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Children’s Health

The Path Toward Youth Well-Being

Girltalk Communicating With Teens

    Mary Arnold knows that the journey from childhood to adulthood can be turbulent and confusing, especially when girls who are still in elementary school are faced with puberty.
    “More young girls are showing signs of puberty at the age of 7 or 8 and beginning to menstruate two to three years later,” she says. “As a result, parents are faced with the difficult task of talking to their children about topics that have traditionally been reserved for preteens and teens.”
    Sensing that parents might need help covering these important yet sensitive topics, Arnold, a registered nurse practitioner with more than 30 years experience in women’s health, began offering Girltalk workshops for East Bay girls and their parents in 1996. To date, more than 400 girls have gone through the program.
    Arnold offers workshops for girls ages 8 to 14, accompanied by a parent or a mature female role model, at venues across the East Bay. She will also conduct workshops for Girl Scout troops and at private homes. Currently, Arnold covers the expenses of workshop materials out-of-pocket but admits that she would love to secure some corporate donors.
    “My workshops are very interactive and comprehensive and offer more information than the movies girls are shown at school,” Arnold says. “I explain the role of the female reproductive system, personal hygiene, nutrition and lifestyles. I want to encourage girls to respect and honor their bodies.”
    Arnold says her workshop is not a sex education class, but rather a forum for young girls to get honest and accurate information about puberty and the female reproductive system. She has found that girls who have participated in her workshops tend to communicate more openly with their mothers, have a better understanding of their bodily functions and are better prepared to make decisions that will directly impact their health on their journey to womanhood.
    “It isn’t every day that a young girl gets the opportunity to ask frank questions about her body,” she says. “That’s one of the main reasons why young girls tend to fear menstruation and puberty.”
    The idea for her Girltalk workshops stemmed from a conversation Arnold had with several of her nursing colleagues. When discussing their first periods, Arnold was surprised to learn that most of her nursing co-workers weren’t prepared for puberty and had felt surprised, shocked and even scared. After ascertaining that no other healthcare professionals were offering similar workshops in the East Bay at the time, Arnold decided that Girltalk could provide a welcome education forum for young girls and their parents.
    “I receive so many questions that start with ‘Is it true that … ?’  ” Arnold says. “Girls have often heard a lot of stories from other girls and not much from their parents. That’s where I step in to dispel myths and ensure the girls get accurate information presented in a fun and casual atmosphere.”
    The typical charge for one of Arnold’s workshops is $50, but she offers classes on a sliding scale and has never turned anyone away for lack of funds.
    “Recently, I offered a free workshop for parents who donated a box of feminine hygiene products. I plan to send the supplies to villages in Africa where girls are forced to stay home one week out of each month because of a lack of feminine hygiene products.”

Sign Up
    Mary Arnold’s next Girltalk workshop will be held at 10:30 a.m. Feb. 7 at the Hall of Health in Berkeley. Pre-registration is required. For more information on Arnold’s other upcoming workshops, visit her Web site, www.girltalk-puberty.com, or send her an e-mail at girltalkgurls@sbcglobal.net.

—By Linda Childers

Childhood Obesity

Fighting the Epidemic

    Childhood obesity has tripled in the United States during the past 30 years. The ramifications are far reaching. Conditions previously restricted to adults such as hypertension, liver disease and Type 2 diabetes now afflict children.
    “We’re talking about a huge problem,” says Dr. Margaret Desler, a pediatrician and expert in childhood obesity at Kaiser Richmond Medical Center. She sees children as young as 2 who are obese “and the signs can be apparent even earlier.” On top of the physical implications—
children having to deal with weight-related diseases—obese children are often teased in school and struggle with self-esteem issues. And the problem, if unchecked, has a grim legacy. Obese parents are a huge predictor of obesity in children. For this reason, and because of the role-model factor, it’s pointless treating the obese child in isolation. Parents need to be involved. “They need to practice what I’m asking them to do with their children,” she says.
    Besides the fact that treatment needs to be a family affair, there’s only so much the medical community can do, says Desler. “All the stakeholders need to take responsibility and be involved. We have to talk about safety in our streets and parks. It’s pointless telling a person to go out and exercise when the neighborhood is bullet-riddled. Legislators and teachers also need to be involved. We can’t ignore the impact of the school that doesn’t provide a healthy lunch program.”
    Big-time causes of childhood obesity, says Desler, include a diet of the wrong foods, portions that are way too big, too much fast food and too many sweetened drinks. Other culprits include parents pacifying children with food, which leads to a habit of emotional and comfort eating, the couch potato syndrome and parents failing to provide breakfast, which can lead to obesity down the road.
    Statistics show that obesity correlates with poverty and is more prevalent in poorer neighborhoods. Budget cuts that removed physical education from the school curriculum didn’t help. “We encourage parents to limit television and screen time, including computer and video games—things that children do sitting down.”
    Instead, running around and playing are endorsed. But then, “we need safe play structures and parks and parental supervision.”
    One encouraging sign Desler has noticed during the past 10 years is that doctors and parents have become more comfortable talking about weight issues. Once a taboo subject, “now there’s more awareness and parents expect to be counseled. That’s a really good thing. I recently saw some promising data that seems to indicate that the tide may be slowly changing. But it’s going to be a long road.”

Education
    Kaiser Permanente, at its different campuses, offers classes in parenting, nutrition and movement, geared to health and weight control. Many classes are open to both members and nonmembers. To encourage good nutrition, Kaiser now has farmers markets at all facilities. Kaiser also visits schools with an entertaining educational theater program called The Best of Me, geared to grades 3 to 6. To see options and locations, go to www.kp.org, select the Health & Wellness tab and look for Healthy Living Program & Classes, Northern California.

Resources
National Eating Disorders Association, www.NationalEatingdisorders.org

University of California “Kids in Crisis” articles and research, www.universityofcalifornia.edu/news/article/16592

Association for Community Health Improvement: Youth Obesity Learning Collaborative (Includes Children’s Hospital Oakland), www.hospitalconnect.com/communityhlth/projects/youthobesity/obesityhome.html

Healthy Eating Berkeley, www.schoollunchinitiative.org

Healthy Eating Oakland, www.oaklandnet.com/parks/programs/communitygardening.asp

—By Wanda Hennig