1 THE BEST DIET TO KEEP AND BE IN SHAPE Successfully fit people are successful not

because of good luck, birth order, or family heritage but because they have adopted the
right habits. They do things differently than the rest. To be a successful person, you must
adopt the habits of success.
1. They Tend to Stick to the Same "Daily Menu" The majority of fit people say they eat
virtually the same meals every day, mostly the same breakfast, same lunch, same dinner,
and when it comes to snacks and beverages . . . well, you guessed it, very predictable
food. To clarify, they did not suggest that they eat exactly the same entree for every meal,
but they often chose from three, maybe four things that they like for breakfast, lunch, and
dinner. There are three possible reasons behind this shared habit among fitness
professionals, individuals who have succeeded at taking off 100-plus pounds and keeping
it off for years, and those who have been trim all their lives. First, it allows "careful" eaters
to predict their daily calorie allotment without much effort. Second, perhaps the most fit
among us are entrenched in habit, including the habit of taste. Third, effortlessly fit folks
are in tune with the energy and calorie needs of their bodies. When they find foods that
deliver what they need and that they enjoy, why look further? Keep in mind, there's a fine
line between careful eating and disordered eating. The careful eater's diet is a habit and
not a matter of control or obsession.
2. They Eat Breakfast This one common characteristic is nearly universal in statistical
studies of people who have achieved and maintained a large weight loss. Eighty percent of
those who have been able to maintain a weight loss of at least 30 pounds for at least a
year report that they always eat breakfast. Research has consistently shown that the
people who successfully lose weight are the ones that wake up and eat! Furthermore,
people who eat breakfast regularly have better vitamin and mineral status and eat fewer
calories from fat. Experts agree that the majority of people who struggle with overeating
are those who undereat during the first part of the day, specifically those who skip
breakfast. So it seems that breakfast really is the most important meal of the day! Why
does eating breakfast help people lose and ultimately maintain a healthier weight? One
theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast reduces hunger throughout the rest of the
day, therefore decreasing the likelihood of overeating and making poor food choices at
lunch.
3. They Drink Water Not soda. Not iced tea. Just plain old water. This is the biggie. Drinking
enough water is a vital part of any conditioning program because it keeps your body
functioning in homeostasis and aids every aspect of bodily function. Highly successful fit
people drink at least six to eight 12-ounce glasses of water a day, plus more as needed
during exercise. Note: It's possible to drink too much water, which dilutes the body's
electrolytes (potassium, sodium, chloride, magnesium). Don't drink more than a gallon a
day unless you're also replenishing your electrolytes.
4. They Eat SmallAnd Often Most people know that small, frequent meals are absolutely
the only way to go. Why? Because when we go longer than 3 hours without eating, our
levels of the stress hormone cortisol rise. And high cortisol levels signal the body to store
fat in the abdominal region. Keep in mind too that people who skip meals have the highest
cortisol levels of all! Eating small meals more often reduces cortisol levels, research
suggests. In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, people who ate six

small meals a day for 2 weeks, as opposed to three large meals containing the same total
number of calories, reduced their cortisol levels by more than 17 percent! They lost belly
fat, too. When you eat small, frequent meals long term, the body becomes efficient at
keeping cortisol levels low, which helps both men and women reduce belly fat. Eating
throughout the day also makes you less tempted by the monster-size buckets ofpopcorn
and supersize fries and drink containers that include triple and quadruple servings. Guided
by their nutritional needs and deeply rooted habit to eat small meals throughout the day,
the superfit stand steadfast, even in the face of a delicious, jumbo chocolate-chip muffin.
5. They Eat Whole Foods First Successful fit people tend to eat mainly whole, unprocessed
foods, including fruits, veggies, and whole grains (and products made from whole grains).
Certainly they enjoy the occasional treat, but 80 percent of the time or more, their
preference leads to whole foods. Whole, natural foodsapples, steel-cut oatmeal, broccoli,
salads, brown riceare what food researchers call low-density foods. That is, they take up
a lot of room in your stomach because they contain lots of fiber, which satisfies hunger
with few calories. High-density foods are the opposite; they are things like butter, oils,
candy, or ice cream. Think about how much frosting you could pack into your stomach if
you really tried. (Okay, don't think about itit's too gross.) Eating mostly low-density foods
is the easiest way to keep your weight in check without feeling hungry or like youre
depriving yourself.
6. They Know Their Foods This characteristic is truly universal among fit people: They
know, generally speaking, every food's calories and approximate protein, carbohydrate,
and fat content. It's not a case of being idiot savants but rather of having an
understanding, a knowledge of food that allows them to make an educated guess. Their
assumptions are almost always spot-on. This gift affords them the skill of making better
food choices on a moments notice. Just as important: They know what one serving of said
food really looks like. You can show an effortlessly fit person a whole grain cracker, and
even without looking at the label, he or she can accurately predict how many crackers
count as one serving. Its not a gift, actually. It's a skill, and all habits are skills you can
master. This skill is easier to acquire than it sounds. A couple of weeks of label reading is
all it takes. There are even apps for your phone and Web sites that provide this information
quickly and for free.
7. They Eat Their Favorite FoodsCarefully Despite knowing everything about their foods
and tending to stick to the same foods day in and day out, fit people rarely report
eliminating foods. If it's something they crave, they enjoy a little taste. They know that
simply eliminating foods they absolutely love will only set them up to fail when the
temptation is too great. Instead, successfully fit people know that it's okay to indulge
every once in a while. They savor those moments instead of sucking down the food as if
theyre afraid it's the only time they'll ever see it again.
8. They Don't Keep Red Zone Food in the House If you look in a successfully fit person's
fridge, pantry, or cupboards, you won't typically find cookies, crackers, chips, chocolate,
full-fat ice cream, or soda. Why? Because they don't crave these things. They also know
you can't eat em if you dont have 'em. Smart, right? What's interesting about these trim
types is that they don't have the same inner battle of healthy versus junkie foods that the
average person who struggles with weight might have. They can walk past the aisle with

