Yoga, zumba for children is to make a mockery of the physical condition

NEW YORK (Reuters) - children still jump rope and commitment collection of play, but the parents of today also hold snacks, fitness lessons and gym classes to keep their children safe and active.

About 17% of U.S. children and adolescents were obese in 2009-2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Many adults suffers readily banish the love handles, but the children insist on having a good time. So much fun fitness is key, experts say, as well as beginning.

"We used to simply play out," said Dr. Avery Faigenbaum, a scientist of the exercise of Pediatrics, Professor and researcher at the University of New Jersey. "Some parks and playgrounds are too dangerous." We need programmes, but we must be sure that they are developmentally appropriate. »

Just as learning a language is easier when it is started as a child, is the same for the movement, according to Faigenbaum.

Total body movements, such as dance and martial arts are ideally suited to young children, he said, especially when performed under the direction of an instructor who can connect with children.

"Those are skills children can carry over life", he said.

Jodi b. Komitor, a former teacher and founder of the "next generation Yoga," teaches the yoga for children from 18 months.

"Children learn through movement and the yoga is a science based on the traffic that has been around for more than 5,000 years," said Komitor.

"Many parents say their children start doing naturally dogs down", she added, referring to the poses of yoga.

Komitor designed his first studio yoga for children, in New York, after the wizard of Oz. Unlike adult yoga sessions, who cultivate calm, his children classes are often noisy and always age-specific. Classes have a foundation of poses of yoga and incorporate playfulness and self expression.

HIDING THE MEDICINE IN CANDY

As the Zumba craze for Latin based dance/fitness, supposed to hide the physical condition in the party, CEO of Zumba Alberto Perlman likes to say that the Zumbatomic, the classes of dance designed for children ages 11: 56, mask the medicine in the candy.

"With young children class is not only on the physical condition, but also on the development of motor skills," said Perlman.

Ashley Walters runs the program of Action of Kid at Streb in Brooklyn, New York. The program, based on the choreography of the founder Elizabeth Streb, crosses dance, athletics, boxing, rodeo and circus skills.

"For the five-to-seven-year-olds teach us many beginner gymnastics skills." Kids love the slamming and falling and teach them in the fall, said Walters, adding that they fall on the thick carpet. "Kids are always trying to do stuff like that on their beds."

Faigenbaum believes that the formation of the movement should begin at the preschool level. At seven or eight, the child is usually ready for sport and conditioning of power.

He added that research shows that children who have developed their motor skills, such as throwing, running, kicking, jumping, twisting, are more likely to be remain active in adulthood.

"The obese child is likely to become obese adolescents", he added.

Although children could not wanting to follow dad and MOM to the gym, the experts say that young still need at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity per day, every day.

"The TV is nothing more than a machine to obesity," says Faigenbaum. "The best treatment is prevention." As soon as a child can walk we participate out of activity-10 to 15 minutes when they are rising and the displacement. »

He urged parents to take a history of activity of their child.

"Ask them every day: active how are you today?". Do you have hard breathing? "he said. "Anyone can make a tired child." "This is difficult is to keep their activity, teach them something new".

Testosterone Drops in Dads Sharing Beds With Kids

By Rita Rubin
WebMD Health News

Sept. 5, 2012 -- Dads who sleep in the same bed as their children may see a drop in their testosterone levels, a study shows.

"This is the first study that's ever been done on this," says researcher Lee Gettler, PhD, an assistant research professor at Notre Dame. "No one before had ever asked the question as to whether co-sleeping affects men's physiology."

The study is published in the journal PLoS One. It follows an earlier study that shows men's testosterone levels drop when they become fathers.

Evidence from studies in animals suggests that high testosterone levels, which help males attract a mate, might interfere with fathers' investment in their children.

Research also shows that men with higher testosterone levels aren't as responsive to a crying infant, while those with lower levels tend to be more hands-on dads.

The study was conducted with 362 young Filipino men. About 92% of those men said they slept next to their children.

Gettler first assessed the Filipino men's testosterone levels in 2005, before they became fathers. He checked testosterone levels again in 2009, when the men had at least one child.

Men with lower testosterone in 2005 were no more likely to sleep with their children after becoming dads than men with elevated testosterone. In 2009, though, the bed-sharing fathers had lower testosterone than the other men in the evening but not in the morning.

"I was surprised that there was no difference in the morning," Gettler says. After all, he says, research has shown that a lack of sleep, which might be expected in men who sleep with their young children, can lower testosterone levels. His study did not collect information about sleep quality or duration.

One explanation for the testosterone drop in the evening could be that interacting with their children during the day contributes to dads' lower levels, Gettler says.

Peter Gray PhD, an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, who has studied the impact of marriage and fatherhood on men's testosterone levels, praised Gettler and his collaborators.

"I think they did a great job interpreting the data they had," Gray says.

