Fit kids

More than the traditional hula hoop, the Acu Hoop is weighted for maximum effect and is designed for trimming the waistline, boosting energy and limbering up. Lucy Bairstow – who may need to boost her energy levels for her mock exams but certainly does not to lose inches! – put the hoop to the test.

Your child's lunchbox could contain more than 12 teaspoons of sugar, says consumer champion, Which? Not to mention large quantities of fat and salt.

The Department of Health has a new booklet, The Rough Guide to Childhood Illnesses, designed to help parents recognise childhood illnesses and offer advice and information on vaccination.

Dr Keith Souter offers some  advice on homeopathic medicine for a nine year-old girl who has repeated bouts of tonsilitis and is missing a lot of school. Her mother isn't keen for her to have a tonsillectomy.

To mark this year's Gut Week campaign (24 to 30 August), Dr Warren Hyer, a consultant paediatrician and paediatric gastroenterologist, helps parents to understand better the bowel movements of their children. Gut Week is an annual digestive health awareness campaign, dedicated to helping people better understand the role of the digestive system and the importance of good gut health.

As the new school term approaches, many parents will be buying their children new school shoes - or checking to see if the ones they have still fit. Lorraine Jones, a podiatrist from The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, gives parents some top tips on how to be sure your child is set on the path for healthy feet for life.

The Department for Health launches Measles: Is your child safe? as recent estimates suggest that over two million children have missed either their first or second MMR vaccination.

Do your kids think they can do better than the backstroke and butterfly? If so, Change4Life is calling on kids up and down the country to help create a brand new swimming stroke.

Getting an accurate reading of a child's temperature isn't always easy but Graco have come up with a thermometer that does just that - and quickly too. Alex Bell tests out the Graco One-Second Ear Thermometer.

Today is one of three days designated to getting rid of head lice via a "whole school" programme. Schools throughout the UK will be giving out information packs about how to treat head lice. The best way to avoid them is to be vigilant!

Lesley Lodge's daughter has had CFS/ME  for over four years so she is well placed to review Fighting Fatigue: a practical guide to managing the symptoms of CFS/ME  by Sue Pemberton and Catherine Berry.

Protecting your family in the sun should be a major priority but just using a high protection factor sun cream is not the answer, writes Anne Coates, who gives her top ten tips.

Nicole Burroughs - a mum who's hot on hygiene - tries out Organic Babies – Baby Foaming Cleanser on Eva.

New research commissioned by Elastoplast reveals parents have little or no knowledge of basic and life-saving first aid to help their children when accidents occur. Dr Mark Porter gives his top tips.

With the onset of National Smile Month, research from Sensodyne reveals that 79 per cent of dental professionals see the effects of acid erosion on children’s teeth on a weekly basis. Follow these top tips to avoid acid erosion.

We should have been teaching our children basic personal hygiene procedures anyway - but with Swine flu we should make sure we all take simple precautions.

Sue O'Neill reviews Healing Touch for Children in which author and practitioner Mary Atkinson describes how to use and perform massage, reflexology and acupressure on children aged four to 12 years old.

The Foresight Report's findings show that if we do nothing nine out of ten of today's children will be overweight or obese by 2050 and at risk from type 2 diabetes, heart disease and cancer. The Change4Life movement is launching "eight behaviour changes" aimed at encouraging small manageable steps to help families eat well, move more and live longer.