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Kenney Myers

Author | Actor | Producer | Kickboxer | Entrepreneur

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10 Hairstyles Famous Kens Wear Well

August 14, 2015 by Kenney Myers

BaumgartnerYour hairstyle has the ability to completely change and enhance the shape of your face. Once the scissors attack, though, there’s no going back. It can take months to return your hair to its former glory, and it’s just rude to wear a hat indoors. These 10 Kens, on the other hand, definitely know how to rock their fabulous hairstyles.

  • The Hockey Mullet – Now retired, Canadian hockey player Ken Baumgartner famously sported a blond-tipped mullet through much of his career. The Mullet may have gained notoriety when it was the coiffure of choice for country star Billy Ray Cyrus, but Mr. Baumgartner made it part of hockey history.
  • The Director’s Cut – Ken Olin often comes across as a middle of the road actor, which is probably why he never seems to deviate from his trademark middle-shade haircut. The parting may shift, on occasion, but Olin’s style seldom errs very far from a Hugh Grant-esque, floppy mop of delightfully messy hair. Behind the scenes, Ken is also an accomplished producer, so perhaps he reserves his more adventurous hairstyles for the big chair.
  • Kenny the Hedgehog – Before his major role in the hit series “Lost” as Miles Straume, Ken Leung played the part of Kid Omega in X-Men: The Last Stand. For some reason, the makers of the movie decided to depict him as the hedgehog version of the character, with long spines protruding from his face and head. Despite the frightening appearance, Leung actually pulls off the look quite well.
  • The Spike– As professional wrestlers go, Ken Anderson was always hard to take seriously. From his habit of snatching the announcer’s mic so that he could provide a long, drawn out introduction for himself to his blonde-tipped, spiky hair, Anderson was a caricature of a wrestling heel. However, his ability in the ring soon put to rest any doubts as to whether or not he was the real deal and the hairstyle went down in history.
  • Teenage Terror-Hawk – When you’re playing a leading role in a show like “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” you’ve got to look the part. It is surprising, then, that Ken Baumann insisted on wearing his hair in a high-top, ‘80s style. What’s even more surprising is that he’s managed to make it look effortlessly cool.
  • Ken Dodd – The only entry on the list who is credited with his actual name, Ken Dodd is instantly recognizable by his crazy hair and zany comedy. Dodd is a much loved television entertainer in the U.K. He is the king of rapid-fire comedy, as he streaks across the stage delivering funny one-liners with his wild, fuzzy locks flowing behind him.
  • Fringe Burns – Ken Burns has made some of the most critically acclaimed documentaries in the 20th and 21st centuries. His haircut, however, looks more like he picked it up in the 15th or 16th century. The director favors the straight fringe and bowl cut, often accompanied by a goatee beard. It does suit him, and if his directing career falls upon hard times, he’s a great candidate for a job at Medieval Times.
  • Killer Hairstyles – As Jason Voorhees in the Friday the Thirteenth films, the audience doesn’t typically get to see the killer’s hair. In some installments of the franchise, he is completely bald, whereas in others he has long, single wisps of hair. Regardless, Ken Kirzinger is one of the few actors to play the character with hair.
  • Curled to Cropped – Kenneth Marshall started out his career in such movies as Krull with a tight mop of curls. As the actor aged, his curls seemed to loosen somewhat. By the time he played Michael Eddington in the series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Marshall was starting to lose his once luscious locks. The actor is now sans hair, but still looking good in his 60s.
  • The Inside Job – As a famous hairstylist, Ken Pavés has had some interesting haircuts. The thing is, they all seem to take on a variation of the long, straight and feathered look. It doesn’t matter, though, as Pavés is rarely seen without a starlet from the music or movie worlds hanging on his arm.

Filed Under: Article, Catch All, Kens

10 Famous Quotes from Men Named Ken

August 12, 2015 by Kenney Myers

Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com

In the digital age, no utterance goes unchecked from the mouths of celebrities, sports stars or politicians. Everything is recorded for future generations, giving a level of insight into the minds of generations past. These 10 Kens have all made their mark on this world, and here are some examples of what they had to say.