chips and sodas and think nothing of it. Either they never developed the junk food habit or
they kicked it.
9. They Close the Kitchen after Dinner Unlike most Americans, successfully fit people eat
their final meal at a reasonable hour, as opposed to eating dinner followed by a lavish
10:00 p.m. snack and another dessert. Most often they go to sleep, not hungry, but on an
empty stomach. This allows them to wake up feeling thin, rested, and hungry for
breakfast. It may take a little effort, but going to bed earlier and going to sleep without
food awaiting digestion in your stomach keeps your bodys metabolism in a fat-burning
state. Instead of digesting, which causes restless sleep, your body can focus on other
thingslike repairing cells!
10. They're Resourceful and Politely Picky at Restaurants Successfully fit people find
healthful alternatives to selections on any menu, from a five-star restaurant's to Wendy's.
They know that it's the food choices, not necessarily the restaurant choices, that help
them to stay slim and healthy. They generally steer clear of fried meat, poultry, and fish.
Instead, they order their protein broiled, steamed, stir-fried, or poached. They also speak
up in restaurants, politely making special requests like asking that their dish be prepared
with little or no butter or sauces and with dressings on the side.
2 What are the medical problems that result from an unhealthy diet?
Good nutrition, based on healthy eating is one essential factor that helps us to stay
healthy and be active.
What causes poor nutrition? eating habits include under- or over-eating, not having
enough of the healthy foods we need each day, or consuming too many types of food and
drink, which are low in fibre or high in fat, salt and/or sugar. These unhealthy eating habits
can affect our nutrient intake, including energy (orkilojoules) protein, carbohydrates,
essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals as well as fibre and fluid.
How does poor nutrition affect us? Poor nutrition can impair our daily health and wellbeing
and reduce our ability to lead an enjoyable and active life. In the short term, poor nutrition
can contribute to stress, tiredness and our capacity to work, and over time, it can
contribute to the risk of developing some illnesses and other health problems
A healthy diet is one that provides adequate levels of vitamins, minerals, protein,
carbohydrate and healthy fats from a variety of foods. An unhealthy diet, in contrast, is
one that contains too much saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, added sugars
and processed ingredients or contains too few nutrients. Unhealthy diets result in a poor
nutrient-to-calorie ratio, which can lead to weight gain and malnutrition as well as related
health problems.
Nutrient Deficiency A healthy diet provides the nutrition your body needs to grow,
maintain itself and function properly. A variety of fresh, whole foods serve as an abundant
source of nutrients. However, the typical American diet often lacks adequate levels of key
nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, calcium and vitamin D. Over time, failing to get
enough calcium can cause bone loss, low levels of vitamin D can cause bone weakness
and not getting the recommended levels of potassium can lead to fatigue and muscle

weakness. Fiber helps keep your colon healthy and reduces the risk of heart disease and
diabetes.
Chronic Disease A nutritious diet provides the nutrients that help your body ward off
disease. Over time, a diet lacking in nutrients and high in fat, salt or sugar can result in
the development of chronic conditions. Following an unhealthy diet increases your risk for
cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes, cancer and osteoporosis, according to the
Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010.
Extra Pounds When it comes to preventing chronic disease, weight maintenance is of
primary concern. Excess weight is one of the primary effects of an unhealthy diet. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention defines overweight as having a body mass
index, or BMI, of 25 or higher. Factors that often contribute to a high BMI include
insufficient fruits, vegetables and whole grains; diets high in meat and fried foods;
consistent intake of high-calorie beverages like soda; and not getting enough physical
activity.
The Domino Effect Once your BMI reaches 30 or above, you are considered obese, and
more than 35 percent of adults in America fall into this category, according to the CDC.
Obesity increases your risk of developing a host of health problems including heart
disease, Type 2 diabetes, certain cancers, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, stroke,
sleep apnea, diseases of the liver and gallbladder, osteoarthritis and gynecological
problems including infertility.
3 The importance of taking care of the eyesight and how to do it Protecting
your eyesight is one of the most important things you can do to help maintain your quality
of life. Some type of sight-threatening eye problem affects one in six adults age 45 and
older. And the risk for vision loss only increases with age. In fact, a recent American
Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) report estimates that more than 43 million Americans
will develop age-related eye diseases by 2020. Since the leading causes of blindness and
low vision in the United States are primarily age-related diseases such as macular
degeneration, cataract,diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma, protecting your eyesight as
you age is an essential part of your health care. Tips for Protecting Your Eyes To
protect your eyesight and keep your eyes healthy as you age, consider these simple
guidelines:
1. Find out if you are at higher risk for eye diseases. Be aware of your family's
health history. Do you or any of your family suffer from diabetes or have a history of
high blood pressure? Are you over the age of 65? Are you an African-American over the
age of 40? Any of these traits increase your risk for sight-threatening eye diseases.
Regular eye exams are particularly important, because an early diagnosis can limit any
vision loss and help preserve your eyesight.
2. Have regular physical exams to check for diabetes and high blood pressure. If left
untreated, these diseases can cause eye problems. In particular, diabetes and high
blood pressure can lead to vision loss from diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration
and eye strokes.

