Summer vacations are coming to an end. Now is the time for fathers specifically to jump-start their involvement in their child’s education. Dads can play an important role in improving a child’s academic performance, helping them connect with friends and ensuring their safety at school. As August rolls on, dads are working to make the transition from summer to school as seamless as possible for their children.

Education is crucial to a child becoming successful later in life. Research continues to show that when fathers are actively involved in a child’s life that child is more likely to do well in school and less likely to repeat a grade or drop out. By simply asking a few of the right questions, fathers can learn more about their child’s life at school and also build a stronger, more connected relationship.

There are a variety of ways fathers can help prepare their children for school and taking an active role in their academic success:

Set a routine. Have your family return to their school schedule two weeks before the school year begins. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.This will help the entire family adjust and not feel sleep deprived once the first day of school arrives.

Schedule check-ups and immunizations. Are your child’s shots current?  Most schools will not allow children to attend if they do not meet current immunization requirements. Check with your child’s pediatrician or with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition at www.childrensimmunization.org to see what vaccines your child needs to start the school year.

Get organized. Help your child start off on the right foot by making sure their supplies and activities are well organized. Check off the school supply lists well before the first day. Work with your child to create a calendar outlining their in school and after school activities.

Become involved. Once school starts, make a point to look at your child’s homework each night. Engage your child in conversations about what they are studying, what interests them the most at school or any concerns they may have about their teachers or classmates. Volunteer to be a chaperone on the next school field trip or function. Join the PTA or Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) groups in Colorado. Watch D.O.G.S., supported by the National Center for Fathering, provides positive male role models for students and schools by organizing fathers and father-figures to volunteer one day each year in a variety of school activities. Find out more at www.fathers.com

Meet the teacher. Most schools have open house nights set aside for students and parents to meet teachers and see their child’s school. If an open house day is not available, plan on attending parent teacher conferences later this fall.

Remember when you where starting a school year. Think about your fears and worries and try to put yourself in your child’s situation.  Remember how your father, or father figure, helped you, or how you would have liked them to help you.  Thinking in this way will help you assist your child in this stressful time of their life.

Dan Welch works with The Responsible Fatherhood Initiative and is a Broomfield father.

Summer in Colorado, what a treat for those sun worshippers among us! Finally, time to enjoy the long toasty days filled with picture perfect blue skies cherished by the locals. And what could be more fun than spending the day outside hiking, camping, or watching children play while sipping icy mint lemonade? Since summer has blessed us in full force, remember that children need some extra care during the fun in the sun campaign.

With high temperatures and outdoor activities, children can quickly become dehydrated, sun burned, and even develop heat exhaustion. Living in Colorado places children at an increased risk for some of these health challenges both due to sun exposure and high altitude. One very important reason to protect children from long sun exposures is that skin cancer represents the most common type of cancer and accounts for about half of all cancers in the US. About 3% of skin cancers are melanomas. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in 2008 and about 8, 420 people will die this year of melanoma. Sunburns during childhood and adolescence significantly increase the risk of developing melanoma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 65%-95% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light or sunlight. Protecting children, adolescents, and adults from UV radiation can reduce the incidence of skin cancers including melanoma. Practicing smart summer sun tips and understanding risk factors benefits the entire family.

What are some of the common risk factors for skin cancer?  There are several important risks families should know:

• Fair complexion;
• Family history of skin cancer;
• Personal history of skin cancer;
• Exposure to sun through work or play;
• Sunburns early in life;
• Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or turns painful with sun exposure;
• Green or blue eyes;
• Blond or red hair;
• Certain types of moles; and
• Large number of moles.

What can be done to protect children?  For families to protect against skin cancer from occurring later in life, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Cancer Society recommend the following:

• Avoid direct sunlight for babies younger than 6 months, trees, umbrellas, or a stroller canopy can provide shade;
• When possible, wear cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats;
• Tight weave clothes made provide better protection than loose weave, (tight weave clothes allow less light to shine through);
• Protect the face with a brimmed hat or cap with a brim that faces forward;
• UV rays are the most powerful between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, so limit exposure during this time;
• Children require child-sized sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection;
• Apply sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; and
• Parents are the best teachers by practicing sun protection yourself and teaching all family members to protect their skin and eyes.

Some tips for applying sunscreen include:

• Cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees and tops of feet by rubbing in ample sunscreen;
• Remember that sunscreen needs time for skin absorption so apply it 30 minutes prior to outdoor activities;
• The sun’s UV rays penetrate even on cloudy days, so remember to use sunscreen;
• Powerful UV rays can reflect from water, sand, snow, and concrete, so Colorado is a year round sunscreen state; and
• Once is never enough, reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and remember sunscreen wears off with swimming, sweating, or from soaking into the skin.

So keep the entire family burn free this summer with proper protection from the sun and don’t forget to
keep drinking water to hydrate the body and the skin. See you at the pool!