  • Ken Kesey – The author of the highly acclaimed book One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Ken Kesey was, in all things, a lover of nature. Not quite a beatnik, but not a hippie either, Kesey’s quotes, like this one, often reflected a sentiment that was of the two generations. “You’ve got to get out and pray to the sky to appreciate the sunshine; otherwise you’re just a lizard standing there with the sun shining on you.”
  • Ken Adam – The famous set designer, who worked with greats such as Stanley Kubrick, had this to say about his ground breaking set design on the James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice: “The challenge appealed to me also, the shape of the volcano. I knew if it didn’t work I’d never work in movies again. [Producer] Cubby Broccoli asked me how much it would cost. I quoted him a million dollars, which at that time was a huge amount of money. He said if I could do it for a million, then do it. That’s when I really began to worry.”
  • Ken Auletta – Auletta is a well-respected journalist and, currently, media critic for the New Yorker. With such high credentials behind his words, media students can take this quote to the bank: “Always point your finger at the chest of the person with whom you are being photographed. You will appear dynamic. And no photo editor can crop you from the picture.”
  • Ken Baumann – This young actor, writer of novels and owner of a non-profit publishing business wasn’t lying when he said, “I love art and I think I was destined to end up in some aspect of the arts.” At the tender age of 24, Ken Baumann has already garnered plenty of acclaim and respect. Baumann is definitely one to watch as he grows to even greater heights in the future.
  • Ken Blanchard – He is best known as the author of the bestselling book The One Minute Manager. Blanchard’s book changed the dynamics of how many managers view the employer/employee relationship. His way of thinking is summed up perfectly in this quote: “In the past, a leader was a boss. Today’s leaders must be partners with their people… they no longer can lead solely based on positional power.”
  • Ken Buck – Currently serving as the District Attorney for Weld County, Colorado, Buck lost out to Michael Bennet in a bid for the Senate in 2010, when he challenged him as the Republican candidate. Despite Ken’s passion for reducing the budget, it would appear that the following quote fell on deaf ears: “I’m coming to Washington, D.C., to do the people’s work. And the people’s work has to do with reducing spending and cutting budgets and, and trying to get a grip on the size of government.”
  • Ken Burns – “I grew up certain for a while that I was going to be an anthropologist, until film turned my head.” While he may not have become an anthropologist, there is a degree of people study involved in Ken Burns work as a documentary filmmaker. In particular, he is often credited with using photographs and archival footage, effectively building a detailed study of his subjects.
  • Ken Curtis – Better known as Festus Haggen from the long running show Gunsmoke, Ken Curtis was truly married to the role, as revealed in this quote: “I really miss Gunsmoke. It was like losing my whole family.”
  • Kenneth Harrelson – One of baseball’s legends, the “Hawk” was never short of a great sporting observation. While debating the finer details of baseball, he had this comparison to make with golf: “In baseball, you hit your home run over the right-field fence, the left-field fence, the center-field fence. Nobody cares. In golf everything has got to be right over second base.”
  • Ken Macleod – As well as being an award winning author, Macleod is known for being a bit of a comedian and an all-around happy man. So it’s no surprise that this quote is attributed to him: “I’m a long-term optimist, and I don’t think the problems with our society are from being overly optimistic.”

Filed Under: Article, Catch All, Kens

Should You Engage Your Child’s Imaginary Friend?

August 10, 2015 by Kenney Myers

imaginaryfriendNo matter how often parents hear that it is normal for children to have imaginary friends and no matter how cute they may find this common occurrence in other people’s kids, most find it a bit difficult when it is their own child who is conjuring up invisible companions. You may even find yourself wondering what the right course of action is when it comes to these pretend people.

When you think about it, an imaginary friend is often like an uninvited guest in your home. Your child brings this “person” home one day, and the next thing you know they are eating dinner with you, coming with you on family outings and sitting in your favorite chair. Children will often become distressed at the prospect of their friend not having a seatbelt in the car or being stepped on by a person who can’t see them. This can cause you to scratch your head in confusion because it seems your choices are either to shatter your child’s fantasy by telling him that his friend is not real or indulge in the fantasy and make it more real to him.

Know That They Know

The good news is most children with imaginary friends know that their friends are imaginary, even if it does not seem this way to you. A study done by Marjorie Taylor in 1999 indicated that, not only did most of her young subjects know that their imaginary friends were not real, but the children often would stop the researchers to make sure they were aware of this fact as well.

Children love to play and indulge in reverie, and while they are young they can do this without any social stigma being attached to them. Even children without imaginary friends will often pretend to shoot bad guys through the car window, take care of dolls or act out action sequences throughout the day, and nobody looks twice at them for doing so. They know that they are not really shooting dangerous lasers through the window and that their baby doll does not really need a bottle, but they act on these things anyway because it’s both fun and an essential part of the development process.