3. Look for warning signs of changes in your vision. If you start noticing changes in your
vision, see your eye doctor immediately. Some trouble signs to look for are double
vision, hazy vision and difficulty seeing in low light conditions. Other signs and
symptoms of potentially serious eye problems that warrant immediate attention
include red eyes, frequent flashes of light, floaters, and eye pain and swelling.
4. Exercise more frequently. According to the AAO, some studies suggest that regular
exercise such as walking can reduce the risk of age-related macular degeneration
by up to 70 percent.
5. Protect your eyes from harmful UV light. When outdoors during daytime, always wear
sunglassesthat shield your eyes from 100 percent of the sun's harmful ultraviolet rays.
This may help reduce your risk of cataracts, pinguecula and other eye problems.
6. Eat a healthy and balanced diet. Numerous studies have shown that antioxidants can
possibly reduce the risk of cataracts. These antioxidants are obtained from eating a
diet containing plentiful amounts of fruits and colorful or dark green vegetables.
7. Studies also have shown that eating fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids may reduce your
risk of developing macular degeneration. Also, consider supplementing your diet with
eye vitamins to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of the nutrients you need
to keep your eyes healthy.
8. Get your eyes checked at least every two years. Acomprehensive eye exam, including
dilating your pupils, can determine your risk for major eye diseases such as diabetic
retinopathy, which has no early warning signs or symptoms. An eye exam also can
ensure that your prescription foreyeglasses or contact lenses is up to date. To find a
doctor near you, click here.
9. Don't smoke. The many dangers of smoking have been well documented. When it
comes to eye health, people who smoke are at greater risk of developing age-related
macular degeneration, cataracts, uveitis and other eye problems. In addition to
following these guidelines, be sure to wear safety glasses when working with tools or
participating in active sports to help prevent eye injuries that potentially could cause
permanent vision loss. It's true that following these steps is no guarantee of perfect
vision throughout your lifetime. But maintaining a healthy lifestyle and having regular
eye exams will certainly decrease your risk of developing a sight-stealing eye problem
that otherwise might have been prevented

4. How important is the eyesight?

Your vision is an important part of life, yet a surprising number of people take it for
granted at least until they start to lose it. Although getting the right prescription for
your glasses or contact lenses helps you see more clearly, it is no substitute for healthy
eyes. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to reduce your chance of eye injuries
and eye diseases.
1. Wear sunglasses when outdoors Sunglasses protect your eyes from harmful
ultraviolet radiation. The suns ultraviolet rays contribute to the development of
serious problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration, according to the

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). The best sunglasses protect your eyes
from at least 98 percent of UVA and UVB rays.
2. Use protective eyewear Many eye injuries occur while playing sports, doing home
improvement projects or operating machinery at work. The only way to protect your
eyes from impact dangers, chemicals and airborne particles such as sawdust is to
wear quality goggles. Injuries can occur no matter how careful you are, so protect
yourself even if you feel like youre overdoing it.
3. Eat an eye-healthy diet You can protect your eyes from within by eating a healthy
diet. The University of Maryland Medical Center recommends antioxidants, such as
those found in dark green leafy vegetables, for good eye health. Foods rich in
vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids are recommended by
the American Optometric Association (AOA).
4. Have regular eye exams Most ophthalmic professionals recommend a complete
eye exam every two years to check for glaucoma and other eye diseases and for
changes in your vision. The optometrist can also tell you about the newest types of
prescription glasses, contact lenses and protective eyewear available.
Illnesses and injuries cost people their eyesight every year. You can reduce your
chances of becoming visually impaired by eating properly, seeing an eye doctor
regularly and wearing protective eyewear. Make sure you are doing everything you can
to protect your eyes and your vision.