The American Academy of Pediatrics advises against adults sharing a bed with infants because it could increase the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) or suffocation. But the organization does recommend that babies sleep in the same room as their parents.

The notion that children learn to become independent by sleeping in a separate room from their parents is rooted in folklore, not science, Gettler says.

Larenz Tate on Sickle Cell Disease

The actor wants people to know how serious the disease is and why it's important to get screened.

September is Sickle Cell Disease Awareness Month, and for actor Larenz Tate, that means spreading the word about a chronic disease that disproportionately affects the African-American community.

"It's really important to know if you carry the disease," says Tate, 36, who recently costarred on FX's Rescue Me and in BET's made-for-TV movie Gun Hill, which premieres this fall.

Thrombocytopenia

Thrombocytopenia is an abnormally low number of platelets in the blood. Platelets are the blood cells responsible for helping blood to clot. Most thrombocytopenia causes no major problems, but severe thrombocytopenia may result in excessive bleeding. Many medical conditions and drugs can cause thrombocytopenia. Platelets are very small blood cell fragments, a fraction of the size of a red blood cell. Platelets circulate in the bloodstream and gather together at sites of bleeding. There, platelets...

Read the Thrombocytopenia article > >

As many as 100,000 people in the United States have the disease, which causes red blood cells to resemble sickles or crescents. The misshapen cells can reduce blood flow, which starves vital organs of oxygen and can lead to chronic fatigue and intense pain.

Many people who don't have the disease carry a gene for it. Screening is essential, a message Tate will spread this month via Facebook and Twitter (@LarenzTate). "If you can prevent the disease, you can really make a difference in someone's life," says Tate.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD the Magazine." 

Got an Aggressive Dog?

Transform your fighting Fido into a calm canine. Plus how to curb aggression in cats, too.

Everyone gets a little riled up when they feel threatened, and dogs are no exception. "Aggression serves a purpose for dogs," says Katherine Miller, PhD, director of anti-cruelty behavior research for the ASPCA's anti-cruelty behavior team. "Dogs respond to real or perceived threats to their body, territory, or resources, such as food or toys." But if every passing animal or approaching stranger sends your dog into a fit of barking, growling, and snapping, some behavior therapy may be in order. 

If your dog is still a puppy, you're in luck. According to Miller, socializing a dog while it's young is the best way to discourage aggressive behavior as an adult. Expose your pet to different types of people and places so he doesn't react to them as a threat later on.

If he's past his puppy prime, a little retraining might be the best way to mellow out your pooch. One key to managing aggressive outbursts is to see them coming. "People say a dog didn't give any warning, but usually there is one -- it's just unrecognized," Miller says.

Watch for subtle changes in your pet's demeanor, such as sudden stillness, looking out of the corner of his eye instead of directly at something, lowering his head, or hunkering down. Quickly divert your dog's attention when any of these things happens -- warning signs often occur a split second before a dog's behavior escalates.

You can also head off aggression at the pass by respecting what your dog's body language is telling you. "Don't impose your will on the dog," Miller says. Pushing your pup to play nice with a small child or another animal, even as he's pulling away, is a recipe for disaster.

When a normally placid dog becomes aggressive, visit a vet to rule out medical causes for the sudden change. If your dog is still fighting mad after following these steps, Miller says to seek help from a certified dog trainer or behaviorist.

Expert Tip

"Keep treats on hand during walks and offer one up before your dog lunges at the neighbor's pooch. Or throw something tasty into his bowl if your dog growls when you get close while he's eating." -- Katherine Miller, PhD

Drew Weigner, DVM, ABVP, hospital director of The Cat Doctor feline specialty clinic in Atlanta, offers tips for managing aggressive cat behavior.

Face facts. "Play aggression is common and not necessarily a bad thing, especially for kittens," says Weigner. "What's not normal is injuring others." Look at your cat's face to see if she's playing or being aggressive. A cat with turned-back ears and whiskers and dilated eyes that's crouching down and hissing is telling you to beware.

Play around. "Many cats cross the line from play to aggression because they're bored," says Weigner. Play with your cat for 30 minutes twice a day.

Hands off. Using your hands as toys encourages cats to treat them as prey and leaves you open to cat bites, which always require a trip to the doctor, Weigner says. Instead, get in the habit of using kitty teasers, such as toys that look like fishing poles or laser pointers. 

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD the Magazine."

Fish Oil for Infants No Help for Allergies

Sept. 4, 2012 -- Giving a baby fish oil supplements may do little to prevent allergies, according to a new study.

Researchers found fish oil supplements had little impact on the risk of allergies by age 1 in babies who took them for the first six months of their lives.

Omega-3 fatty acids are necessary for health, but the body can't make them. They must be gotten from foods or supplements.

Fish oil is a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids. Declining omega-3 fatty acid levels has been associated with a rise in allergies.

Other studies have suggested taking fish oil supplements during pregnancy can reduce the risk of allergies in infants.