(c) 2010 Chris Marchioni, MD

http://www.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20100604/US.Cadmium.Shrek/

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Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. This causes sugar or glucose to build up in the bloodstream and damage organs. Normally, eating signals the pancreas to release insulin into the blood. The insulin allows glucose to enter cells, therefore, decreasing the level of glucose in the child’s bloodstream. Glucose is a main energy source for muscles and other tissues. The food a child eats is broken down into glucose and enters the bloodstream through the digestive process. The pancreas releases insulin that allows glucose to enter and be used by cells. When the blood glucose drops, this signals the pancreas to decrease the production of insulin.

Although it is unclear why some children develop Type 2 diabetes while others are spared, risk factors include: (1) weight, (2) inactivity, (3) family history, (4) race, and (5) gender.

Being overweight and lack of physical activity are significant risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. Increased fatty tissue leads to insulin resistance. This is one of many ways that the obesity epidemic is rapidly aging our children. Exercise not only helps with weight control, it also helps burn up glucose as energy and decreases insulin resistance. The good news is if the child looses the extra weight, blood glucose levels can return to normal!

The child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if a parent or sibling has the same disease, however, it is not clear if this is due to genetics, lifestyle practices, or a combination of both. Current studies show African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian-American children have a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes with a higher incidence in girls than boys. Why be worried about type 2 diabetes in children? Long term complications from this disease include heart attacks, heart disease, strokes, narrowing of arteries, high blood pressure, nerve problems, liver damage, kidney disease, eye damage, circulation problems, infections, and premature death.

Keep in mind children can be spared of this disease and premature death by making healthy lifestyle choices. You can empower children with these prevention strategies.

1. Help your child make healthy food choices that include lots of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains. Read food labels and avoid foods with added sugars, corn syrup, and other sweeteners. Look for foods without trans fats, hydrogenated fats, or partially hydrogenated fats. Teach your child to shop healthy by buying most of your foods in the produce and fresh food sections of grocery stores. Replace sodas, sports, and energy drinks with water and low fat milk. Learn to cook and eat meals together.
2. Model daily exercise with your child. Family walks to the park, biking, swimming, hiking, or just playing outside are all great ways to exercise and build family connections.
3. Children need at least 60 minutes of daily exercise and it helps if they get outdoors. If you are concerned about your child’s weight, talk to your child’s doctor and discuss your child’s eating, sleeping, and exercise habits.

Next time you hear there is no time to eat healthy, exercise, cook, or even sleep ask yourself this simple question: What is more precious than the health of my child? It is time that we break the cycle and step up to the plate, a healthy plate, because our kids are worth it.

(c) 2010, Chris Marchioni, MD

Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter paid a surprise visit to congratulate winners of the T-shirt design contest for the Broomfield Rotary Frank Shorter Race4Kids’ Health.  During lunch, Frank joined students and was impressed with the fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and healthy appetites children shared after playing outside.  Sarah Acker, BVSD Nutrition Services District Manager, understands how important it is for students to have healthy nutrition for both health and learning.  Dr. Marchioni, executive director of Healthy Learning Paths, commended Acker for the quality of the nutrition program at Emerald Elementary.

Frank Shorter with winners: Gavin DiFulvio, Garrett Garnhart, Laura Cardona, Sophia Maclean (not pictured Caleb Cook)

“Children must be well, so they can learn well,” explains Marchioni, “healthy nutrition and daily physical activity are key components to brain development for all children.”  This theme is what stimulated students’ creative juices as they prepared artwork for the T-shirt design contest.  Student contest winners included 4^th graders from Emerald, Gavin DiFulvio and Garrett Garnhart, two home schooled students, Sophia Maclean and Caleb Cook, and one student from The Studio School, Laura Cardona.  Sophia Maclean’s first place design will appear on the back of race T-shirts and she will receive a $100 gift certificate on race day.

This race is not to be missed, so mark your calendars to participate in the first annual 5K Broomfield Rotary Frank Shorter Race4 Kids’ Health on Sunday, April 11th, at the Broomfield County Commons Park, 13200 Sheridan Blvd.  In addition to the USATF certified 5K course timed by Finish Line Timing as a Bolder Boulder qualifier, there is a fun family 1K walk/run, and for the first time in Broomfield a 50 foot diaper dash for kids two and under!  There are medals for a variety of age categories and plenty of fun and prizes for kids.  After the awards ceremony, Frank Shorter will host a runners’ clinic to help you improve your time for the Bolder Boulder.  “This race occurs at a perfect time,” comments Shorter, “as runners will have six weeks to make adjustments to improve upon their personal best.”

The race benefits Healthy Learning Paths, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit partnership of medical and educational professionals who recognize and teach the critical connections between wellness and learning for children’s success.  Proceeds allow Healthy Learning Paths to expand the Be Well, Learn Well© school wellness and other community programs.  “We need everyone to step or in this case, run up to the plate for kids’ health,” says Marchioni, “individuals or teams of 5 can register, but whether you run, walk, or crawl, the challenge here is to come out as a community and have some good clean fun!”

For race registration, medal categories, or to volunteer visit www.healthylearningpaths.org, www.Active.com or call 303.464.7191.

