Health & Nutrition for Older Kids
The non-stop eating machine
Dr Joanna McMillan Does your child's hunger seem to know no bounds? Dr Joanna McMillan tells you how you can differentiate between an overactive appetite and true hunger.
Soft drinks linked to child heart disease
Melissa Davey Initial signs of heart disease can be seen in children as young as 12 who have a high intake of sugary drinks, Sydney researchers have found, which could have implications for death rates in the future.
Cycling tips for family trips
Samantha Currie Top tips for families thinking of ditching the car and taking up cyling to school.
Cycling revolution starts with parents
Scott Whiffin A Heart Foundation study has confirmed that an overwhelming majority of Australian children get to their primary and secondary schools in the back of a car. The study says this generation of young Australians are now among the most "chauffeured" and "cosseted" in the world.
Space to imagine and create
Jon King There are many opinions on child's play but award-winning architect Jon King discovers that when kids are given space to imagine and create they thrive.
Lunch orders enter the digital age
Jen Rosenberg Gone are the days of scrabbling about for loose change and a spare paper bag for the kids' lunch order.
Parents say son should never have been born
Paul Bibby Debbie and Lawrence Waller love their 11-year-old son, Keeden, but they believe he should never have been born.
Exercise is smart move for students
Peter Jean A MAJOR review of 14 studies has boosted evidence for the theory that physical activity can help students' academic performance.
A good sleep equals a healthy kid
Rachel Browne Sleep is as important as diet and exercise in efforts to maintain a healthy weight in childhood.
High costs a hurdle to children's sports
Rachel Browne PARENTS would be able to claim their children's sport as a tax deduction under a proposal the state government is exploring to keep costs down and encourage participation.
Triple threat of too much screen time
Rachel Browne A GENERATION ago the worst threat to a television-loving child was developing ''square eyes''.
The Super Seven way to well-being
SEVEN practical steps can help families improve their well-being and develop lifelong healthy habits.
Too much screen time eating into playtime
Deborah Smith MANY Australian children are too inactive, with more than half of the primary students and almost three-quarters of the high school students in a survey spending more than the recommended time each day in front of a TV, computer or other screen.
Diabetes tests for children to combat obesity
Rachel Browne AUSTRALIAN children should be tested for high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes to ''shock'' them into healthier lifestyles and curb soaring childhood obesity levels.
A weighty issue doesn't need to be about fat
Dr Joanna McMillan The concern I hear from parents is how on earth can I teach my child to eat healthily and move more, without it being about how fat or skinny you are?
Keeping kids active
The Parents' Jury Being as active as you can in all aspects of daily life is a great way to stay fit and healthy for both adults and children. Children need to be active to maintain a healthy weight, strong bones and good muscle strength.
The facts on fat, sugar and salt
The Parents' Jury Fat, sugar and salt get a lot of bad publicity, but do you understand what all the fuss is really about?
The importance of whole grains
Cherie Lyden A diet rich in whole grains is extremely beneficial for children.
Family eating should be a memorable occasion
Dr Joanna McMillan One of the things my mother was insistent about was that we all sat and ate together on most nights of the week around the dining table.
Safety for skateboards and scooters
Skate boards and scooters have become increasingly popular in the last few years in Australia and it is important to know the facts on how to stay safe.
Cycling safety tips
Cycling is not only a popular form of transport, but it is also a healthy and enjoyable outdoor activity for children.
Bites and stings
The facts you need to know for the basic treatment of venomous bites and stings in Australia.
How to get the kids to be more active
Australian children are less active than ever before. This is due to many factors including the increasing use of technology and less every day activity such as walking to school.
Kylie Orr's blog
Chocolate egg hunts replaced by brussels sprouts?
Kylie Orr My eldest son doesn't eat chocolate - do I do an Easter treasure hunt with brussells sprouts?
Five-minute chill tips
Emma Grant-Williams Making the most of even the little moments before school or bed can go a long way towards soothing stresses. Here are five favourite 5-minute chill skills to help kids keep their cool.
Parenting
Chewing the fat
Steve Dow How To Deal With Overweight / Obese Children - It's all about what you don't say when telling a child they're overweight, writes Steve Dow.
Sports stars need to lift their game
Kylie Orr A sports hero who behaves recklessly, immorally, or illegally may well present a perfect opportunity for us to teach our children the consequences of bad behaviour.
Feeling the pressure
Geoff Maslen Australian children have a taste for salt that is likely to lead to serious health risks — a pattern already established in their parents, who are estimated to consume 50 per cent more than the recommended daily maximum of six grams of salt.
Children respond to call of the wild
Ainslie MacGibbon. A child's contact with nature will influence health in adulthood as well as having many other long-term gains.
10 tips to help kids maintain a healthy weight
Lisa Guy With one in four Australian school kids overweight or obese, Sydney nutritionist Lisa Guy explains the role of the parent in the fight against childhood obesity.
Food machine takes aim at child obesity
Julie Robotham A computerised device that keeps track of how much, and how quickly, the user is eating can help obese adolescents lose weight
Are your kids too skinny or too fat?
Kylie Orr I got me a skinny one. In fact, I got three skinny ones. They were solid newborns - 8lbs through to a hefty 9lb6oz - but then they stretched without porking up.
Bad food can cut two years off a child's lifespan
Mark Metherell and Julian Lee The nation's children will live two years fewer than their parents unless there are urgent changes to lifestyle, government experts warn.
Kids in the kitchen
By Lara Zamiatin Hand your junior cook a whisk or wooden spoon and they might surprise you, even if they still don't eat broccoli. These top chefs share their secrets for giving children a taste for good food.
Kids in the kitchen: fast-food generation discovers cooking is cool
Melissa Kent MasterChef has created a generation of junior experts not afraid to dish it out, says Melissa Kent.
Aussie kids no fatter today than a decade ago: GP
Australian children haven't gotten any fatter over the past decade, contrary to recent media reports, a new decade-long study reveals.
Child obesity figures are 'understated'
Public health experts have hit back at claims Australia's childhood obesity plague is a myth, with figures they say show the problem is actually understated.
Children's changing body shape
Julie Robotham The excess weight piled on by children in recent decades is mainly fat, not muscle, which is settling disproportionately on their stomachs, a leading expert has shown.
Healthy food for fussy eaters
Paula Goodyer How do working parents feed kids quick, healthy food on school nights and squeeze homework, bedtime stories, cleaning up and maybe some downtime into the remains of the day?
Bipolar disorder in children
Margaret Rice Diagnosis of bipolar disorder in children has increased dramatically in the US, and Australia is struggling to resist temptations to follow suit, writes Margaret Rice.
Stress linked to obese kids
Kate Benson Treating low-income mothers for depression, stress and anxiety could help combat the childhood obesity epidemic and reduce the number of teenagers developing type 2 diabetes and heart problems, a study has found.
Older kids chose TV over exercise
Television viewing has been linked to increased risk of overweight and obesity.
Juvenile growth hits heart
Kate Benson Small babies who become chubby teenagers have a greater risk of developing cardiac disease when they grow up.
