Posts Tagged ‘childhood obesity’

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Monday Morning Scoop: You are what your parents ate

January 2nd, 2012
,,,,, - Monday Morning Scoop

You are what you eat. Well, apparently now you’re also what your parents fed to you as a child. A recent study reveals that our parents diet and fitness influences during childhood are much stronger than one might think.

Photograph courtesy of dailymail.co.uk

According to Heather Brown, Newcastle University researcher, in the article, “Our attitude to food and fitness ‘is fixed at 10 years old,” our preferences towards diet and exercise are practically set in stone by the time we’re 10 years old.

“Parents are important role models. If they have an unhealthy lifestyle then their children are more likely to emulate their behaviour and continue these unhealthy habits into adulthood,” says Dr. Brown.

We need to give kids more credit. They pick up on much more than we realize, and from a very young age.

Parents need to take into consideration the consequences of their actions. They may be preaching “eat your fruits and vegetable to grow big and strong,” but when those words are accompanied by inhaling a double cheeseburger, the lesson isn’t as meaningful.

Make a healthy diet and exercise routine a family matter. I think it’s safe to say almost everyone–parents, kids, singles, teens–could do a better job of eating clean and exercising consistently. Let’s turn over a new SandBell in 2012 and make it a year to turn bad habits into good ones, and to honestly live by the healthy guidelines we talk about and strive to maintain.

And with that, cheers to the New Year!

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How kids can beat the battle of the bulge

July 28th, 2011
,,,,,,,, - Hyper Vest PRO - HyperWear - Kids - Physical Education - SandBell - SteelBell - childhood obesity - obesity - weight loss

As we know, the waistband of the average American adult is expanding at a sickening rate, so much so that about one-third of all adults are now classified as obese. Something possibly less well known is the fact that over the past 30 years the number of obese children has nearly tripled, according to data and statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

But, don’t let all those heavy statistics weigh you down just yet.

An online article from WeAreAustin.com, “To fight obesity, even babies should exercise,” the British government reveals that children under five should exercise everyday in order to form habits conducive to a healthy adult lifestyle. This doesn’t mean that we’re promoting baby boot camps, but forming healthy habits at a young age can only bring about good things!

The article goes on to say that walking children under five should be active for at least three hours a day, and infants not able to walk should be encouraged to play on their stomachs or swim with their parents. The British government hopes that by motivating children to be active, their chances of becoming obese in adulthood will be reduced.

How can Hyper Wear aid this obesity epidemic you may ask? Well in case you didn’t know, the Hyper Vest PRO is available in small, extra small and extra, extra small, just so children can use them too! The Vest, as well as the SandBells and SteelBells, are completely safe, totally fun and 100 percent kid-approved! Instilling healthy habits in your children is one of the best things you can do for them. Encourage play time, exercise and getting off the couch, your kids will not only be healthy, but also fit and happy with you!

To see what parents and teachers have to say about kids using Hyper Wear products click the link, and be sure to watch the videos at the bottom of the page. You can also view the Facebook album from our presentation at Great Oaks Elementary Wellness Day to get a first-hand look at just how excited playing (err, working out) with the SandBells can be!

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SandBell sandbags vs. Childhood Obesity

May 24th, 2011
,,,,,,,,, - Health Needs a Hero - Hot Topic Tuesday - HyperWear - Jen Olson - P.E. - PE3 - Physical Education - SandBell - childhood obesity - fitness - sandbag - schools - weight loss - wellness

The Hyper Wear Staff was privileged to attend the premiere of Health Needs a Hero on Sunday, May 22nd at the Long Center here in Austin.

Health Needs a Hero is a powerful and inspirational documentary detailing the epidemic of our childhood health issues, told through the hearts of children and key stakeholders.  And it is fantastic.  Take a look as Jen Olson, the film’s director, tells a little more about the project.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVGoeUFL68E[/youtube]

In conjunction with the documentary, Ms. Olson started the PE3 foundation which incorporates mind, body, and spirit.   We would love to work with Jen in this worthy cause since SandBells are such an easy and natural fit for P.E. students.

From the PE3 website:

According to the Texas Health Institute (THI), one in three (35%) of Texas children – more than double the national average – are considered to be overweight or obese. Texas ranks 6th highest in the nation for obesity in 10 – 17 year olds.

Overweight children at 12 have a 75% likelihood of being overweight adults, in danger of serious medical issues. For the first time in 120 years, the life expectancy of Americans decreased in 2008.