Understand That Imaginary Friends Can Be a Useful Part of Development

Imaginary friends often help children develop socially and emotionally. These friends allow kids to experiment with different social interactions and to cope with any troublesome feelings they may be having in a safe way. Furthermore, creating imaginary friends may offer children a sense of control. After all, their lives are pretty much created for them by their parents. In a pretend world, with a pretend person that allows them to call the shots, children can try their hand at creating and controlling.

Realize That Kids Really Don’t Want You to Get Involved

While kids might want you to play along from a distance by setting a place at the table or not sitting on their imaginary friend, they do not wish for anyone to take over their story. Usually, kids want to be the only one that can see their imaginary friends. If someone else claims to be able to see or hear the friend, it will sometimes upset the child and make him feel that his creation is no longer his own. Kids also rely heavily on parents for their sense of reality, so if you jump into the fantasy realm with them they have no one to count on to stay grounded.

Even with some perspective on imaginary friends, the answer to whether or not to engage them is still not cut and dry. There is a fine line to toe in this situation. In most cases it’s best to accept the friend, within reason. You don’t have to rearrange your life for this uninvited guest. If the imaginary friend is in your chair, it’s perfectly fine for you to tell your child that his friend will have to move and follow the same rules about chairs that everyone else does. If your child is upset that there is no seatbelt for his friend, you can tell him that he and his friend will just have to share one. Basically, don’t jump into the fantasy with both feet, but don’t deny its existence either.

Don’t be afraid to ask your child questions about his friend. You may gain some insight into your child this way. If your child is fearful or sad, he may not be able to talk about it, or even be aware of it, but he may be able to give these feelings to his imaginary friend to handle. Sometimes, the friend may also have traits your child wishes he could have.

Above all, have fun with your new transparent guest. Soon enough, the imaginary friend will move out and your child will outgrow it, along with so much else that comes and goes with early childhood. Most likely, your child will even forget about this friend when he gets older. For this reason, you may want to have him draw a picture of his friend that you can show him later. Your imaginary tenant is sure to become a treasured memory in the future.

Filed Under: Catch All

10 Reasons People Love to Like Betty White

August 5, 2015 by Kenney Myers

bettywhiteFor generations of television fans, Betty White has been a favorite fixture. From her days as the Queen of Game Shows to hosting Saturday Night Live well into her 80’s, the Oak Park, Illinois-born Golden Girl has been a television mainstay since her debut in 1939. While she’s always been a beloved part of the television landscape, Betty White is more popular than ever.  In fact, lately lots of us have been watching Betty White’s Off Their Rockers on NBC where the cast of elderly actors perfectly execute pranks mostly on young people (aka punks on the show).  It’s flat out hilarious and fun for the whole family (parental warning though… some of the pranks are a bit inappropriate for young children).  Let’s explore at least 10 of the reasons why this talented and intelligent woman is still at the top of her game and winning the hearts of her fans.

