Schools can cut childhood obesity: Study

[Dodger]

Physical activity, good diet are key Pilot programs

in Toronto schools
ELAINE CAREY
MEDICAL REPORTER

Catch kids at a young age and you can change their eating and exercise habits, a new study says.Grade 5 students in schools with a program that promotes both physical activity and healthy eating were less than half as likely to be overweight or obese as those in schools offering only healthy food choices or nothing at all, according to the study released today in the American Journal of Public Health."This research points to evidence that establishing healthy behaviours at a young age is possible, and schools can play an important role in reducing childhood obesity and promoting healthy living," said Dr. Paul Veugelers, a professor of public health sciences at the University of Alberta and the study's lead author.The study by the Canadian Institute for Health Information is one of the first to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition and healthy living programs in schools, at a time when childhood overweight and obesity rates are two to three times what they were 15 years ago. It looked at 5,200 Grade 5 students in nearly 300 Nova Scotia schools and found only four per cent of those in a comprehensive healthy living program were obese, compared to 10 per cent in schools without such a program.The children in the comprehensive program also ate more fruits and vegetables, had better overall diets and were more likely to be physically active than their counterparts.The healthy living program is offered in only seven Nova Scotia schools, but pilot programs along similar lines are in place this year in 71 of Toronto's 200 Catholic and 76 of 451 public elementary schools.Both school boards have health action teams, voluntary squads of teachers, students and parents, co-ordinated with a Toronto public health nurse, to raise fitness and nutrition awareness levels. Twenty minutes of physical education every day is supposed to become mandatory this fall in Ontario elementary schools, however the boards are still "trying to understand how we can do this with no money," said Tony Petitti, program co-ordinator of health and physical education for the Toronto Catholic board.An alarming 49 per cent of children five to 12 and 57 per cent aged 12 to 19 aren't physically active enough, according to Toronto public health officials.The public school board has also developed Toronto Schools on the Move, aimed at boosting the phys-ed curriculum, getting kids active in the school playground before and after school, and teaching nutrition. The program will expand to more than 100 schools next year.
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[jon...]

I truly beleive that regular exercise is important to good health and weight maintenance,sounds like a good program to me.
I would also like to see a broader range of sports activities for students,when I was in school I was very active but not much into team sports,wasnt one of the cool kids and as a result was sort of intimidated by all the jock types in football,rugby,basketball,and baseball,that was pretty much all the schools I went to had to offer.
I realise that its a whole school sport spirit thing,but hope to see more tennis,handball,squash,swimming,and othe facilities for the more introverted students,seems like theres not much of that type until you get to college or university if you can afford it.
Some of the more upscale schools in my area did have tennis courts,but not mine.

[liz175]

Where I live, they are cutting back on time for phys. ed. and recess to emphasize academics and then complaining that the kids are getting fatter. Well, what do they expect? In my opinion, kids learn better if they get some exercise and a chance to let off steam.

[Mossling]

Where I live, they are cutting back on time for phys. ed. and recess to emphasize academics and then complaining that the kids are getting fatter.

Not just where you live. Out here in California, and everywhere in between, too. And the OVERemphasis in academics, to the detriment of PE, recess, music, art, drama, etc., comes about due to the OVERemphasis on high-stakes testing.

kids learn better if they get some exercise and a chance to let off steam.

You are absolutely right about this--there are even "scientific studies" that confirm it. It's a horrible catch-22. Give the kids time to run around, let off steam, and get exercise, and they might miss the one chance to make that one concept click in their heads--which means bad test scores (and, according to the federal No Child Left Behind Act, bad test scores = less than the 80th percentile on a norm referenced test), which means the schools are labeled as "bad schools", which means the state and or federal oversight committee come in and dictate that--you guessed it!-- too much time is being "wasted" on such things as PE. Believe me on this one--the teachers at the schools did not decide that letting off steam and getting exercise isn't important.

Sorry for the rant. Schools CAN'T do it all.

Jude

[AJCole]

I am an educator, and I hear you. But I got fat doing alot of exercise (I was in the army, doing PT 4X/wk and swimming 1 mile 6X/wk, plus arobics 1X/wk). I know kids in sports who are fat, and kids involved in no sports who are skinny. My own kids could only sit still if they were feverish and drugged:).
Though this article talks about nutrition, they do not give any real information. The reality is that our kids need to eat enough protien and fat, and supplement their diets with natural, unprocessed fruits, veggies, and whole grains. They need to stop the federally mandated food pyramid based school nutrition program. They are poisoning our kids with refined carbs and trans fats! Just as the article about the dangers of the vegan diet points out, our kids need protien and fat, the real brain food.
Exercise is great, if you don't use it you will lose it. But I, personally, as a mother of 6 yr old twin boys, a 10 yr old daughter, and a 17 yr old daughter, have yet to see any truly physically inactive kids. Is the data on physical activity anecdotal, or real? I know the junk kids today are eating regularly is real. I see that every day, too.

