365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD, AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY Super Sports, Great Games, Exciting Experiments, and Nutrition Nuggets by Julia Sweet Click Here to Buy Julia's Book! Search: All Products Books Popular Music Classical Music Video DVD Toys & Games Baby Computer & Video Games Electronics Software Tools & Hardware Outdoor Living Kitchen & Housewares Camera & Photo Wireless Phones Keywords:

At least one overweight child sits at every table in the school cafeteria today. One in five children in the U.S. is now overweight according to recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics. Obesity among adolescents and children, one of the most frustrating and difficult diseases to treat, is sharply rising according to the latest National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III. A recent article in American Family Physician warns that obese children have increased average blood pressure, heart rate and cardiac output, are at increased risk for orthopedic problems and are more prone to skin disorders. And while no one knows for sure why many girls are entering puberty earlier today, many point to the increase in childhood obesity. What's more, obesity has a negative impact on the self-esteem of children and adolescents, which may have significant implications for long-term happiness and success in life. Pediatricians agree that prevention is our best weapon against this condition, but many parents feel they are waging an uphill battle.

At a time when more and more schools are eliminating physical education classes, roughly 40 percent of American youngsters are physically unfit. In an age of video games, the Internet, television, and fast food, many of our children are becoming couch potatoes. In her new book, 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD, AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY: Super Sports, Great Games, Exciting Experiments, and Nutrition Nuggets (Contemporary Books; Trade Paperback Original; $14.95/$21.95 Canada; April 2001), mom and fitness expert Julia Sweet offers today's parents the practical support they desperately need. A national and world aerobics champion and mother of two, Sweet has competed at the highest levels and currently hosts a television segment called "Fitness Mom™." She and her daughter, Marja, have been competing as a team since Marja was just three, amassing a host of honors at regional, national and world aerobics competitions, including the Junior Olympics. Wherever Team Sweet travels, Julia hears time and again how her healthy fitness and nutritional habits are not only motivating families, but also alleviating some of the most common problems children face today, including hyperactivity, behavior problems, and low self-esteem. "Fitness is a parental responsibility," says Sweet. With 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD, AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, Sweet offers a practical manual for today's busy parents who complain that they have very little time to keep themselves in shape, let alone coach their children into fitness. As challenging as it can be to teach our children a more active lifestyle and healthier eating habits, the rewards are well worth the effort: fit kids are stronger and healthier, do better academically, and have higher self-esteem. The healthy activities for fitness, food, and fun found in Sweet's new book are not only easy-to-follow and inexpensive, but promise to strengthen family bonds as well. Some of the areas covered in 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD, AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY, include:

• Workouts parents and other caregivers can do with a baby or toddler using simple household objects, plus solo activities bigger kids can do on their own, like juggling with scarves
• Unusual, nutritious snacks, like yummy pretzel stick log cabins and healthy creamsicles made from orange juice and vanilla yogurt, that youngsters can make themselves
• Strength training and flexibility exercises using baggies, rope, a chair, sticks, and lots of other items easily found around the house
• Silly games, like flashlight limbo and ice bowling, that will keep the whole family in shape and have everyone in stitches
• Activity ideas for parties, including a wok 'n' roll party and a backyard Olympics, that will get everyone moving
• Water games for the beach, pool, tub or backyard, such as super-synchronized swimming and sprinkler obstacle course
• Games that teach kids how to make fun, useful things and games that teach kids about their bodies

Parents might even find some updated versions of games they used to play and a lot of games they've probably never heard of, including dryer sheet mambo and funny fingers, in Sweet's indispensable new guide. Fun and functional, 365 ACTIVITIES FOR FITNESS, FOOD, AND FUN FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY is being hailed as one of the most interesting and innovative collections of fitness activities to come along in a long while.