HEALTHY WEIGHT WEEK

The Maine Center for Public Health has offered some good advice this week in observing National Healthy Weight Week. It applies not to a single week, however, but over a lifetime, and part of the advice boils down to getting the kids out of the house for some exercise even if it is cold outside.

The center refers parents and children to three short, punchy articles on the Internet at www.kidshealth.org. One of them says that if you are concerned about your child’s weight you are in good company. About 25 to 30 percent of school-age children in the United States are overweight, and the worse news is that this percentage continues to climb despite the growing understanding of the health problems that can occur with excess weight. Extreme thinness can be reason for worry, too, since it may mean an eating disorder.

A second article, on safe winter sports, recommends sledding, skiing, snowboarding and skating. Some will be amazed that it has to be said at all, but it sensibly warns to dress warmly and take precautions like using a sled that can be steered – never a plastic bag or garbage can lid.

Finally, if a child doesn’t like organized sports, he or she can still get outdoor exercise by flying a kite, playing follow-the-leader, or helping carry grocery bags into the kitchen. Exercise plus sensible eating can equal weight control. The important thing is plenty of outdoor activity.

By coincidence, Rep. Sean Faircloth, D-Bangor, has introduced a set of five bills under the heading “Overweight America: Innovative Solutions for Maine.” They would expand footpaths and bicycle lanes along highways and bridges, require nutrition and calorie information on restaurant menus, ban the sale of sugar-loaded sodas and snacks in public schools, and establish a privately-funded commission on public health and obesity.

Maine often leads the nation in some respects. It must not be a leader in obesity.