Childhood Obesity and Physical Activity
The Facts:

About 20% of children are obese.
Overweight children have a greater chance of becoming obese adults.
Parental obesity is an important risk factor for childhood obesity.
There are significant economic, social and health costs associated with obesity. Obesity increases risk for Type 2 diabetes in adolescence. It increases the risk for heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and certain cancers in later years.
Decreased activity due to changes in community design, mechanization, family dynamic, safety concerns, hours spent watching TV or using the computer and reduced Physical Education (P.E.) programs in schools all contribute to obesity. Pilot data suggest promoting physical activity for kids and reducing TV time, may prevent the development of overweight children and adolescents.
In addition to regular physical activity, making lifestyle changes that encourage moving - walking, cycling, recreation, and active play -over automobiles and sedentary games/recreation will have a substantial effect on preventing excessive weight gain if implemented consistently over time.
Preliminary data indicate that improving P.E. teachers' instructional practices can increase the level of physical activity of kids in P.E. classes.
What Parents Can Do to Help Prevent Childhood Obesity Through Increased Activity:
Get kids outdoors to play for at least 60 minutes per day.
Be physically active role models for kids.
Participate in activity with kids.
Limit screen time (TV, computers, video games) to 60 minutes per day.
Get kids involved in activities that they find fun.
Create safe ways for kids to walk or bike to school (for example, a "walking school bus" where parents take turns chaperoning a group of kids to school).
Help kids understand energy balance — matching energy-in (food) with energy-out (activity) — as key for maintaining a healthy weight.
Maximize opportunities for kids to move; minimize sedentary activity.
Demand better quality and quantity of P.E. programs in your community, as well as recess and after-school activities that keep kids active. The key is that programs provide a variety of activities to appeal to kids' different interests.
Make sure during-and after-school sports and activity programs emphasize enjoyable participation in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and promote the development of skills to maintain an active lifestyle.
If you have an overweight child, take them to a physician annually for a health check-up, consult a registered dietitian for diet advice and immediately reduce TV time and other sedentary behaviors.
Supplement Use By Young Athletes
The Facts:

Athletes are starting to emulate the supplement habits of their professional heroes as early as junior high. Reports suggest 3-5% of athletes in grades 6-8, 38% of rural high school athletes and 76% of college athletes are using dietary supplements.
Pressure to use supplements comes not solely from peers. Mom, athletic trainers, strength and conditioning coaches and sports coaches have been identified in studies as the primary drivers of supplement behavior. Research also shows and parents are often the purchasers of supplements.
Dietary supplements are not regulated for safety, purity, potency, or efficacy. Supplements may contain impurities or interact with medications.
There is no research to support that dietary supplements are effective in young athletes, and long-term risks are unknown.
One of the most popular supplements is creatine. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) position statements on creatine advise against the use of creatine for children under 18 years of age.
Because dietary supplements are not regulated, there is a possibility that creatine products may contain impurities that would cause a positive drug test.
Existing legislation does not demand that safety for children be determined before a supplement is marketed.
Hard training and a balanced diet, not supplements, form the foundation of optimal performance. Many athletes do not consume a balanced diet.
What Parents Can Do to Help Reduce Supplement Use by Kids:
Consult a registered dietitian or sports nutritionist if your child wants supplements. To find a dietitian, visit www.eatright.org.
Do your homework — there are online resources to learn more about supplements, such as: www.momsteam.com, www.nfhs.com, www.ohsu.edu/hpsm/atlasprgm.html, www.kidnetic.com, www.gssiweb.org
Learn to interpret food labels and supplement labels and be able to distinguish between the two.
Look for signs of male-hormone supplement use in kids, such as sudden weight gain, unusual mood swings and worsening acne.
Talk to your child about supplement use. Understand the aspirations that fuel their interest.
Encourage your young athlete's school administration to adopt a supplement policy.
Sports-Related Injuries
The Facts:

Surveys suggest that sports injuries account for 16% of injury-related ER visits.
Cerebral concussions are commonly seen in young athletes and are defined as temporary disturbances of brain function, without structural change in the brain.
An athlete with one concussion is at four times greater risk for repeated concussions, which appear to have a cumulative effect, with increasing severity and duration of symptoms. Numerous classification systems exist for grading the severity of concussions can help guide treatment and return to play.
The pre-participation exam (PPE) is the foundation for safe sports participation. The goals of the exam include detecting conditions that may limit participation or predispose an athlete to injury, and assessing general health.
Kids are at higher risk than adults for heat illness when they are active in the heat. They take longer to adjust to the heat, and they often don't drink enough to stay well hydrated. Even slight dehydration worsens performance and may put kids at risk for heat illness.
Young female athletes are at risk for disordered eating, amenorrhea (menstrual function disorder) and osteoporosis.
It is especially critical for females to build peak bone mass during adolescence and young adulthood. Ample physical activity, foods rich in calcium and vitamin D are necessary.
What Parents Can Do to Help Reduce and Manage Sports-Related Injuries:
Kids should see a doctor annually for the PPE and necessary follow-up exams.
Encourage your child's sports league to have a certified athletic trainer at all practices and games to evaluate and treat injuries and advise on the need for further medical attention.
After a loss of consciousness, and any time there are persistent symptoms, return to play should be approved by a physician.
To help prevent dehydration and heat illness, kids should be instructed to drink fluids such as sports drinks before, during and after exercise — and not just when they are thirsty, as thirst is not a good indicator of hydration needs.
While water is readily available to most kids, research shows that kids usually don't drink enough water to stay fully hydrated. Research also shows that kids will drink significantly more of a flavored beverage, like a sports drink, than water. The sodium and carbohydrate in a sports drink will help encourage further drinking and ensure the body holds onto those fluids.
Parents should look for signs of eating problems among their athletic daughters, and should talk to them about the importance of regular menstrual cycles. Loss of menstrual cycles is an outcome of eating disorders and jeopardizes bone health.
Parents should ensure that young athletes are consuming adequate amounts of nutritious food, especially foods that are rich in calcium and vitamin D.
Youth Sports Burnout and/or Dropout
The Facts:

Youth sports keep kids physically active and promote positive values such as self-esteem, self discipline, problem-solving and time management.
Kids participate in sports to have fun, improve skills, develop friendships, experience success/winning, and to increase fitness.
A child who feels worthy and competent is motivated to participate; others are likely to drop out of sports.
Burnout in young athletes is more common than ever and can be attributed to social, psychological, and physical pressures. Stress is a symptom, not a cause, of burnout.
Parents influence a child's motivation and enjoyment of sports. Both too little and too much parental involvement can be harmful.
Athletes progress through stages of talent development — this begins with participation and an emphasis on fun and fundamentals. Only after those stages should an athlete start to specialize and focus on winning.
Champions cannot be predicted at young ages.
What Parents Can Do to Promote Positive Sports Experiences for Kids and Help Prevent Burnout/Dropout:
Consistently positive coaching is key in reducing the risk of burnout in young athletes.
Kids should not specialize at an early age, they should be encouraged to participate in a variety of activities — especially those they like.
Parents should be careful to not define their own self-worth by their kids' sports success.
Parents should encourage their kids to focus not on winning, but on participating and having fun.
Parents should show empathy and support, and recognize that an optimal amount of "psyching" is just enough to help kids get excited without putting undue pressure on them to perform.