Nutrition & Fitness for Older Kids
Yes I eat ...
Jessica Rowe Jessica Rowe on why being skinny shouldn't give other people a free pass to openly judge you on your body shape and what she is teaching her own girls about developing a healthy body image.
Call for weight limits in school rugby
Amy McNeilage Weight restrictions could soon be introduced in the state's schoolboy rugby competitions after the tragic death of 15-year-old Jake Kedzlie - grandson of rugby league legend Tommy Raudonikis - put the spotlight back on the risk of serious head injuries in contact sports.
Hooked on this feeling
Livia Gamble Henry Roberts was a preschooler when he caught his first fish, now an enthusiastic 11-year-old, with his own fishing blog, he is doing his best to reel in other kids his age to the sport he loves.
The right milk for your child
DR JOANNA MCMILLAN Parents face an enormous array of choice in the supermarket milk department. If you are feeling confused I don’t blame you!
Time to invest in stocks
KRISTY KOMADINA Ever considered making your own stock and then immediately thrown the idea on the too hard pile? Kristy Komadina is convinced that the health benefits of a homemade stock far outweigh the effort required.
Sweet and fatty facts on healthy eating
Staff writers Ensuring children eat a balanced and healthy diet is not easy in our age of fast food, confusing advertising messages, and sedentary lifestyles but here are some tips to help you make better choices.
Day's worth of fat in child fast-food meal
AMY CORDEROY Children's fast food meals vastly exceed the amount of energy, salt, sugar and saturated fat children should eat in one meal, according to a damning report from the Cancer Council NSW.
How to make healthy choices from the school canteen
DR JOANNA MCMILLAN Making healthy choices for your kids from the school canteen can be confusing. Dr Joanna McMillan offers her advice on how to navigate your way through the choices on offer.
Push for tax on soft drink
Vince Chadwick Sixteen teaspoons of sugar from one 600-millilitre bottle of soft drink consumed once a day for a year comes to 23 kilograms.
Sugar rush
Why 'healthy' smoothies aren't good for you
Fruit smoothies, frappes and frozen yoghurt drinks marketed as healthy beverages contain more kilojoules than an actual meal, with some having the equivalent of up to 31 teaspoons of sugar.
Top ten photo galleries of 2012
Enjoy our most popular photo galleries of the year all over again with our top ten.
Making a sunwise choice this summer
Staff writers We live in a sunburnt country but when it comes to protecting ourselves from the harsh Australian sun, we are notoriously bad. Here are the facts you need to know on how to make a sunwise choice this summer.
For the love of the game
KATIE CARLIN Michael Clarke picked up his first bat at the tender age of six and ‘Pup’ has been in love with the great game of cricket ever since. He talks to Essential Kids about his road to the top, his plans for the future and why he thinks cricket is a great sport for every Aussie kid to play.
Call to ban TV in kids' bedrooms
Tim Barlass Allowing children to have a television in their bedroom almost triples the risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes, a conference on sedentary behaviour in Sydney will hear this week.
Sugar eating up kids' health
Michelle Henderson Soft drinks, chocolate and cereals are pushing Aussie kids over recommended daily added sugar intakes, a preliminary study suggests.
Blame IT, not TV, for teen health apathy
Agencies Mobile phones and computers may have overtaken television as the root of all evil for teenagers' poor wellbeing, an Australian study shows.
Gwyneth focused on kids' mental health
Staff writers with agencies Gwyneth Paltrow is excited to enter the next phase of her life and is more determined than ever to teach her children the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
Serving up a daily dose of goodness
Livia Gamble Consuming the recommended two and five serves of fruit and vegetables a day may seem easier said than done - but, it doesn’t have to be. The Heart Foundation mums have joined together to come up with a few tips and tricks to help ensure your kids are getting all the vitamins and nutrients they need.
Passing on an eating disorder
SHELLY HORTON Researchers have uncovered fresh evidence of a genetic predisposition to eating disorders that is passed from mothers to daughters.
Call for school weigh-ins to fight fat
Kate Hagan Efforts to address public health epidemic hamstrung by inadequate and outdated data, experts say.
Breakfast break for school kids?
JUSTINE DAVIES When your kids head off to school each morning, what is in their tummies? Cereal? Toast? Leftover pizza? Nothing? The answer to that question could make a difference to their future academic performance.
Videogames to fight obesity?
Michael Kasumovic Here’s an idea for improving the health of our children: let them play more videogames.
feature
Fit for an Olympian
Kirsten Lawson It probably shouldn't surprise at all to discover that athletes are not foodies, which isn't to say they're not food-obsessed, but judging by the Olympians we spoke with, the diet is simple and pretty standard.
Do we need a fat tax?
JESSICA IRVINE You are what you eat, they say. If so, Australians are shaped rather like a takeaway container filled with booze and meat, with nary a vegetable in sight.
Dr. Joanna McMillan
Should kids be kilojoule aware?
DR JOANNA MCMILLAN How do we use nutritional information such as kilojoules to help us make healthier choices for our kids?
Is this child abuse? The courts think so
ADRIAN LOWE Victorian welfare authorities begin using extreme obesity as a reason to support children being separated from their parents – and experts predict more cases as the population gets fatter.
Boys and anorexia
Amanda Webster One mother's struggle to fight her son's demons as he slipped away into a world of calorie obsession.
Does Maccas have a place in kids' sport?
Angela Mallon If there is one thing that gets Angela Mallon fired up it is the mixed messages and undermining presence of McDonalds at her children's community sports.
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.
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.
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.
A better breakfast cereal?
Emily Tullock Can a healthy breakfast cereal designed by scientists taste good enough to pass muster with that most discerning of audiences: children?
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?
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.