The Texas Department of State Health Services estimates that if nothing is done, the number of overweight or obese adult Texans will continue to increase, growing from 10 million (63%) today to 20 million (75%) by 2040. In Texas, as in the US, obesity occurs at a much higher rate for African-Americans and Latinos than for Anglos; and within these populations, persons of low socio-economic status appear to be particularly affected.

We look forward to more interactions with Ms. Olson and PE3 and are proud to be on the front lines with such mighty warriors in the battle against childhood obesity.

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Austin American-Statesman : Fitness Evaluation

May 17th, 2011
,,,,,,,,,, - Austin American-Statesman - Fitnessgram - Hot Topic Tuesday - P.E. - Physical Education - SandBell - childhood obesity - exercise - fitness - obesity - sandbag - schools - wellness

It doesn’t matter how many articles I read about childhood obesity, I am always shocked at the statistics in relationship to this war for the health for our children.  This latest article, “Many Texas schoolchildren fail fitness evaluation“, in the Austin American-Statesman hit a little too close to home as Austin, TX, is where Hyper Wear is based.

Austin ISD has SandBells in every Physical Education classroom in the district, which is a wonderful beginning, but we realize just owning the product is not enough.  We take every opportunity we are given to go to schools to talk with teachers and kids about fitness.  We participate in Wellness Days, present new ideas to teachers at inservice days, and show kids how much fun exercising can be.

It is no easy task so we want to commend all of you hard working P.E. administrators and teachers who are so passionate about physical fitness for yourself and the children whose lives you influence every day.  We know a lot of the Texas P.E. administrators and teachers personally and we know that they are working hard to turn things around.  Thank you for the dedication and perseverance.  Let us know how we can help!

Are you a parent of a child in P.E.?  When was the last time you thanked your child’s P.E. teacher?  What can you perhaps do to help further instill the message of health in your children?

Are you a P.E. teacher?  Do you have SandBells in your classroom?  If so, what are your kids’ favorite activities with SandBells?  If not, why not?!

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Great Oaks Elementary Wellness Day ~ SandBells, SandBells Everywhere!

May 12th, 2011
,,,,,,, - Kids - P.E. - Physical Education - SandBell - Thankful Thursday - fitness - obesity - sandbag - schools

We got invited to a nearby Elementary School to take part in their Wellness Day last Friday, May 6th.  We are always honored to be part of the efforts of schools to educate their kids about living a healthy life!

Great Oaks Elementary in Round Rock, TX, did such an excellent job of organizing their wonderful Wellness Day!  We welcomed seven classes of about 20-25 fifth graders to the gym for blocks of 20 minutes.  We played two highly intense and highly fun race-against-the-clock games that the kids absolutely LOVED!

Who would have thought exercising could be so fun?  But shhh…don’t tell the kids they were exercising – they just thought they were playing!

These kids use the SandBells in their Physical Education classes, but had never gotten to use a 50-pounder.  They entered the gym with wide-eyed wonder to see such a large SandBell in the middle of the room!  One of the games required the teams of 5 or 6 kids to work together to get their 50-pounder from the center of the gym to their team’s corner.  It’s amazing to watch how much fun they have lifting something heavy!

So, thank you again, Great Oaks, for the great day!  Keep doing what you are doing to fight the battle against childhood obesity – we’re proud to be on the front lines with you!

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AAHPERD – Friday Fragments

April 1st, 2011
,,,,,, - AAHPERD - Denver Fredenburg - HyperWear - Kids - P.E. - Physical Education - childhood obesity - schools

Friday Fragments are random thoughts and special notes from the previous week.  It could be just about anything that Hyper Wear and / or the staff participated in that we thought blog-worthy.  Enjoy and Stay Hyper!

Dirk and Denver made a trip to San Diego, CA, Wednesday and Thursday to walk the floor at AAHPERD’s annual conference (AAHPERD is American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance).  These are the fine folks who are working so hard to keep our school-aged children physically active and fit.  That is no easy task, especially when history has shown that when budgets in schools get cut, Physical Education (or P.E.) usually suffers, which means the health of our children suffers.  These guys are committed to their mission, which is to promote and support leadership, research, education, and best practices in the professions that support creative, healthy, and active lifestyles.

We believe very strongly in what this organization promotes and just wanted to make you aware that they are out there.  We participate in as many of the Texas AHPERD functions as we can and are always blown away by the level of commitment shown by many of the P.E. Teachers we encounter.

So those are my thoughts for this Friday!  Have a great weekend!