5. Lifestyle and genetic predisposition to estimate life expectancy

How long your parents lived does not necessarily affect how long you will live. Instead it is
how you live your life that determines how old you will get, reveals research from the
University of Gothenburg recently published in the Journal of Internal Medicine.
It is often assumed that people with parents who lived to be very old are more likely to live
to a grand old age themselves.
"But that's just not true -- our study shows that hereditary factors don't play a major role
and that lifestyle has the biggest impact," says professor emeritus Lars Wilhelmsen,
referring to the 1913 Men study that formed the basis of the current research.
Those who did not smoke, consumed moderate amounts of coffee and had a good socioeconomic status at the age of 50 (measured in terms of housing costs), as well as good
physical working capacity at the age of 54 and low cholesterol at 50 had the greatest
chance of celebrating their 90th birthday.
Have you ever wondered how long you might live? New research suggests that an
important indicator of your probable life span may be your genes. Scientists have
identified unique genetic signatures strongly associated with a long and healthy life,
findings that could help to further the understanding of how certain genes may offer
protection from common age-related diseases like cancer, dementia and cardiovascular
disease. And one day the data might lead to the development of genetic tests to predict
whether a person can expect to live into old age as well as guide intervention efforts to
prevent age-related illness.

The study, led by Paola Sebastiani, professor of biostatistics at Boston University (B.U.)
School of Pubic Health, and Thomas Perls, professor of medicine and geriatrics at the B.U.
School of Medicine, was published online July 1 in Science.
A person's life span is thought to be largely determined by the combined effects of
genetics and environmental factors. Twin studies, however, suggest genetics only account
for approximately 20 to 30 percent of an individual's chance of surviving to age 85.
Lifestyle choices, particularly diet, exercise and smoking habits, play an undisputed role in
determining not only how long one will live, but also how well one ages. Studies show that
Seventh-Day Adventists, whose church encourages behaviors that promote healthy aging,
have a well-documented average life span of 88 years, approximately eight years longer
than the average U.S. citizen. For the most part, Adventists exercise regularly, are
vegetarian, and don't smoke or drink alcohol.
Nevertheless, a glance at your family tree may indicate whether you have a familial
tendency toward longevity. Research suggests that exceptional longevity (EL)living one
to three decades beyond the average U.S. life span of approximately 80 yearsruns
strongly in families. "Thathas always made us believe that genetics is playing a very
important role in this wonderful trait," Perls said Wednesday in a press conference.
Genetic factors can contribute to the degree of longevity in at least two important ways:
An individual may inherit certain genetic variations that predispose him or her to disease
that decreases longevity; other gene variants may confer disease resistance, thereby
increasing it.
To better understand the genetic components of longevity, the researchers analyzed the
DNA of more than 800 subjects between the ages of 95 to 119 and compared it with DNA
from random controls. The genome-wide survey identified specific genetic variations, or
SNPs (single-nucleotide polymorphisms), that were associated with the longevity group.
Next, the researchers developed a genetic model comprising 150 SNPs in order to
compute the predisposition of an individual toward EL. Their model successfully predicted
exceptional longevity in a different sample ofcentenarians (individuals that live to age
100) with 77 percent accuracy. This demonstrates that EL is strongly associated with
complex combinations of genetic variants.
The researchers found that, based on subjects' genetic profiles, the centenarians could be
further divided into 19 subgroups, some of which were associated with delayed onset of
age-related diseases such as dementia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. These
signatures represent different genetic paths to age 100 and beyond, Sebastiani said in the
press conference.
"Centenarians are indeed a model of aging well," Perls said. Previous work has shown that
90 percent of centenarians are disability-free at the age of 93. In industrialized nations
approximately one out of every 6,000 people lives beyond the age of 100.
Supercentenarians, or individuals that are older than 110, are even rareronly one in
seven million fall into this category.

Surprisingly, the researchers found that approximately 15 percent of control subjects also
had the genetic signature associated with longevity. This suggests that many more people
have the genetic potential to survive into old age than previously thought. "We know a lot
about the human genome, but we also know that there is a lot that remains to be
discovered," Sebastiani said. "Genetics is fundamental in EL, but it's not the only thing. So
there may be other factors like environment or other lifestyles that may help people live
longer and healthier lives," he added.
Importantly, there was no difference in the presence of known disease-associated gene
variants between the longevity and control groups. The researchers conclude that EL may
result from an enrichment of longevity-associated gene variants that may counteract the
effects of having a disease-associated gene.
"I think this is a step towards making sense out of a lot of datagenetic data,
environmental data, epidemiological datato help us understand factors that contribute
to long and healthy life," says Winifred Rossi, deputy director of the Division of Geriatrics
and Clinical Gerontology at the National Institute on Aging, who wasn't involved in the
study.
"We're starting to get to the point where it might be possible to use the information about
these variants to predict someone's likelihood of achieving EL," says Matt Kaeberlein,
professor of pathology at the University of Washington in Seattle, also not involved in the
study. He added that the challenge was to next move beyond this correlative study to
figure out how these gene variations may lead to functional changes that contribute to the
molecular process of aging.
The authors caution that further study and replication of their results in different
populations is needed to verify their model before it will be useful for individual genetic
testsor before longevity "cocktails" are created.
"My hope has always been with the study that we would learn much more about how to
get lots of people to live to older age in good health and markedly delay their disability
and age of onset of diseases," Perls said. "

