July 2020

YOUR HEALTH

I recently took a course about childhood-obesity to keep up with my fitness professional CEU’s, and I wanted to share how serious this is in our country with you.  For the first time in our history, children are not expected to live as long as their parents (American Heart Association 2018) due to sedentary lifestyles. In just a few years, we have seen a 60 percent increase (WHO 2018) in the number of children who have been diagnosed as obese to the tune of 41 million kids. That translates to 1 in 3 children (Nowicki et al 2019) being overweight or obese.

This isn’t about looks or appearance; this is about health of the children not only today but in their future. Somewhere, we got off track by eliminating physical activity and increasing junk food in childhood. It is resulting in kids suffering from diseases and health issues that were typically reserved for older populations like diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and fatty liver. The really scary part is that these kids are not developing properly. We are seeing mental health issues, emotional delays, behavioral problems, and a lack of cognitive development (Pulgarón 2013). The heavier the child, the greater risk for fractures and poor bone mass since 40 percent of bone mineral occurs within the first two years of adolescent. Something has to be done, or our youth will be looking at a life of disease, pain, and suffering.

Parents, grandparents, teachers, counselors, coaches and fitness professionals need to band together to help kids increase their activity and decrease their food intake. It starts at home, so please know that what you allow in your home can be harming your children and/or grandchildren long term. It is time to make intentional decisions about what you feed yourself and your family.

We also need to get moving and playing more to combat the sedentary lifestyle that has consumed our country. Too much screen time is interfering with quality sleep, and that has been found to lead to higher weights in both adults and children (WHO 2019). All of us should be getting at least 60 minutes of exercise a day, but we need to make this a top priority for our youth.

We can no longer sit by and watch. We all need to participate by being an example. Kids catch more by seeing it versus hearing it. Meaning, “Do as I do!” Dance, walk, ride bikes, Hoola hoop, jump rope, swim, life weights, take aerobic classes – do something together that gets you and your kids off your butts, away from technology and moving. Their future depends upon it (70 percent of obese kids grow up to be obese adults – Simmonds et al. 2016).

YOUR LIFE

Like many of you, I have watched my fair share of movies during COVID-19. I recently saw Just My Luck for the first time. It’s a movie that came out 2008 with Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine, and it’s fair at best. But it did have a message that I felt was worth discussing. The story line is this: Lindsay Lohan always gets her way. She is one lucky lady! Chris Pine – not so much. If it weren’t for bad luck, he wouldn’t have any luck at all. The two meet and kiss and somehow, her luck is transferred to him. She finds herself going from one bad luck event to another.

She had no ability to cope and no resilience for struggle because she never had to. Because things always went her way, she didn’t know how to handle disappointment or frustration. How true this is, and how unfortunate that so many young people today were protected by their parents and find themselves ill equipped to face life’s challenges.

We learn coping skills by experiencing difficult situations. The only way to get stronger is by going through the fire! I can attest to this as I have been through some stuff, but you know what? I am one strong lady! When faced with a tough situation, I have an arsenal of tools to use that will get me through, over, around or under my obstacle. I will defeat it.

If you find yourself like Lindsay Lohan in this movie without the skills to take on a challenge, be encouraged. You ARE getting experience by going through it. Don’t fight it; embrace your circumstances. You will come through the other side much wiser and stronger, and that isn’t just luck!

YOUR CAREER

As we move past COVID-19, is your company hiring? Don’t fall into the trap of “good enough is good enough” by settling. The wrong employee is costly not just in money but in terms of company culture and employee morale. Take the time to find just the right person who FITs your organization.

As a professional executive recruiter, I am all about the FIT: function, integration, and training. I help companies first identify what the role requires, taking the emotion out of it and bench marking the position. I then use assessment tools to ensure candidates are qualified from experience, education, and personality/temperament.

Once the right person is found, I come along side of clients to ensure on boarding if effective to help them assimilate and integrate. I don’t stop there and offer essential training that will ensure employee engagement. Don’t waste your time or resource. Hire the right FIT! Let me know if I can be of service.

MONTHLY FEATURE

Perhaps due to COVID-19, you are the one looking for a job. I have an excellence resource for you that helps you understand human behavior and how it affects communication. You know your experience and background, but my booklet Get FIT to Be Hired on the Spot helps you learn how to communicate your information in a manner that will be heard! Get your copy today and get that job on the spot!