Last year we reported that children with disabilities are two to four times more likely to be overweight, and two to four times less likely to be physically active, than their peers.
The numbers were shared at a consensus-building workshop at Holland Bloorview that brought international experts and families together to address weight management.
Canadian Living has an excellent piece on this topic in its November magazine: Staying fit when disabled.
Many of you will recognize Joanna Miedzik, who's interviewed in the feature about her own struggles with weight growing up with spina bifida. Joanna is one of Holland Bloorview's amazing receptionists.
The story includes research from scientist Amy McPherson in the Bloorview Research Institute and commentary from Lorry Chen, one of our clinical dietitians.
Most important are four tips to help your child with disabilities stay active. Click on the link above.
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1 comments:
Excellent post and so important. I love that the emphasis is on staying healthy and fit, eating well, not on overeating and being overweight.
It's a difficult thing when a handicapped person wants to eat so much and the type of things that get them fat. With so many of their rights stripped from them as it is, the very idea of restricting food intake becomes yet another thing to be taken from them. Do they not have the right to eat as unhealthily and to get fat as non disabled people? It's an issue many ponder.
So constant exposure to healthy diets and activities can help keep from going there.
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