7 The best behavior of parents towards a child prodigy. I look at the

complexity of this puzzle and feel very strongly that this will not lead to treatments that
will get a lot of people to become centenarians, but rather will make a dent in the onset of
age-related diseases like Alzheimer's, for example Parents of gifted children know raising
these kids is both a blessing and a children. This page contains two essays which provide
valuable understanding of how to provide the support and guidance needed by gifted
children. The page also contains links to resources including organizations, recommended
books and stores selling educational toys and materials for gifted kids and teens.
How Parents Can Support Gifted Children Raising and nurturing a gifted child can be
an exciting yet daunting challenge. Unfortunately, these complicated little people do not
come with instruction manuals. The following new definition of giftedness highlights the
complexity of raising gifted children.
Giftedness is asynchronous development in which advanced cognitive abilities and
heightened intensity combine to create inner experiences and awareness that are

qualitatively different from the norm. This asynchrony increases with higher intellectual
capacity. The uniqueness of the gifted renders them particularly vulnerable and requires
modifications in parenting, teaching and counseling in order for them to develop
optimally. (The Columbus Group, 1991, in Morelock, 1992)
Asynchrony means being out of sync, both internally an externally. Asynchronous
development means that gifted children develop cognitively at a much faster rate than
they develop physically and emotionally, posing some interesting problems. For example,
ideas forged by 8-year-old minds may be difficult to produce with 5-year-old hands.
Further, advanced cognition often makes gifted children aware of information that they are
not yet emotionally ready to handle. They tend to experience all of life with greater
intensity, rendering them emotionally complex. These children usually do not fit the
developmental norms for their age; they have more advanced play interests and often are
academically far ahead of their age peers. The brighter the child, the greater the
asynchrony and potential vulnerability. Therefore, parents who are aware of the inherent
developmental differences of their children can prepare themselves to act as their
advocates.
Recognition Some of the earliest signs of giftedness include:

unusual alertness in infancy

less need for sleep in infancy
long attention span
high activity level
smiling or recognizing caretakers
early
intense reactions to noise, pain,
frustration
advanced progression through the
developmental milestones
extraordinary memory

enjoyment and speed of learning

early and extensive language
development
fascination with books
curiosity
excellent sense of humor
abstract reasoning and problemsolving skills
vivid imagination (e.g., imaginary
companions)
sensitivity and compassion

If a child exhibits a majority of these characteristics, parents may wish to have the
child assessed by an experienced examiner to find out if the child is gifted. Firstborn
children tend to be recognized more often than their siblings. When one child in the
family is gifted, it is quite possible that others may also be gifted. Early identification
is recommended (ages 3 through 8) because it permits early intervention, as
important for gifted as for any other children with special needs.

Responsive Parenting Children learn first from their parents. Parents who spend
time with their gifted child are more able to tune in to their childs interests and
respond by offering appropriate educational enrichment opportunities. It is important
that parents read to their children frequently, even when the children are capable of
reading to themselves. In the early years, parents can help their children discover
their personal interests, expose their children to their own interests, and encourage
their children to learn about a wide variety of subjects such as art, nature, music,
museums, and sports. Children who are attracted to a particular area need
opportunities to explore that field in depth. Home stimulation and support of
interests is vital to the development of talents. Following the lead of the child will
help the child flourish.

Family Relationships Gifted children often can exhaust and overwhelm a new
mother and father. Gifted infants often sleep less than other babies and require extra
stimulation when they are awake. It is helpful to have extended family in the home,
grandparents who live nearby, a close community of friends or relatives, or a
teenager in the neighborhood who can spend some time with the child so that the
primary caretakers can get some rest to do other things. For single parents, such
support is particularly important. From the time they can talk, gifted children are
constantly asking questions and often challenge authority. Do it because I said so
doesnt work with these children. Generally, parents who take the time to explain
requests get more cooperation than do more authoritarian parents. If these children
are spoken to and listened to with consideration and respect, they tend to respond
respectfully. As children get older, a family meeting can be a good way of sharing
responsibility and learning negotiation skills. Family meetings can provide a forum
where children have a voice as a family member, and provide avenues for avoiding
power struggles that otherwise can occur. It is important for gifted children to feel
emotionally supported by the familyeven when there are disagreements.

School Placement Gifted children generally benefit by spending at least some time
in the classroom with children of similar abilities. Their educational program should
be designed to foster progress at their own rate of development. Parents who
become involved with the school can help administrators and teachers be responsive
to the needs of these children. Open, flexible environments provide students with
opportunities for choices, and enhance independence and creativity. In Search of
the Perfect Program (Silverman & Leviton, 1991) includes a checklist of specific
qualities to look for in a school.
Early entrance or other forms of acceleration may be considered when the school
gifted program is not sufficiently challenging or when there is no opportunity for
gifted children to be grouped with age peers who are intellectually advanced. Early

entrance is the easiest form of acceleration, academically and socially. It may be

best to accelerate girls before third grade or after ninth grade, when they are less
bonded to their peer group. Boys are usually more willing to skip grades at any point
in their school program. Excellent guidelines for acceleration are provided by
Feldhusen (1992). When a child expresses a willingness to be accelerated, the
chances are good that an excellent social adjustment will be made.