  1. Her Wicked Sense of Humor – First and foremost, Betty White is a serious funny-woman. Her comedic chops are a force to be reckoned with, a fact her costars on shows like Saturday Night Live and at her own Friar’s Club Roast experienced firsthand. One of the best comediennes in the business, Betty White and her impeccable timing are almost universally adored.
  2. Her Sharp Wit – For decades, Betty White has proudly showcased her razor-sharp wit for the world to see. From knocking them dead on What’s My Line in the 1950’s to adlibbing on the set of Hot in Cleveland, she’s still whip-smart in her 90’s.
  3. She Refuses to Bend to Stereotypes – Forget the stereotypical image of a doddering elder, because Betty White blows it to smithereens. From her off-color jokes to her youthful energy, Betty White is nobody’s typical “old lady.”
  4. She’s a Trailblazer for Women in Entertainment – In a time when very few women were making real decisions in Hollywood, Betty White had full creative control of her show Life With Elizabeth from 1952 to 1955. She was also the first woman to ever win an Emmy for Outstanding Game Show Host in 1983.
  5. Her Work With Animals – Don’t call Betty White an activist. She prefers to advocate for animal health and welfare without being beholden to politics or demonstrations, and thinks that most activists focus on the negative side of things to the point of alienating the public. “I’m a big cockeyed optimist,” she says. “I try to accentuate the positive as opposed to the negative.”
  6. She Challenges Preconceptions About Age – Because she’s still incredibly active in both her career and her charity work, refuses to bend to the idea of a demure older lady and frequently makes jokes that aren’t quite in line with society’s image of aging women, Betty White challenges peoples’ preconceptions about age while simultaneously reminding them through simply being and working that old age doesn’t have to mean an end of activity.
  7. She Pulls No Punches – Betty White can be accused of many things, but beating around the bush is just not one of them. Ms. White calls them as she sees them, with a forthright and funny way of presenting her observations that’s impossible to resist.
  8. She Can Do Anything – Writing books, competing on and hosting game shows, acting, singing, dancing – there seems to be very little that the immensely talented Betty White can’t do well. While it’s easy to be intimidated and put off by people with so many skills, Betty’s accomplishments are presented with such a healthy measure of her endearing charm that it’s difficult not to love her.
  9. She’s Able to Maintain Relevance – In an era where Hollywood mavens in their 40’s are going under the knife, freezing their faces with Botox and worrying endlessly about how they can remain relevant, Betty White is more popular than ever in her 90’s. Her pragmatic but progressive attitudes endear her to more liberal-leaning viewers, gaining an entirely new audience when most actresses half her age are frantically searching for a way to maintain their fame.
  10. She’s an Honorary Forest Ranger – When the USDA Forest Service and Smokey Bear found out through interviews that Betty White wanted to be a forest ranger as a little girl, but was barred from the profession due to the fact that women weren’t allowed to become forest rangers at the time, they made her an honorary forest ranger.

From hosting the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade for a decade to bringing the sweet, somewhat dim Rose Nylund to life on the classic hit Golden Girls, Betty White brings her patented brand of vitality and acerbic wit tempered with plenty of good-natured sweetness to everything she does. There are 10 reasons on this list why people love the inimitable Betty White, and they don’t even begin to scratch the surface.

Filed Under: Catch All

Top 10 Things You Should Know About Developing a Mobile App

August 3, 2015 by Kenney Myers

fanreactAs an entrepreneur focusing on technology companies I have found myself encountering some issues with developing and releasing mobile applications that I think are worth pointing out in case there are others that are about to embark on their first attempt.  For most businesses it’s not a matter of IF you will need a mobile application but more WHEN you will need one.  As we all know, mobile devices are used in just about every aspect of life now almost to the point of being a constant distraction.  Given that, most businesses will eventually have to accept that and find a way to reach their customers/clients pretty much 24×7.

