FAMILY
VOICE
Child Abuse Council supports children’s health By Maggie Kromm, Executive Director of the Child Abuse Council serving Charlevoix and Emmet Counties and a Great Start Collaborative Member
W
hat if my child is a picky eater? What is the right age to join a team sport? Is my child’s weight normal? These and other questions regarding children’s health are common for many parents. Parents want the best for their children, but how do we know what is best, especially when it comes to knowing what is healthy? Children grow rapidly and at different rates. To continue to grow they need to gain weight and might even outgrow their clothes seemingly overnight at times! One tool pediatricians use to determine whether your child’s weight is healthy is tracking their body mass index or BMI. One BMI score does not complete a child’s health profile. As children grow their body fat changes (remember those toddler chubby cheeks?), which affects their BMI percentile. It is important to track BMI over time with a health professional. Healthy living involves many facets: nutrition, fitness, sports and emotional wellness. The Child Abuse Council serving Charlevoix and Emmet counties’ annual spring conference is focusing on children’s health as it relates to nutrition and physical activity. Co-sponsored by Char-Em ISD, the conference, “Active Child, Healthy Eating: What is Your Role?” will take place from 8:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday, April 20, at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey. We believe everyone has a role in supporting children’s health – 6 YOUR LIFE UP NORTH
“How can we ensure that every child has an equal opportunity for healthy growth and development?” This is referred to as “The Big Question” on Prevent Child Abuse America’s sponsored website, www.movementforchildren.org. The Movement is a grass roots initiative to develop a comprehensive national strategy to ensure all of our children are given an opportunity to develop: – socially, emotionally and cognitively Maggie Kromm
schools, communities, businesses, media, faith institutions and, of course, parents. Everyone is welcome to attend this educational conference, open to the public. The keynote speaker, Dr. Tom Peterson, FAAP, Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital and Spectrum Health, will introduce FitKids360: a healthy lifestyle program developed to teach families healthy behaviors. In addition to Dr. Peterson, the conference will offer break-out sessions this year during which participants can learn about a variety of health topics including reading nutrition labels, diabetes in youth, and adolescent body image counseling. The goal is to help children and their families live longer, healthier lives. Attendees can download a registration form at www.UpNorthChildAbuseCouncil.org.
– in healthy, nurturing homes, schools, neighborhoods and communities.
Fun online resources www.healthychildren.org
(hosted by the American Academy of Pediatrics, free growth chart available)
www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/ public/heart/obesity/wecan/ (We Can! Ways to Enhance Children’s Activity and Nutrition)
www.chopchopmag.org
(Fun cooking magazine for families; recipes for meals and snacks, games/activities beyond how to cook but how and why to eat healthfully)