In the preschool and primary years, mixed-aged groupings are beneficial, as long as
the gifted child is not the oldest in the group. Gifted, creative boys are often held
back in the primary years because of so-called immaturitythe inability to socialize
with age peers who are less developmentally advanced. When a 5-year-old boy with
an 8-year-old mind cannot relate to 5-year-olds, nothing is gained by having him
repeat a grade: he is then a 6-year-old with a 9-year-old mind trying to relate to 5year-olds! The best solution is to find him true peersboys his own age who are
intellectually advanced. Retention is NOT recommended.

Parent Advocacy Gifted children need strong, responsible advocates, and parent
groups can make a difference. It takes persistence of large groups of parents to
assure that provisions for gifted children are kept firmly in place. Parents of children
who are gifted need opportunities to share parenting experiences with each other,
and parent groups can provide a place where that can happen.

It is important for parents of any children with special needs to meet with the
teachers early in the school year. When parents and teachers work together,
appropriate programs can be developed and problems can be caught early. It is
helpful for parents to offer to assist their childs teacher by making or locating
supplemental materials, helping in the classroom or library, offering expertise to
small groups of students, or finding others who can provide other enrichment
experiences. Effective parents stay involved in their childrens education and
informed about gifted education in general. When a teacher makes a special effort to
understand or assist a gifted child, a note to the teacher or to the principal is
generally appreciated.

ConclusionThe key to raising gifted children is respect: respect for their uniqueness,
respect for their opinions and ideas, respect for their dreams. Gifted children need
parents who are responsive and flexible, who will go to bat for them when they are
too young to do so for themselves. It is painful for parents to watch their children
feeling out of sync with others, but it is unwise to emphasize too greatly the
importance of fitting in. Children get enough of that message in the outside world. At
home, children need to know that their uniqueness is cherished and that they are
appreciated as persons just for being themselves.

8. What pre-disposes a child to become a genius?

1: Waste no time This is the crux of the matter. Many kids waste huge time. When
its undirected playing and exploring, this is fine, but when its truly wasted by
consuming TV and computer and video games then there is very little upside. This
time can be used by the child. Limited TV -- We don't have a TV that the kids, or

even adults watch. Our TV is off more than 90% of the time and we don't have cable
When we do watch, we watch specific shows or movies that we choose as a family,
usually once per week as a special event. My wife and I just recently tried hooking
the antenna to the TV and were totally shocked how quickly we got sucked into
watching useless stuff that just happened to be "on". Off went the antenna. Directed
computer -- We put our kids onto the computer early, by the age of 2. There are
websites with decent games to improve hand-eye coordination, patterns, etc, the
most impressive would be Poisson Rouge. However, there are also other games that
we found the kids get addicted to, such as the stuff offered by TV stations, which
include a lot of video clips and not much game play of value. Put the kids onto a
variety of sites, but monitor whether or not they get anything out of them or whether
they become zombiefied. Once they do become zombies then find them a different
site. You will be surprised. Some of my seven year old's favorite sites: Wikipedia,
Google Translate, CIA World Factbook.

2: Get them self-exploring and self-learning Perfecting Parenthood: Child

Painting, Not Wasting TimeThe main way to do this is through reading. Our standard
has been for the kids to learn the alphabet by age 3 or 4 and start reading (real
reading, with comprehension) by 4 or 5. Once they show that they are capable of
understanding then we force them to get reading. Push push push. Some people say
to wait until the child teaches themselves or proves theyre ready, but I
respectfully disagree. Dont push hard before theyre capable, but once they are
capable then the parents might have to overcome a little resistance; reading can be
confusing and tedious at the leading edge of a childs skill. Before reading we would
give them kid-oriented picture reference books that conveyed a lot of information.
The biggest hit was a dinosaur encyclopedia we gave the oldest at about 4, which
had hundreds of dinosaur pictures, along with pictures to show scale, and data
tables. He couldn't read the words, but we read them together and he quickly
learned to pick information off the page on his own. The middle child is following the
same pattern, but he likes turtles and plants instead of dinosaurs and space. By 5
the oldest was reading small books and by age 6 they were kids chapter books like
Geronimo Stilton, and less than a year later it's young adult novels like The Mariah
Delaney Lending Library Disaster and Wikipedia. He is asking his parents questions
all the time, which means he's learning on his own.

Perfecting Parenthood: Child learning and reading about math3. Get them
thinking This is math and logic. Get them counting first, then adding, subtracting,
multiplying, etc in order as soon as they look like they understand what a number is.
Jigsaw puzzles, mazes, some (but surprisingly for some, not most) board games and
some computer programs are also excellent for developing logic. We also constantly
play self-invented games. One of the best and easiest is Detective where we go on
walks through the neighbourhood trying to deduce things. Examples: Oh, kids live
in that house (seeing a small bike in the driveway) or The people in that house
recently left (seeing the lights off and a dry silhouette in the driveway where a car
stopped rain from hitting the driveway). One of the best ways (most rewarding for
them, and most useful for the parents) is to get them to perform the normal tasks of
life. 2 or 3 years can dress themselves, feed themselves, get themselves a drink, get

and put toys away, clean messes. 4 and 5 years old children can use a knife and
fork, cook, fix things they break, tie shoelaces, and so on. Although they seem very
simple to adults, these tasks can be high quality brain teasers for the young uns,
with the built in reward that they can do important big people stuff.