  1. The first challenge comes with ideation (aka coming up with the functionality your customers/users want).  It’s often tempting to fall on either side of this and either produce a mobile application that is a watered down version of your services OR providing so much functionality that the mobile app is overwhelming and just too cumbersome to use.  In most cases, less is more but thinking through the functionality you might add in advance can save you a ton of time and money when you start developing the application.  Most businesses spend way too little time on this step which results in tons of rewrites, missed delivery dates, and budget over-runs (been there, done that).  I highly recommend writing functional specifications and running those by as many friends and potential users as you can before writing a line of code.
  2. The next issue you will face if you are not a developer or don’t have mobile developers on staff is finding the right company to make the application for you.  Keep in mind that no matter how nice the salesperson is that you talk to this is work for hire and in general they are going to tell you what you want to hear.  You can expect a minimum of 25% on top of any quote they provide in both time and cost (and that is a best case scenario).  Your best bet here is to focus on those that seem to best comprehend what your app is going to do and seem to be able to take your functional specifications and turn them into technical proposals.  Do not hire any developer before they have provided a detailed proposal that meets all of your functional needs and make sure that is a part of any contract you sign with them (be thorough here because I promise you it will come up again and again before you are done).
  3. Another facet of development that is often overlooked is the development platform.  Keep in mind that the initial development is just that, you are going to have to add to and maintain this application over time so don’t pick a developer that uses a niche mobile platform that nobody else is using.  You also have to decide if you are going to write native applications that target iOS and Android or if you want to use something that is write once and run on multiple devices like a Phonegap-based platform.  In general, you will sacrifice some usability if you choose Phonegap but the usability will be consistent across all platforms and the cost of development will be considerably less.  Lately most apps I have released use either Telerik (specifically their Phonegap platform) or NSBasic (also Phonegap based).
  4. Most mobile applications are going to heavily leverage jQuery, HTML5, and CSS.  If those things aren’t familiar to you then the most important thing to know about them is that you are going to want to spend a considerable amount of time planning out the design and invest in a great user-interface designer that can provide the markup that your developers are going to need (in some cases the developer will take care of this as well, but usually not as well as a design expert).  It’s really important to follow generally accepted practices here because mobile users are exceptionally fickle and very used to certain designs (think FaceBook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine, etc.).  Find a popular application in the app stores that is fairly close to what you are going to be doing and use that as a baseline (if the reviews are great).
  5. Once the project starts get frequent status updates because there is literally no other way to make sure you stay as close as possible to your delivery timeline and/or budget.  I don’t care if a developer tells you they ALWAYS hit their deadlines and they don’t need you pushing them.  It’s usually the case that they meet their second, third, or fourth deadline and not the first one (don’t worry they will always blame any slips on scope creep – AKA you adding more requirements).  It’s also important to provide feedback as quickly as possible so that if the developer starts going in a direction you don’t like you limit the amount of rewriting they have to do.  If a developer fights you on this early on I would highly recommend cutting your losses and moving to a different developer.
  6. Another very common mistake is not entering into a contract with the developer before the actual development starts.  This is absolutely an insane thing to do that will definitely come back to haunt you.  You should of first had them sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before even talking to them.  You need a contract that fully references your requirements and their delivery dates plus you absolutely must make sure they assign all of the rights exclusively to you for anything that is developed.  This is a non-negotiable requirement and don’t settle for anything other than fully exclusive rights to the app.  I have had developers fight me on this before and frankly I will walk away from their deal in a heartbeat and you should too.
  7. As development continues and you are monitoring progress daily or weekly at a minimum, you will want to make sure that you are testing on the target platforms as early as a prototype is possible.  In most cases now we stub out the full application first and run it on the target platforms.  So basically design all of the screens without the functionality and just flip through all of them to get a feel for how the application is going to flow in its final form.  Once the underlying code is developed it will be much harder, time consuming, and expensive to make changes to the basic flow.  This is another step that I would never skip again going forward.  Plus, it gives you something to use in pitch meetings for employees, advertisers, partners, or investors as needed.
  8. Resist the urge to keep adding requirements as much as possible (this will give the developer all he or she needs to justify any missed deadlines or budget over-runs).  If you did a good job of defining the functional requirements upfront you should make sure those are taken care of first and recognize that YOU are not your customer/user.  In the end there are always going to need to be changes made after the application is launched and you adding just one more thing is probably not going to be the difference between a successful application launch and a poor launch.  With that said, that is exactly how you should look at each change.  How critical is this to the success of the application?  If it is not absolutely critical, don’t waste development time on it.
  9. Knowing when to move from prototype to alpha/beta testing is also important.  You need to line up a good group of testers that will help you move the application from the prototype stage all the way through to a release candidate.  Try your best to pick a broad group of testers with at least one person that is fairly picky and well known for hating everything new they try.  If you just have a bunch of yes testers/people involved you probably aren’t going to hear the feedback you really need to hear.  The biggest issue here is often letting this stage take too long as you try to make the application “perfect.”  There is no such thing as a “perfect” application.  You will need to make some changes to accommodate actual user requests so get comfortable that your functional requirements work well and prepare to release the app.
  10. Spend a lot of time at least a month before the expected release date getting your accounts setup with both iTunes and the Google Play store.  You will find that Apple is way slower at approving everything from your initial account to each and every version release (so plan that into your timelines).  You also want to be certain that you collect all of the requirements in advance including your app descriptions, screenshots, and everything that you will need to submit your application for review.  The Google Play store process couldn’t be faster you can easily turn everything around the same day for literally everything.  Apple will have you wanting to pull out whatever hair you have left on your head after going through this whole process.  Given that pretty much everything with Apple takes 7 to 10 working days the last thing you want to do is miss something simple that resets your place in their review queue.  NOTE: every update to the app binary with Apple also does reset their review queue so be sure the binary you submit the first time is good enough to be released (any updates will also take 7 to 10 days to get approved).