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Hot Topic Tuesday : Obesity = Deadly Global Pandemic

March 29th, 2011
,,,,,, - Hyper Vest PRO - International - childhood obesity - obesity - weight loss

If you know anything about Hyper Wear, you know that we take health and exercise very seriously.  Obesity is a growing problem in our nation and even the world.  Hyper Wear is dedicated to being part of the solution.  We love to hear testimonies of the impact Hyper Wear gear has on people’s health and fitness goals as well as the benefits to weight loss.

To give a personal example, I did an informal trial during my weekly workout session.  I tracked the number of calories burned during my normal, hour-long, interval session without wearing my Hyper Vest PRO and then tracked the same type of session while wearing my 5 lb Hyper Vest PRO.  On average, I burned an additional 100 calories per session.  The workout was only a little harder, and with an extra 100 calories burned to show for it, it was worth the extra effort!

We’re not the only ones who are concerned.  FoxNews.com featured an article that I found interesting and little alarming which outlines the global problem that obesity has become.

By the way, the juicy bacon cheeseburger picture on this post is the ad that was on the page with the article about obesity…how’s that for irony?

What news have you read lately about obesity that makes you more passionate about exercise?

What is your favorite exercise using a Hyper Wear product to enhance your fitness routine?

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Obesity in America – Hyper Vest PRO Weighted Vest Can Help

September 15th, 2010
,,,,,,,, - Hyper Vest PRO - childhood obesity - fitness - obesity - weight loss - weight vest

I came across this article today that drives home the point that most Americans are in denial about the seriousness of the obesity epidemic in our country.  In the article, titled “Many Americans Don’t Even Know They’re Fat,” we read that in a poll taken of 2,418 adults (aged 18 and over), many respondents have a skewed perception of where they fall on the healthy BMI scale.

It seems some saw this day coming in the 1980s.  Dr. Mitchell Roslin, chief of obesity surgery at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, noted that “when [Dr. Everett Koop, surgeon general in the 1980s] wrote ‘Shape Up America,’ he said the biggest health problem facing America was not AIDS, not cancer, it’s obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Since then … we’ve seen nothing but a rise in obesity despite all of these efforts that have gone on now since the 1980s.”

We are proud to be an agent of change and want to encourage you to continue going against the culture by living a healthy lifestyle.  If you are one who couples exercise with proper nutrition, you are in the minority, but we’re in this battle with you!

Let us know – how do you use your Hyper Wear products to fight the fight against obesity?

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Hyper Wear SandBells – A Weapon in the War Against Childhood Obesity

September 10th, 2010
,, - Kids - SandBell - childhood obesity - sandbag

Here at Hyper Wear, we have a big heart for kids.  One of our driving passions is to be a key fighter in the war against childhood obesity.  The statistics are devastating as the percentages of obese children and adults continue to climb.  Wikipedia says that 15-25 percent of American children and adolescents are now obese.  That means as many as one in four children and teens are obese.

I don’t know about you, but when I was a kid, we had P.E. (physical education) class every day.  We learned basic sport skills, jumped rope, played various forms of tag and the like.  Although I always hated the days we played dodgeball, I now see it as part of the bigger picture of making us physically active for a portion of our day, every day.  Given my experience with daily P.E., I was personally shocked to learn that P.E. had been taken out of public schools over the last few years.  We are just beginning to see it be reintroduced in pockets of the country.

Anyway, Hyper Wear has been fortunate for the last two summers to be invited to a summit for Texas P.E. Administrators.  We were at the summit to present our SandBells to the administrators after a gracious invitation by Michele Rusnak, who has worked tirelessly to build some amazing P.E. programs in the Austin Independent School District.  These administrators are walking the talk!  Every day, we had an optional SandBell workout and a number of them came out and “played” with us!  They saw how effortlessly SandBells made workouts more fun!

We are humbled by this important work and monumental task we are faced with.  We are grateful for so many fellow soldiers in this battle.  And we are encouraged by the simple fact that the problem of childhood obesity is at least on the radar of a lot of folks.  Spread the word!

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Hyper Wear and Men’s Health FitSchools have fun with SandBells at H.S. Thompson School in Dallas

December 16th, 2009
,,,,,,,,,,,,,, - Bill Meyer - FitSchools - Hyper Vest - HyperWear - Men's Health - SandBell - childhood obesity - sandbag - schools

Men’s Health is fighting the childhood obesity epidemic through their program called FitSchools. They joined with Dallas Cowboys Safety, Ken Hamlin, to inspire the children of H.S. Thompson to stay active. A couple of folks from the Hyper Wear gang were also on hand to run the kids through some fun SandBell exercises. Take a look at the video footage and see if you can spot Coaches Sparrow and Bill as well as Cosmo sporting the Hyper Vest in the background!

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