This is the first study to look at the potential allergy-fighting benefits of fish oil supplementation in babies from birth to 6 months of age.

Another study in infants 6 months and older also found no effect.

“Our results, together with previous findings, will likely help define a ‘window of opportunity’ for allergy intervention using fish oil supplements,” write researcher Susan Prescott, PhD, MD, a professor at the University of Western Australia, and colleagues in the journal Pediatrics.

The researchers looked at the effects of fish oil supplementation combining two kinds of omega-3s, DHA and EPA, vs. a placebo (olive oil) in 323 infants at high risk for allergies from birth to 6 months.

The results showed that at 6 months, DHA and EPA levels in the infants who took fish oil supplements were the higher than in the placebo group.

But overall, there was no effect on eczema, asthma, or food allergy risk by age 1.

"Fish oil supplementation during very early infancy was not effective in preventing allergic disease, which is consistent with the lack of significant effects of fish oil supplementation previously observed in late infancy,” write the researchers.

Researchers say these results suggest that the benefits of fish oil supplementation in preventing allergies are likely to occur earlier in infant development, as demonstrated by previous pregnancy fish oil supplementation studies.

WebMD the Magazine's By the Numbers: Prediabetes

Facts and stats on one of the country's top health conditions.

Total health care costs for diabetes in the U.S.: $218 billion.

Estimated number of people in the U.S. who have prediabetes: 79 million.

Total health care costs to cover prediabetes: $25 billion.

Reduced risk of developing diabetes over three years if you follow a healthy food and exercise program: 58%.

Length of time diabetes diagnosis may be delayed through lifestyle or medication intervention: up to 10 years.

Reduced risk of developing diabetes over three years if you take medication to prevent prediabetes: 31%.

Amount of exercise that could reduce your risk of diabetes if you have prediabetes: 30 minutes a day, five days a week.

Your increased risk of heart attack or stroke if you have prediabetes: 50%.

Amount of excess weight loss that could prevent diabetes if you have prediabetes: 7% of your body mass, or 15 pounds if you weigh 200 pounds.

Number of tests available to screen for prediabetes: Three.

Age you should ask your doctor about diabetes screening if your weight is normal and you have no risk factors: 45.

Expert Tip:

"I've found that patients lose weight more reliably once I insist they track their daily food intake. A food record forces you to see what and how much you're eating. Writing down what you eat and adding up the numbers makes you accountable.

Correlating those numbers with your weight or blood sugar levels also helps you see how different foods affect your body. Plus, counting something -- such as calories -- lets you 'budget' for the rest of the day to reach your goal." -- Michael Dansinger, MD, WebMD diabetes expert.

Find more articles, browse back issues, and read the current issue of "WebMD the Magazine."

Asthma Drug Shown to Stunt Growth

Children Who Use Inhaled Steroids Are Slightly Shorter as Adults

Sept. 4, 2012 -- Children with asthma who take inhaled steroids end up slightly shorter than their peers when they grow up, a government-funded study shows.

Inhaled steroids are known to slow growth in children during the first years of use, but the long-term impact of inhaled steroids on height was unknown until now.

One researcher says the risk for lower growth may be lowered by adjusting the medication's dose.

Adults in the study who had been treated with the inhaled steroid budesonide (Pulmicort) as children were, on average, half an inch shorter than those not treated with a steroid.

This height difference was first seen during treatment, and while the effect persisted into adulthood, it did not get worse, the researchers say.

The findings were presented at the European Respiratory Society Annual Congress in Vienna, Austria to coincide with publication in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Greenville, S.C. asthma specialist Neil Kao, MD, who was not involved with the study, says the findings are surprising.

He says the conventional wisdom has been that inhaled steroids do not permanently affect height.

"The thinking has been that these children catch up, but these findings suggest this is not the case," he says.

Gary Gibbons, MD, director of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, says the study provides the long-awaited answer to the question of whether inhaled steroids have a permanent effect on growth.

But he says the small impact on height must be weighed against the proven superiority of inhaled steroids over other asthma treatments in children.

The study included about 1,000 children with mild to moderate asthma. They were divided into three groups. The first was treated with the inhaled steroid budesonide, the second with the non-steroid inhaled drug nedocromil (which is no longer available in the U.S.), and the third with a placebo.

All three groups also used the non-steroid asthma drug albuterol.

After a year to two years of treatment, children in the inhaled steroid group were an average of a half an inch shorter than children in the other two groups.

The average age of the study participants was 24 when the latest follow-up was done.

"We showed that the height deficit persisted but it did not progress," says researcher Anne Fuhlbrigge, MD, of Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital.

Researcher William Kelly, PharmD, of the University of New Mexico, says it's now clear that some inhaled steroids affect growth more than others, and that treating children with the lowest effective dose can lower risk.

"Parents should ask if their child is taking the appropriate inhaled [steroid] at the appropriate dosage to minimize this risk," he says.