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Food Allergy |
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What Is a Food Allergy?
Food allergies
occur when your immune system mistakenly
thinks you've eaten something that's harmful
and must suddenly fight to protect you.
Your body's immune (say: ih-myoon)
system protects you from germs and disease
by making antibodies that
allow it to fight off bacteria,
viruses, and other tiny organisms that can
make you sick.
But
sometimes the body makes antibodies to chemicals
in a certain food and to other things that
don't hurt you. If you have an allergy of
any kind, your immune system overreacts
to the substance, whether it's |
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| a medicine
(many people are allergic to penicillin), pollen
in the air (like from trees and flowers), or a
food (like peanuts or shrimp). |
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you eat a food that you've developed an allergy
to, your body releases chemicals called histamines
(say: hiss-teh-meenz), which make you feel
sick - sometimes very sick. Scientists aren't
exactly sure why this happens. |
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Watching TV for even as few
as two to five hours per week is linked to being
overweight. Sadly enough, the number of children
who watch five or more hours of television per
day has increased dramatically in recent years.
Instead of just watching TV, encourage your children
to spend time each day in play that requires them
to be physically active. Health professionals
agree that physical activity is essential to helping
children not only reach, but more importantly
maintain, a healthy weight. |
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| Exercise
can strengthen children's bones now as well as later
in life. |
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Children who participate
in weight-bearing, impact sports such as running,
gymnastics, tumbling, and dance have higher bone
density than children who are not active or children
whose major activity is a non-weight-bearing exercise
such as swimming. Building strong bones in childhood
helps to maintain bone health later in life. |
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| Active
children may increase their chance of becoming healthy
adults. |
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Children who enjoy exercise
may develop a lifelong, healthy habit of being
physically active. If they stay active as adults,
they will enjoy better health and may live longer
than their less active peers. Physical activity
can decrease the risk of obesity, cancer, diabetes,
high blood pressure, stroke, and heart disease
among adults. People who remain active on a regular
basis tend to live longer than people who are
not regularly active. |
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| Children
need to consume a healthy diet and plenty of fluids
for active play. |
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Children need to consume
adequate calories to provide them with the energy
to be active. Foods provide children with the
energy and nutrients they need to grow and the
energy they need for active play. Active children
also need to drink plenty of fluids before, during,
and after exercise. |
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The U.S. government and numerous
health professional organizations recommend that
children and adolescents participate in 30 minutes
or more of moderate-intensity physical activity
on most, if not all, days of the week. |
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Motivate your kids to
move for the fun of it!
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The key word to motivating
kids to be active is "fun." According
to experts, children participate in physical activity
for enjoyment. |
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Take one step at a time.
Encourage your child to swim, bike, or play ball
with friends, or take a 10-minute activity break
while doing homework, watching TV, or playing
computer or video games. Motivate your child to
participate in school-organized sports and physical
education classes! |
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Become a role model! Get
the whole family involved in games, bicycling,
or other active play. If you're involved, your
child is more likely to get involved. Participating
in physical activities together may also increase
the amount of quality time you spend with your
child. |
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