[Quinadal]

When the hurricanes hit Florida this past year, I had to go to an evac shelter, which was a high school. They fed us what they feed the kids. And they have to do a study to figure out why kids are getting fatter? Nothing but bean burritos (loaded with trans fats), grilled cheese, sugar syrup fruit salad, sugar cereal, juice, ice cream, crackers, sugar loaded milk (choc and 'pink'), pizza ad donuts!

[MoonDansyr]

When the hurricanes hit Florida this past year, I had to go to an evac shelter, which was a high school. They fed us what they feed the kids. And they have to do a study to figure out why kids are getting fatter? Nothing but bean burritos (loaded with trans fats), grilled cheese, sugar syrup fruit salad, sugar cereal, juice, ice cream, crackers, sugar loaded milk (choc and 'pink'), pizza ad donuts!

That's exactly right. My kids begged to be able to eat breakfast at school, so I took them and "hung around" to observe. No protein. None! All carbs!! Fruits, biscuits, french toast sticks with syrup, sugared cereal, muffins, I mean, you name the refined carb, that's what they offer. How can they not see how they are poisoning our kids? Needless to say, after about a week of obseration, I decided that wasn't appropriate and began feeding them at home again. My kids also take their lunches. I just can't believe how much "fried" and "breaded" crap they feed the kids -- and then we wonder why our kids don't like fresh fruits and veggies. HELLO!!! So the question is: What do we do to change this?

As for cutting the activities and arts, I think that is TOTALLY wrong, as well. Of course, I am an artist and a musician and my husband is a thespian, so I'm very upset about this. And kids DO need exercise and they're not getting it at home these days because too many play "inside" games nowadays, rather than being out riding their bikes or playing a neighborhood ball game (all because we're afraid to let our kids out of sight due to the freakazoids that prey on our beloveds. The whole thing irks me!

[Quinadal]

I did substitute teaching for a while and subbed for the art teacher once. The entire supplies for the class were a box of paper and a few pencils and crayons that you carried from class to class! I remember when I was a kid, we had a REAL art classroom.

[MoonDansyr]

I did substitute teaching for a while and subbed for the art teacher once. The entire supplies for the class were a box of paper and a few pencils and crayons that you carried from class to class! I remember when I was a kid, we had a REAL art classroom.

Oh that makes me want to cry!

[Pogojo]

It is pretty obvious that kids need to have physcial activity everyday. I don't even think they need studies necessarily. IMHO it is as important as the rest of school to teach kids to be active nad take care of themselves.

[LC-Laur]

It scares me to death to think about what my children will face when they go to school (no kids at the moment, but thinking into the future). I remember I always brought a lunch to school (except on pizza day :rolleyes: ), but I soon got "smart" and started scrounging up money so that I could buy additional treats that they sold in the cafeteria, like ice cream bars or cookies. I even *gasp* would sometimes THROW OUT my lunch and buy a hot lunch just so I could fit in! I was actually made fun of for bringing a lunch from home, and this broke my heart... Which is why I tried to fit in by finding the money to buy one. It wasn't even about the food... I don't know if this still goes on in schools, somehow I'm sure it does, at least at some... But it scares me, because I know I can pack a nutrion-packed lunch with a whole wheat bread sandwich, fresh fruit, vegi's with dip and maybe a sugar free jello - but who's to say they'll eat it??? Schools offer so many options with all the vending machines and ala cart lines (the ones with the ice cream, etc.) that it's no wonder kids are getting fat! I just don't know what I'll do. Education can only go so far, after that peer pressure takes over.

[Lisa N]

I know I can pack a nutrion-packed lunch with a whole wheat bread sandwich, fresh fruit, vegi's with dip and maybe a sugar free jello - but who's to say they'll eat it??? Schools offer so many options with all the vending machines and ala cart lines (the ones with the ice cream, etc.) that it's no wonder kids are getting fat! I just don't know what I'll do. Education can only go so far, after that peer pressure takes over.

LC-Laur, I think it depends on the school system you happen to be in. My girls' school (K-8) doesn't have a cafeteria or vending machines. The kids are not allowed to bring pop to school and candy in lunches is discouraged. Lunch box trading is also discouraged, more for concerns over allergies than anything else. That said, I'm not terribly thrilled with the menus that they offer for lunch (provided by an outside provider) and only allow them pizza day once a week; the rest of the time they take a lunch from home. No matter how healthy a lunch you provide them, you can't watch them 24/7 and you certainly can't stop them from 'trading' for items that they want more than what's in their lunch. I've found that education helps. Talk to your kids (when you have them) about what foods are needed for a healthy body and stress that sweet treats should only be eaten once in a while, even if they do taste wonderful. Feed them healthy meals when they are home (and you can monitor what they're eating) and hope that they learn to make healthy choices when you aren't watching. :)
Now my girls come home from school and every so often, they tell me, "Mom! You wouldn't believe what so-and-so had in their lunch today......that's so unhealthy!" ;)