If you are concerned about your child’s weight, you are in good company. According to Samuel S. Gidding, MD, pediatric cardiologist at Virtua-duPont, “Childhood obesity is a serious problem. Over the past 20 years, the number of children who are overweight has increased by more than 50 percent and the number of extremely overweight children has nearly doubled. About 25 to 30 percent of school-age children in the United States are overweight or obese, which puts them at a high risk for heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, asthma, orthopedic problems, hypertension and other health problems.”

Obesity is a condition of excess weight, which puts a person at health risk. Defined as an excess of body fat, obesity is the result of a body’s inability to balance calorie intake and energy expenditure. (Weight is evaluated by body mass index (BMI), waist circumference and a patient’s risk factors for disease and conditions associated with obesity.)

According to Dr. Gidding, poor eating habits and inactivity are the root causes of childhood obesity. A family history of obesity may also increase a child’s risk of becoming obese, especially if both the parents are overweight. In addition, the high level of fat and calories in the average United States diet combined with the inactive lifestyle of many children is contributing to the dramatic increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity. “In today’s fast-paced society, foods with higher fat are easier to access as many families tend to eat out or eat on the run, often eating foods in larger portions with a higher caloric intake,” says Dr. Gidding.

“Many parents worry about whether their children are at an unhealthy weight,” says Dr. Gidding. “One way to know for sure is to check with your child’s doctor, who will determine if your child is above the ideal weight for their height and age. A child usually is obese when they are significantly over ideal body weight for their height. In general, if a child’s weight is 20 percent or more in excess of the expected weight for a given height, a child is mildly obese. More than 30 percent above ideal weight is severe obesity. Additional ways to determine childhood obesity include the measurement of skinfold thickness, bioelectrical impedance and whole-body densitometry.”

Dr. Gidding recommends that if a child is more than 40 percent overweight, a physician or registered dietitian guided weight loss program may be suggested to modify the child’s eating behaviors, rather than just restricting calories. “During the course of the program, the emphasis should be on adopting a healthier lifestyle for the long term, not just on losing weight now, explains Dr. Gidding. “Children are developing physically and mentally, and they need adequate nutrition as they grow. Combining a healthy well-balanced diet with exercise is the best way to achieve healthy levels of body fat. By setting reasonable goals, weight maintenance should be achieved before weight loss is contemplated.”

The dictionary meaning of the word aerobic is “depending on free oxygen or air”. In living organisms, it denotes the consumption of oxygen in the metabolic processes of the body. The physical exercises which raise the use of oxygen by the body in its energy-generating operations, are known as the aerobic exercises. Aerobic exercise are among the highly appreciated physical-fitness-activities and is recommended by avowed exercise enthusiasts.

The benefit of aerobic exercise are many. The most important benefit is that they increase oxygen and blood circulation in the body. They raise the metabolic rate and tones the muscles. Aerobic exercises are quite simple and fun drills that are done playfully. A pair of good quality shoes, little space and your favorite high-beat music sets you ready to perform it at home only.

According to fitness experts, aerobic exercise should be performed at moderate levels in extended period of time. A typical aerobic exercise routine involves three phases, warming up, intensive movements and cooling down. Here is a brief description of all the three stages of an aerobic exercise session.

Warming-up Phase: Warming up is necessary before any strenuous activity as it stretches and loosens the body muscles. Warming-up prevents you from muscle cramp,muscle fatigue and injuries due to sudden jerk. You can warm up your body in several ways such as walk for about three minutes, climb the stairs or just step-touch backward and forward. Many sportsmen prefer warming up by bending forward and touching the toes for a count of 20-30. You can do other simple things like moving your arms one by one in circular motion, jumping for about five minutes,etc. You are ready for the next period when you feel your body warm and loosened up.

Comprehensive Phase: The comprehensive phase should last for about thirty minutes. Put on your preferred fast beat music. Repeat the below-mentioned movements to a count of six. The first movement is, step with your left foot, bend and try to touch the ground with the toe of the right foot. Do it alternatively as well. The second movement is to step your left foot, bend forward and touch the ground with the heel of your right foot. Do this movement alternatively. Step your left foot and raise your right foot and do it alternatively. The other aerobic movements involve moving four steps forward, backward and on the sides. Repeat this movement to a count of eight. Raise your arms towards the ceiling and bring them back down. Repeat this movement for a count of ten. Jump up and down for a few minutes. All these movements increase your heart beat, which itself raises the oxygen consumption. Physical activities such as swimming, rope-skipping and cycling are other examples of aerobic exercises. When you have been sweating for about ten minutes, you are ready to start with the final phase of the aerobic exercise routine.

The pursuit of the perfect tan could be much more costly than you think. According to experts from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) in Lyon, France, tanning beds and other sources of ultraviolet radiation carry a cancer risk that is equivalent to cigarettes. The IARC, a part of the World Health Organization (WHO), has now re-classified UV tanning beds to the highest possible cancer risk category known as “carcinogenic to humans.”

Scientists have long suspected that tanning beds and ultraviolet radiation were probable carcinogens, and the results of the recent analysis performed by IARC offer proof that this is true. The analysis reviewed about 20 studies to reach the conclusion that the risk of skin cancer is increased by 75 percent when individuals use tanning beds prior to reaching the age of 30.

Although it was previously believed that only one type of ultraviolet radiation was lethal, the experts also discovered that all types of ultraviolet radiation caused disturbing mutations in mice, offering more proof that the radiation is carcinogenic. The research was published online in the medical journal Lancet Oncology.

Instead of using a tanning bed, the American Cancer Society advises people to use bronzing or self-tanning creams. The organization has reported that in 2008, approximately 62,000 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the United States, with about 8,000 people losing their lives to the deadly cancer.

With people eager to get in line for the H1N1 or Swine Flu vaccine, it’s important to remember about the rest of the immunizations you can protect yourself and your children from with routine visits and inoculations. I should know, I just recently got whooping cough and it wasn’t as serious as it would have been if I was a young child, but nonetheless my childhood vaccination wore off and I was susceptible to nasty viruses yet again. August is National Immunization Awareness Month (NIAM) and in my opinion, a great way to end the summer and start a new school year…protected.

Each year the goal of NIAM is to provide sufficient awareness to communities across the United States so they are able to schedule routine shots they may have been overlooking. In protecting yourself, you are also protecting the community from spreading potentially dangerous strains of viruses. Although babies, young children, and the elderly are often the most at-risk and the biggest set of age groups receiving shots, NIAM makes sure every adult is aware of the importance of immunization.

With colleges starting up again soon, dorms are notorious for spreading disease because of cramped living quarters, un-sanitized common rooms, and communal showers. Before I started college, my school encouraged the meningococcal shot as the fear of meningitis in residence halls was spreading like wildfire.