Summer vacation can mean weight gain for kids

Although I recently discussed the decrease in physical exercise in schools, apparently what little they DO get in school is more than they get at home, while on summer vacation, according to a recent study that will be published in the April issue of American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers studied the growth rates of the BMI’s of 5,380 kindergartners and first-graders between fall of 1998 to spring of 2000 in 310 schools across the country.
The study found that 5- and 6-year-olds gained more weight over the summer than during the school year. BMIs generally doubled during the summer, with the increase higher among black and Hispanic students, yet fell back to their original, normal growth rate when they were back in school.

Although specific reasons could not be determined, the guess is that kids are spending more time sitting around and snacking, instead of playing and doing activities that healthy 5- and 6-year-olds should be doing. At this age, parents definitely have a responsibility for the health of their children. They need to be more involved in what their children are doing, but it also raises the idea of a longer school year and more after-school programs to keep kids active. Although researchers saw a drop in the growth rate when kids returned to school, as this trend happens from summer to summer, this does lead to eventual obesity problems for these kids later in their life.

What is the message? If you work and cannot supervise your kids during the summer, at least find some type of program for them to take part in that will keep them active and busy. There are many programs that are affordable if your income is limited, and the welfare of your child could be the highest cost if you ignore how active they are as children.