Middle Childhood (6-11 years) Health, Fitness, and Safety
Middle Childhood Vaccines for major childhood illnesses make middle childhood relatively safe time of life Death rate is lowest in the life span
Obesity and Body Image Worldwide health issue BMI: Body Mass Index Boys more likely to have higher BMI vs. girls Body Image: how one believes he or she looks Becomes very important in middle childhood More for boys or girls? Why?
Barbie Do you think Barbie dolls affect girls’ body image? Why or why not? Proportions are “unrealistic, unattainable, and unhealthy.”
Causes of Obesity Inherited Tendencies Too little exercise Too much or wrong kinds of food Overweight parents/relatives TV
Serious Concern Overweight children: Can fall behind peers in physical and social functioning Can suffer emotionally – indulging w/ treats At risk for depression, behavior problems, and low self-esteem Health problems: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and high insulin levels More likely to become overweight adults and have other health problems
Prevention & Treatment of Obesity/Overweight Prevention better than treatment What would you do?
Acute vs. Chronic Medical Conditions Acute: occasional and short-term Colds, flu, other viruses Piaget – once egocentric, now germs Chronic: illnesses/impairments lasting at least 3 months Asthma Stuttering – boys more than girls
Accidental Injuries Doing more physical activity and supervised less, accidents are more common Boys more than girls and repeat injuries Leading cause of death of school-aged children in United States.
Accidental Injuries (cont.) Bicycle accidents: 88 percent of brain injuries could be prevented by using helmets Protective headgear necessary for most sports High risks from trampolines
What do you think? What can help reduce accidental injuries in this age group?