4. Develop confidence Perfecting Parenthood: Young child confident enough to

cookMy kids fail a lot. They fail practically on a daily basis and its awesome. The
reason they fail is because I challenge them just a little past their ability to perform.
You would think that this might deflate them, making them lack confidence, but it
really is the opposite. They do grumble and complain often, but I always take them
from where they are to finishing the challenge. Where the confidence comes in is
when they look at 1) What they can do that they never imagined they could do and
2) What they can do that others cant do -- especially if they can bring down their
parents. Im trying to forge the feeling that they can do anything. If it seems
impossible, thats because they havent thought about it or studied enough yet. I
hate it when they tell me that theyre small. If they ever do, then its my mission to
prove that being small has nothing to do with it. You want to accomplish something
then just set about doing it. I dont have girls, but if I did then I would be doubly sure
that they never thought anything was out of reach just because of their gender.

Anyway, if you as parents do those things on a regular basis and at the most
challenging level they can handle:

No TV
Reading
Thinking about things and
Reminding them that they can do whatever they want to

then you can also have genius or gifted children in the early grades. Since
knowledge compounds, they will only get further advantages as the years go by, so
long as they retain those habits. Part of being a parent is helping them.

9. Extraordinary people's lives. Talk about at least two of them.

THE BOY WHO LIVED BEFORE=Ever since he could talk, Cameron has been telling
stories of his life on Barra, a remote island in the Outer Hebrides, some 220 miles
from his current home in Glasgow. He describes in detail his childhood on the island:
the white house he lived in, the black-and-white dog he walked on the beach. He
talks about his mother, seven siblings and his father, Shane Robertson, who died
when he was run over by a car.

Nothing strange about all that. Except the fact that Cameron is only five years old
now; his memories seem to be of a former life. Camerons stories have become
increasingly more detailed since he first started telling them, and the shock of him
insisting Im a Barra boy, Im a Barra boy has worn off a little. But his emotional
attachment to his Barra mum concerns his mother, and theres clearly something
going on in the poor kids head when he says, My real barra dad doesnt look left
and right. Intrigued by her enigmatic son, Camerons mother Norma has decided to
investigate his claims.

Everyone who comes across Cameron is sceptical, but his stories are just so
consistent. In her search to find a rational explanation for Camerons tales of his
Barra childhood, Norma first visits psychologist Dr Chris French, editor of The Skeptic
magazine. French suggests that Cameron might simply have acquired knowledge
about Barra through TV or a family friend, and thus invented the stories himself.

Norma isnt satisfied by this. Her next port of call is educational psychologist Karen
Majors, who tells her that the way that Cameron describes his Barra world is similar
to the way in which some children speak about imaginary places and people, except
that Cameron really seems to believe that he has seen the things he describes firsthand; he also doesnt seem to be able to control his fantasy as other children do.
Norma decides to investigate the possibility of reincarnation, contacting leading
expert Dr Jim Tucker at the University of Virginia.

THE GIRL WHO NEVER AGE Gabby Williams has the facial features and skin of a
newborn, and she is just as dependent. Her mother feeds, diapers and cradles her
tiny frame as she did the day she was born.

The little girl from Billings, Mont., is 8 years old, but weighs only 11 pounds. Gabby
has a mysterious condition, shared by only a handful of others in the world, that
slows her rate of aging. For the past two years, a doctor who has been trying to find
the genetic off-switch to stop the aging process has been studying Gabby, as well as
two other people who have striking similarities.

Why the 'Benjamin Button' children never age. A 29-year-old Florida man has
the body of a 10-year-old, and a 31-year-old Brazilian woman is the size of a 2-yearold. Like Gabby, neither seems to grow older.

Unraveling what these three people may have in common is the subject of a TLC
television special, "40-Year-Old Child: A New Case," which airs Monday, Aug. 19, at
10 p.m. ET. The show is a follow-up to Gabby's story, which aired last year.

"In some people, something happens to them and the development process is
retarded," said medical researcher Richard F. Walker. "The rate of change in the body
slows and is negligible."

16-year-old is the size of a toddler. Walker is retired from the University of

Florida Medical School and now does his research at All Children's Hospital in St.
Petersburg.

"My whole career has been focused on the aging process," he told ABCNews.com.
"My fixation has been not on the consequences but the cause of it."

Not only do the people he's studying have a growth rate of one-fifth the speed of
others, but they live with a variety of other medical problems, including deafness,
the inability to walk, eat or even speak.

"Gabrielle hasn't changed since pretty much forever," said her mother, Mary Margret
Williams, 38. "She has gotten a little longer and we have jumped into putting her in
size 3-6 month clothes instead of 0-3 months for the footies.

