Kids and Summer Weight Gain

In the ongoing childhood obesity debate, the school lunch is the perpetual whipping boy. However, there’s good reason to be concerned about children’s weight gain over the summer when they’re at home.

Researchers at Indiana and Ohio State Universities released a study a few years ago that found that children’s body mass indexes increased twice as much during the summer as they did during the school year.

The cause? A lack of structure. It’s what we love and crave about the summer—a break from the overprogrammed fall and spring. But it can work against us if we’re not careful. Our children may not be in as many activities, nor are they taking physical education at school. And while we whined about school lunches, kids were probably eating less during the school year simply because they’re in class until mid-afternoon. It’s something for us to think about here in Louisiana where our struggle with childhood obesity is daunting and where the summer heat is a convenient excuse for staying indoors.

Here are a few tips to consider:

•If you don’t want them to eat it, don’t buy it. For every processed, high-calorie snack food, there is something fresh to serve in its place.

•Sign up for organized fun-runs or walks and participate in them as a family.

•Get into good food. June is one of the most robust months for the Red Stick Farmers Market. Make a point of visiting it on Thursday or Saturday mornings, and plan spontaneous menus together.

•Visit a u-pick berry patch. Homemade blueberry pie anyone?

•Take a family walk at night.

•Try a triathlon. There are two this summer designed just for kids and hosted by Rocketkidz.