© 2010 Chris Marchioni, MD

Well, consider this.  How many times do students hear, “We are not going to give much homework, so you can get a good night’s sleep.”  How often do parents receive a letter pleading, “Please, have your child eat a healthy breakfast before school.”  How often do principals remind teachers, “Let’s decrease stress levels, and be sure to make time for students to play outside.”  How often do parents receive support for encouraging children to make healthy choices?  And don’t forget during CSAPs, suddenly healthy breakfast foods appear at the start of school day, healthy snacks are offered throughout the day, and water bottles mysteriously stand at attention on every student’s desk.

For a few weeks, students, parents, teachers, and administrators share a common goal, success on the CSAPs.  However, the goal I see is supporting kids through healthy choices that directly impact educational success.  Without CSAPs, we rarely unite with these loud and clear messages—eat breakfast, drink water, have healthy snacks, get a good night’s sleep, exercise, and keep stress levels in check.  Suddenly, these words transform into essential life practices. To date, there are more than 200 studies that suggest physical activity supports learning.  The connection between healthy nutrition and brain development for learning in children has also been well established.  For a detailed report visit http://www.actionforhealthykids.org/resources/files/learning-connection.pdf.

What would happen if CSAPs occurred throughout the school year?  Would  children receive consistent messages of healthy learning through healthy living?  I admit year round standardized tests are not the solution, so what are our alternatives?  Is it possible for parents to receive weekly or monthly reminders of the importance of eating a healthy breakfast and adequate sleep?  What would happen if teachers offered extra credit to students who drink a daily water bottle? Imagine scheduled time for daily outdoor or indoor exercise.  Can healthy snacks and lunches become the routine at schools and at home?  Imagine parents, teachers, and principals working together to provide healthy choices, healthy environments, and reduce stress levels in and out of the classroom.  Finally, the medical profession must be involved in providing schools with accurate information when it comes to healthy behaviors.

To enhance learning in children, each of us must step up to the plate to promote healthy choices.  These practices extend beyond words and require regularly modeled behaviors at home and school.  For parents, that means educating our families and making healthy choices a priority, even when inconvenient.  For schools, that means modeling healthy practices and educating children about healthy choices, even when faced with change.  For health care professionals, that means serving as active advocates for healthy learning in children.

Remember as parents, educators, administrators, health care professionals,  community members, and leaders,  we play on one team.  Our team coaches  children to reach their full potential through health and educational successes.  Let’s commit to a collaborative partnership where we lead all children down the path to success, not only during CSAPs, but more importantly, every day of their lives.

©2010 Chris Marchioni, MD

Here are some dinner statistics to chew on:

• Children not eating dinner with their families are 61 percent more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, or illegal drugs;
• Children who eat dinner with their families nightly are 20 percent less likely to drink, smoke, or use illegal drugs;
• Teens who share frequent family dinners are less likely to have sex at young ages, participate in fights, or be suspended from school;
• Teens who eat dinner with their families are at lower risk for thoughts of suicide;
• Children who eat with their families are more likely to eat healthier foods and more balanced meals; and
• Family dining improves communication and family connections.

In the August 2004 issue of The Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine, a University of Minnesota research team reported frequent family meals led to improved nutrition, a decreased risk of unhealthy weight control practices, and decreased risk for substance abuse. Marla Eisenberg, ScD, MPH from the University of Minnesota summarized the findings, “The frequency with which a teen eats family meals appears to be associated with a variety of psychosocial and behavioral variables, including cigarette smoking, alcohol and marijuana use, grades in school, depressive symptoms, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. We found family mealtime to be a protective factor in the lives of adolescents for nearly all of these variables, particularly among girls. Specifically, kids who reported eating more family meals per week reported significantly less substance use and significantly better academic and mental health than those eating fewer meals with family. These associations were apparent across the spectrum of meal frequency each additional meal per week conferred some additional benefit.”

Another study performed at Harvard and published in the March 2000 issue of Archives of Family Medicine showed that eating family dinners together resulted in children eating higher amounts of calcium, fiber, iron, vitamins B6, B12, C, and E. And that’s not all, these families also consumed less overall fat compared to families that only occasionally shared meals together. Similar results have been reproduced by a study at the University of Minnesota published in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.  This study found that children who eat family dinners consume more fruits, vegetables and fewer snack foods compared to children who ate separately from their families.

Furthermore, children who regularly eat meals with their families do better in school. A study from the University of Illinois found children ages 7-11 years who did well in school and on achievement tests ate meals frequently with their families. A  Harvard Graduate School of Education study reported that young children who frequently shared in family meals had increased vocabulary, which helps with reading skills. A 1994 Lou Harris-Reader’s Digest national survey of high school seniors revealed higher scholastic scores among students who experienced frequent family meals. Surveying high-achieving teens also confirmed that students who regularly eat meals with their families are happier with life and had positive attitudes for their futures.

So what does all this information mean?  If you haven’t already, it is time to make family mealtime a priority for both health and educational successes in kids.  The younger this tradition starts, the sooner children reap both the health and educational rewards of this practice.  Families can have some fun with meal preparation, planning, and clean up by involving children.  With some assistance from parents, children of all ages can help in the entire meal process.

©2010 Chris Marchioni, MD