FitKid7- 7 Simple Steps for a Fit & Healthy Child!
FitKid7 is guaranteed to help children lose weight and/or get fit! The bonus is that children who live healthily tend to sleep better, have fewer behavior problems, experience less illness and are able to concentrate bet. . . More >>
FitKid7- 7 Simple Steps for a Fit & Healthy Child!
I am the mother of two children and I found Wolke’s book to be a great book, with the information presented in systematic, but clearly understandable way. It is filled with practical ideas to on how to implement long term dietary habits for the whole family.
I really like the fact that Wolke discusses a healthy eating plan and is able to explain her reasoning from a professional point of view as well via personal reflections and anecdotes.
Her comments on the eating habits of school camps, children’s sports and school food alone are worth the read.
This books educates the parent and explains how to convey knowledge to children in ways they will grasp, which is ultimately what we want as parents. We hope that children will understand and value healthy eating, so they no longer have to swing from one extreme to the other.
The seven steps tie everything together in a concrete way and Wolke keeps her style warm, encouraging, yet uncompromising all the way through.
This is no fad to follow, it is a flexible, professionally crafted plan that will encourage and empower parents to implement life long healthy eating, exercising and communication around these issues. If all families could follow a basic plan such as FitKid7 from the start, they would be taking positive steps in navigating such issues as eat
Rating: 5 / 5
If you are new to the world of nutrition/lifestyle and you seriously want to get your kids’ health issues straightened out, then Fitkid7 is a good place to start. Sirkka Wolke offers information and advice on nutrition in combination with lifestyle suggestions specifically aimed and kids and families. Wolke combines her knowledge and enthusiasm in a conversational writing style which will most appeal to those who find textbook approaches to nutrition daunting.
Personally, while reading the book I felt encouraged to tidy up my own eating habits. Inevitably my kids benefitted from my choice to change my diet! However, though Wolke is passionate about her subject, I found the overuse of exclamation marks irritating. I also found myself wishing Wolke had sited more research when making claims. In any case, if you are fervently searching for help in getting your kids to make better diet and fitness choices, Fitkid7 might be for you.
Rating: 4 / 5
Sirkka Wolke, drawing on her extensive expertise, addresses a growing health crisis in the world concerning our children in a forthright way that underscores the importance of raising healthy, fit kids and outlines how to execute this easily. Although many adults attempt to get fit themselves, they tend to ignore their kids. This book accomplishes what the author set out to do–to make us take notice of what we are feeding our children for the sake of their future. This should be a standard read for all parents and those who work with children.
. . . Teacher, mother of 2. . . .
Rating: 4 / 5
Fitkid7 is a great book on childhood fitness & health. It covers the issues of exercising, healthy eating and much much more.
I found it was easy to read (unlike a few others I’ve tried).
I love all the sections on Recipies, Shopping lists, meal ideas etc.
I would recommend FitKid7 to anyone looking for a book on kid’s health. Your kids would love to read it just as I have.
Sirkka Wolke has done a great job on this one. ****** 6 stars from me!
Rating: 5 / 5
Let me preface this review by stating that I do not have children. However, I was one (weren’t we all?), and I did babysit for many, many years. Take my opinion about “FitKid7: 7 Simple Steps for a Fit & Healthy Child” as you will with this knowledge. A how-to book of any sort requires two basic things. First, it must be written so that the reader, any reader, can understand it. Second, it must have clear directions and advice to follow. Given these criteria, does Sirkka Wolke’s book qualify as a great investment of your money?
The book is divided into three basic parts. The first part lays out the steps to take. The 7 basic steps are easy to understand, because Wolke writes in an approachable, conversational tone. Frankly, her advice isn’t all that new. The only truly new thing I saw was the idea that you should not keep anything that isn’t healthy in your house. The rest, ranging from water as your primary liquid to a positive attitude, is very common in discussions of good health.
My biggest complaint in this first part is that there are a lot of how-to directions and advice that seem missing. I think many of these steps would be easy to put into place at the beginning of your family from the moment you get married or paired up or buy a house, and certainly before you have children. However, I can see many people buying this book who have older kids or teenagers, and I think much more practical advice is called for, such as how you convince your spouse or partner to get on board and how you deal with the stronger peer pressures and school access at the junior high and high school level.
In the second part of the book, Wolke looks at several factors that contribute to unhealthy behavior and eating patterns. Much of this is social, from the role of business to the pressure to succeed and passive entertainment. Again, there are several factors that are not deeply enough addressed, such as the American idea that dinner or supper should be the biggest meal of the day. Outside of the social factors, Wolke only pays brief attention to biology, and I’m not talking genes that make you fat. What about the fact that fats and sugars taste good to us? She mentions repeatedly the idea that our bodies can easily think we are starving, but how do you counter that long-standing biology in a world where we do not need to move as much and food production is incredible?
Of course, there are no easy answers for these issues, but I remember that my old private nutritionist looked at my ethnic background when she came up with a food plan for me. She considered not just my environment but my genetic background, and in her wise words she doubted I’d ever look like a supermodel because I came from “strong peasant stock,” where big, strong women were a plus. Wolke focuses on health, not weight, though she does raise the weight issue a few times. I was very happy that she did not promote those height/weight/age charts that are generic. I also was very glad that she emphasized that stress and mental health are just as important or more important than the shape and size of your body.
The third part of Wolke’s book looks at the various measures you can take to make these changes. Again, I think more could be said here, and the general advice consists of things I’ve heard and read repeatedly. She does list a few references for her advice, but more would also please the scholar in me. Of course, you can learn all you want but you have to make the actions match the information. As a person who has slowly added more fiber and leaner meats to her adult family’s diet, let me tell you that it can be emotionally draining to stay the course in the face of opposition. Yes, even adults can be picky eaters, and I’m no exception.
The book ends with several sections that offer further information, such as an ideal shopping list, recipes, meal ideas, and resources you can use. I think the resources and bibliography need to be much longer. I also want to know where Wolke received her degrees in nutrition and whom/how she consults? I think knowing that would add more authority to her words.
“FitKid7″ is a simple, fast read with good steps to take to help your children become more health-conscious and active people. It is really too short, though, at just over 100 pages, to give a lot of strong practical suggestions. Perhaps Wolke hopes you will consult with your own health care professional, but I would have liked more ideas for making this all work. The book is a good first step, but it won’t answer all your questions.
Rating: 4 / 5