks. They may develop insulin resistance, hypertension, or type 2 diabetes. These kids could be experiencing sleep apnea, which means that they are unable to get restful sleep. Some children who are overweight will begin puberty … Continue reading →

Pop Culture Milestones: A Day Without TV and A Day Without Britney

If your child comes running through the house tomorrow screaming about the television being broken DON’T call a repairman. Especially if your mini-couch potato is a fan of Nickelodeon. The cable network will be broadcasting nothing but dead air on Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. (EDT/PDT) as part of its fourth annual “Worldwide Day of Play.” It’s Nickelodeon’s way of encouraging kids to get off the couch and get moving—-preferably outside with other children. Of course, the network has to make money somehow so that evening Nickelodeon is airing “Let’s Just Play Go Healthy Challenge” a show chronicling the … Continue reading →

Does Television Influence Children’s Nutrition?

In an effort to prevent childhood obesity, the American Heart Association recommends limiting video and television viewing for children to no more than a couple of hours daily. They do not recommend putting a television set in children’s rooms. And, they also suggest urging children to play or to engage in some other physical activity for an hour each day. Did you know that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not letting children view television until the age of 2? They suggest limiting viewing time to 2 hours daily after age 2. During a study, Harvard researchers found that long … Continue reading →

Kid Fitness: Myths about Overweight Children

Genuine concern exists for parents about the weight of their children. We hear a news story every single day about childhood obesity. We hear about what we need to be afraid of and in some cases, what we need to do as parents to protect our children. Today, I want to talk about some of the myths associated with overweight children. Childhood Obesity Needs a Quick Fix It would be nice if there were an instant fix to all fitness issues, especially obesity. It would be great if there were a fast answer for us much less our children. It’s … Continue reading →

What is Spina Bifida, and Who is at Risk?

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What is Spina Bifida? Every year, about 3,000 infants are born with spina bifida, a neural tube defect which occurs during the first month of pregnancy. The spinal column of an unborn child begins to form early, often before a woman even realizes she is pregnant. If the spine does not fuse together properly, it leaves the delicate nerves of the spinal cord exposed or damaged. This is spina bifida. In severe cases, there may be brain involvement, causing fluid on the brain and requiring a permanent shunt for drainage. Spina bifida typically causes varying degrees of disability, from partial … Continue reading →