The initial release is most likely just the beginning or your mobile application experience.  You are going to need to maintain the application and most likely provide fairly frequent updates to add more and more functionality based on user feedback (this is a major factor in determining how many users delete your app – lack of updates).  Consider this when you are choosing the development platform and resources.  If you are a developer like me then make sure you can take over where the other developer has left off or have a good maintenance agreement prepared in advance with someone (if possible).  You have to be sure you know out of the gate what it is going to take to be able to maintain a good mobile application for your customers/users.  If you have any questions on mobile application development and release (not project work, just the process or general feedback), hit me up on Cyber Dust username KenneyMyers or on Twitter @KenneyMyers.

Filed Under: Article, Catch All

Avoid Childhood Obesity: Tips to Get Your Child Fit

July 30, 2015 by Kenney Myers

obesityThe percentage of overweight children in the United States is growing at an alarming rate and, according to the medical experts at Nemours Kids Health, one out of every three children is now considered overweight or obese. The emotional and physical toll of obesity can be overwhelming for your child, which is why it is important to help him or her obtain a healthy lifestyle and an ideal weight while growing and developing.

As a parent, you have the ability to influence your child and lead him or her to a healthy path by setting an example with optimal diet and exercise on a daily basis.

Deciphering the Causes

An angle of the childhood obesity epidemic that is often overlooked is emotional eating, says Dee McCaffrey, the author of The Science of Skinny and founder of Processed Free America. According to McCaffrey, the obesity itself is the result of emotional eating. “Kids often soothe themselves with food and many factors can drive a child to eat for comfort,” she says.

This behavior often occurs when a child is unable to identify or express his or her feelings. “They may feel sad or angry because they’re not getting enough attention or love or because their feelings were hurt,” says McCaffrey. “Emotional eating could also stem from something more traumatic, such as their parents’ divorce.”

In either circumstance, the child doesn’t learn the proper way to deal with stressful situations and instead uses food as a coping mechanism, says McCaffrey.

Once a child is burdened with obesity, these emotional problems are still in play, but are then exacerbated by additional feelings brought on by his or her excessive weight. “Common among obese children, and in obese people in general, is the sense of isolation and limitation,” says McCaffrey. “Obese children are keenly aware that they are physically different from their peers and that awareness is often subconsciously translated to their psyche.”

Because they don’t look the same as their slender peers, they may feel that they also don’t measure up in other areas. As a result, obese children are more vulnerable to low self-worth and low self-esteem, says McCaffrey. “Low self-esteem can affect aspects of health and behavior such as social adjustment, engaging in physical activities with their peers and goal direction,” she says. “All of these emotional effects can lead to more eating and fuel the cycle of obesity.”

Adopting a Healthier Lifestyle

When coping with an obese child, it is very important not to single out the child as having a problem, says McCaffrey. Instead, she suggests taking a family-centered approach. “The child already feels different, so it’s best to make healthy eating and lifestyle changes a family endeavor,” she says.

It also helps to make sure the entire family becomes educated food shoppers. Take your children along with you to the grocery store and prompt them to read ingredient lists and food labels. To make healthy food choices, parents, nannies and children need to become educated shoppers and adept at reading ingredient lists, says McCaffrey. “We need to think beyond the number of calories a food has and be more concerned with ingredients, many of which have been linked to obesity,” she says.

Many packaged foods contain ingredients with complicated names that belong in a chemistry lab, not on yours or your child’s plate, says McCaffrey.

You can also get your child involved in the kitchen by teaching him how to prepare healthy meals and snacks. Watch a cooking show together, take a cooking class together or try new recipes for healthy meals found during a web search, suggests McCaffrey.

Incorporating exercise into your family’s routine is also crucial, but it shouldn’t be a chore. “Don’t make your child exercise,” warns McCaffrey. Instead, place a positive spin on exercise and use language such as “Let’s play,” “Let’s play basketball,” or “Let’s go bike riding.”

As much as possible, physical activity should be engaged in as a family. “Encourage your child to find an activity that is fun,” says McCaffrey. “Children need at least 60 minutes of physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week.”

Most importantly, avoid criticism and promote your child’s self-esteem. “Let your child know that he or she is okay no matter what he or she weighs,” says McCaffrey. “Avoid making them feel guilty about anything they eat or don’t eat and don’t use shaming comments, such as ‘you shouldn’t be eating that.’”

Shame and guilt should never be associated with food because it can create eating disorders and can negatively affect your child’s self-esteem and willingness to try new foods, says McCaffrey.

References:

Nemours: KidsHealth

http://kidshealth.org/parent/general/body/overweight_obesity.html

Dee McCaffrey, Author, Organic Chemist

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