"Last time we weighed her she was up a pound to 11 pounds and she's gotten a few
more haircuts," she told ABCNews.com. "Other than that, she hasn't changed much
since the [2012] show."

Williams, who works part-time at a dermatologist's office, and her husband, a

corrections officer for the state, share the child care responsibilities for their
perpetual infant.

Walker explains that physiological change, or what he calls "developmental inertia,"

is essential for human growth. Maturation occurs after reproduction.

"Without that process we never develop," he said. "When we develop, all the pieces
of our body come together and change and are coordinated. Otherwise, there would
be chaos." But, said Walker, the body does not have a "stop switch" for this
development. "What happens is we become mature at age 20 and continue to
change."

The first subtle internal body changes of aging are seen in the 30s and become more
visible in the 40s. "There is a progressive erosion of internal order as a result of
developmental inertia," he said. In one of the girls Walker has studied, he found
damage to one of the genes that causes developmental inertia, a finding that he
said is significant. He also suspects the mutations are on the regulatory genes on the
second female X chromosome.

"If we could identify the gene and then at young adulthood we could silence the
expression of developmental inertia, find an off-switch, when you do that, there is
perfect homeostasis and you are biologically immortal." Now Walker doesn't mean
that people will never die. Disease and accidents will still end human life. "But you
wouldn't have the later years -- you'd remain physically and functionally able," he
said. That is why he believes his study of Gabby Williams' genetic code is so
important. "She fits the model," said Walker. "We've been on this journey to find out,
are my other children at any risk in having a child like Gabrielle," said Williams, who
has five other children between the ages of 1 and 10.

"We did find out with Dr. Walker when he did the [gene] sequencing that it's not
something we can pass on but just an abnormality, a mutated gene that was just
happenstance," she said. "That was a relief for us." At first, when the Williams family
members found out about Walker's research, they hesitated to become guinea pigs
in the studies that would promote a so-called "fountain of youth."

"There was some concern," she said. "We are good Catholics, God-fearing people
and we believe we are meant to get old -- the process of life -- and meant to die. It
was scary to think about, and we did not want to be part of it." But as they talked
further with Walker, the family realized that his research was designed to help
people struggling with the impairments of old age. "Alzheimer's is one of the scariest

diseases out there," said Williams. "If what Gabrielle holds inside of her would find a
cure -- for sure we would be a part of the research project. We have faith that Dr.
Walker and the scientific community do find something focused more on the disease
of aging, rather than making you 35 for the rest of your life."

As for Gabby's life span, her doctors cannot say what that will look like. "From the
time of her birth, we didn't think she would be with us very long," said her mother.
"The fact is she is now going on 9 years. She kind of surpassed my expectations
from the get go. "It's not something I worry about," said Williams, who said she
trusts that God has a plan for her infantile daughter.

"When he is ready to take her back, it will be sad," she said. "But what a glorious
thing it will be for Gabby to go to heaven one day. I know it will happen, but I am not
hoping it's any day soon."

10. How is life like for child prodigies?

Jessica Su, CS PhD student at Stanford Growing up as a child prodigy was

probably detrimental to me, for the following reasons:

1. I was always in special classes. When I was five I was already doing algebra, so my
teachers had me sit behind the counter and work independently while the others
were learning to add. When I was eight my parents sent me to the eighth grade,
where I worked alongside people twice my height. I saw nothing wrong with this at
the time, but in retrospect I probably would have benefited from fitting in.
2. Between the newspaper articles, the special classes, and my parents emphasizing
academic achievement to the exclusion of everything else, I ended up seeing myself
as a genius. This is how I would introduce myself to other students. I can't
be sure of why I had no school friends until college, but that probably had a lot to do
with it.
3. I looked down on everyone else. Other people were "normal," and normal people
were dumb. This continued all through high school, although in middle school I
stopped thinking it was important to be smarter than everyone else, so I compared
myself to people less and less.
4. Academics were basically my entire life. Most of my fun activities were science
museums, bookstores, and educational computer games. Regular computer games
and non-educational television were guilty pleasures and synonymous with "goofing
up." When I started using the Internet heavily (in eighth grade) my parents tried to
ban it because they wanted me to read an AP Bio textbook to prepare for a summer
program. During lunch hours or social events, I'd bring work to do instead of talking
to people. I didn't think this was so unusual, because even though other people had
different upbringings, they were just "normal people" and they weren't supposed to
save the world like I was.

The upsides of being a child prodigy:

1. I never had issues with self-esteem. Most people didn't like me, but I was smart so it
didn't matter. I also never worried about my appearance or anything else because the
only thing that mattered was my intelligence, and I had plenty of that. In high school I
showered about once a week, and in general I was never afraid to raise my hand or
correct teachers. In retrospect, that might have been a bad thing.
2. I never really got exposed to "bad influences." I wasn't popular enough to know people
who did drugs or got bad grades. I left high school with most of the same values as my
parents, and although that wasn't ideal, it did keep me out of a lot of trouble. Also,
since I was mostly isolated from the social scene, I never experienced the worst of the
bullying that I hear goes on in most schools. People were mean, but not enough for me
to remember it.