Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

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Interesting, and, in my opinion, this trend will only continue to grow:

Last year, 1.3 million children ages 6 to 11 were members of a health club, according to the International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association. And as of April, a quarter of IHRSA member clubs surveyed had children’s programs.

I just stumbled across Bulldog Interactive Fitness from Canada. It is a franchise operation that was started by a husband and wife team (Holly and James Bond). I think that we will continue to see more of these centres spring up around the world.

On a side note, I also noticed that Canadians get a tax rebate for enrolling their kids into fitness programs:

Children’s Fitness Tax Credit (Canada)
Budget 2006 introduced a federal tax credit to promote physical activity among children. Effective January 1, 2007, parents of young people under the age of 16 who register their children in programs that promote physical activity can claim a federal tax credit for up to $500 per year per child on registration fees and memberships.

I hope this helps:

The N.C. Division of Public Health announced yesterday that 14 community grants focusing on obesity have been awarded to county health departments across the state, including two in Northwest North Carolina.

Grants of $380,000 from the Childhood Obesity Prevention Project went to the Appalachian District Health Department for work focusing on Watauga County, as well as to the Cabarrus, Dare, Henderson and Moore county health departments.

Each group will run a comprehensive public-awareness campaign in conjunction with county bicycle and pedestrian plans, as well as programs in preschools and child-care centers, pediatrics practices, YMCAs, hospitals, schools and the faith community.

The division awarded an additional $150,000 in grants to nine other health departments and health districts in support of the Eat Smart, Move More North Carolina movement. They are Davidson, Buncombe, Carteret, Chatham, Durham, Granville/Vance, Lee, Wake and Warren counties.

The financed projects will build upon existing effective programs or will try new approaches to increasing healthy behaviors. The proposals ranged from workplace wellness programs to building parks and walking trails.

While public awareness campaigns are a positive thing, as with all marketing (which is effectively what awareness campaigns are), the results need to be measured to ensure citizens is getting a good return on tax payer dollars.

YMCA launch a new programme, “Healthy U” aimed at increasing the health and wellbeing of children in New Jersey:

A new initiative by the Horizon Foundation for New Jersey will use fun exercises and promotion of healthy eating habits to reduce obesity in 18,000 school-age children through YMCAs statewide, foundation officials announced today.
The Healthy U program, as the initiative is being called, is being funded by a $1 million foundation grant. The goal is to reduce obesity rates in children enrolled in YMCA after school programs by up to 10 percent by the year 2011. Using a curriculum developed by researchers at the University of Texas, Healthy U will be rolled out at 359 YMCA sites across New Jersey starting early next month. It will be open to children between the ages of 5 and 12 and will also have a strong parental component.

Healthy U is based on the Coordinated Approach to Child Health (CATCH) curriculum, a national, award winning program with over 15 years of proven research documenting its success in reducing childhood obesity.

The program, which also provides specialized training to YMCA staff, has three major components — physical education, proper nutrition and parental involvement.

Sandy Hopkins from Delaware Trail Elementary uses video games to promote physical activity:

Today, thanks to a grant from an educational foundation at her school that supports innovative teaching ideas in the classroom, Hopkins’ students play their way to physical fitness with “Dance, Dance, Revolution” and “EyeToy” for Sony’s PlayStation 2.

Hopkins operates the games as a station, with 3-4 screens and dance mats. Six students typically use the station at one time, and those who are waiting to play use practice dance mats she has created out of carpets and tape. Jump ropes or stationary bikes are sometimes provided at the station as well. Every student is expected to remain active during the entire period.

I believe that novel ideas using technology will increase across schools as teachers try to find new ways to motivate and engage with kids. I have talked with a number of teachers and one constant struggle (other than budgets) is coming up with new creative ideas to teach and inspire kids to learn - thus the number of individual teacher-led innovations will continue to grow.

My philosophy towards public health and social problems is to find work on the solution from the ground up. Start with the individual, then family, then local community, then state, then national. This is why I like this initiative - the solution is skewered towards the local community:

Picking up the phone may not be the best form of exercise, but the CanDo Coalition is hoping people will do it to help defeat obesity.

The local nonprofit organization is using an automated telephone survey to gather information on the health needs of Loveland residents, so the group can plan ways to help local residents eat better, get active and prevent obesity.

The CanDo Coalition began in 2003, Englert said, as a response to the obesity rate in Larimer County, which had doubled during the previous 10 years.

The founding organizations were the Poudre Valley Hospital Foundation, Colorado State University and the city of Fort Collins.

Over the past five years, the CanDo Coalition has worked with Fort Collins schools, employers, health care professionals, new mothers, low-income residents and older adults to improve residents’ health habits.

In the schools, CanDo created a “School Wellness Kit” for teachers and parents, to help them find ways to get children to eat healthier, exercise more and limit TV, computer and video-game time.

The coalition also has helped Fort Collins businesses start exercise, weight-management and stress-management programs.

The funding for the Loveland expansion came from LiveWell Colorado, a partnership of health care organizations, charitable foundations, nonprofit organizations and public health agencies.

Very funny, satirical look at a Government wheels of “action” at work (from ABC TV). Click through to the first episode.

MyPed turns one today

Thank you for your support: Markov, Navin, Jarmal, Hayden, Oz, Apoorva, Jen, Jeff, Stefan, Nick, Telematics Trust, Amanda, Jo, John, David, Scott and Irena (from EY), Michael, Wendy, Ash and Ell (my brothers), Charmaine, Tim, Brendon and Deirdre, Peter, Dom, Sandi, Maurice, the DC’s, the Uni Gang, Eric, Michelle, Viki (from Anzatech), David.

And last but certainly not least, my wife, Mel.

Keokuk Schools in Iowa boosts PE support:

The Keokuk schools landed a nearly $350,000 grant to beef up the weight room, provide aerobic fitness equipment and promote a more active lifestyle for students from kindergarten through high school.

The weight and aerobic equipment will not only help physical education students achieve better fitness. High school athletes will have more equipment for training.

The new equipment will be ordered in July. The high school will receive about $74,000 worth of weight lifting equipment such as free weights and non-aerobic machines. Delivery and installation will cost $7,100.

Aerobic equipment, such as treadmills, stairmasters, elliptical cross trainers and stationary bicycles and other machines also will be installed, worth about $63,000.

A major component of the grant is professional development for teachers relating to the new equipment along with funds for curriculum development.

The Carol M. White Physical Education Program Grant also includes equipment to monitor cardio-vascular fitness, new lap top computers and PDAs (personal digital assistants) for P.E. teachers to collect data.

Keokuk Middle School and the elementary students are not left out.

Nearly $17,900 in new equipment is planned, including digital pedometers, body fat analyzers, digital scales, resistance tubes and exercise balls.

The middle school also will get aerobic fitness equipment such as stationary bicycles and stairmasters.

All K-12 physical education teachers will be involved in the grant using the new equipment and in training. Playground supervision staff also will receive training in after-school workshops. The focus will be to increase activities at K-5 recess.

I like this initiative as it actually does empower and enable students to use the fitness equipment. Good to also see a portion devoted to training teachers too.