Empowering Healthy Kids Blog

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.

I’m a bit late to the party on this but here’s some commentary about the child obesity rates levelling off:

From US News:

There’s some not-bad news about childhood obesity today: A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that the prevalence of kids with a high body mass index, or BMI, showed no significant increase between 1999 and 2006.

If that trend is borne out in data for subsequent years, it’s at least a sign that the upward creep of child BMI may have leveled off. But it’s by no means great news, since it still means more than 16 percent of kids between 2 and 19 had BMIs at or above the 95th percentile, while about 32 percent were at or above the 85th percentile. I know—that looked weird to me, too: How can 16 percent of kids be above the 95th percentile? (It’s like Lake Wobegon, where all the children are above average!) But those percentile charts are based on decades-old data on kids’ weight; kids have gotten heavier in proportion to height, so now 16 percent of them are at or above the level that used to be the cutoff for the top 5 percent.

From Extension Daily on the reasons for the levelling off:

Still, [Dr Robert] Keith says that while some behavioral changes surely have occurred, the possible peak in childhood obesity may actually have nothing to do with lifestyle changes. Future studies even may prove that the peaking effect had little to do with educational outreach and everything to do with a combination of several environmental and human genetic factors.

In fact, Keith says it is possible two pervasive environmental factors — a chronic lack of exercise coupled with a wide access to calories — have contributed to spiking obesity rates among children most genetically susceptible to these factors.

In effect, what is widely viewed as a peak is actually a genetic saturation point.

“It is possible that we’ve reached our saturation point in terms of the levels of physical inactivity and the amount of calories current available to us versus the number of children who are becoming obese,” Keith says.

Simply put, he says, all of the people most susceptible to obesity based on current levels of physical activity and levels of available calories have become obese.
And this theory, if it turns out to be true, presents a sobering reality to Keith and other health and nutrition specialist.

From Time, interviewing Cynthia Ogden (lead researcher of the study):

Ogden wouldn’t speculate as to why national childhood overweight trends appear to have stalled. It could be that kids have hit the fat ceiling — they’ve gotten as heavy as they’re ever going to get. Or, perhaps the most obvious answer is the nationwide effort to combat obesity by getting kids — and parents — to eat better and exercise more. From Arkansas, where state officials have begun sending annual childhood health reports to parents, to Massachusetts, where the town of Somerville launched a community-wide intervention to improve the diet and fitness of children, state and local governments have recognized and begun addressing childhood obesity.

One thing that needs to be noted is that Body Mass Index is used , which does have some flaws (which I have written about earlier).

National Start! Walking Day On April 16:

Heart disease is the No. 1 killer in the U.S. And physical inactivity doubles the risk. Start! walking and start reducing your risk. You can support the fight against heart disease by participating in National Start! Walking Day, Wednesday, April 16

One of the goals of this blog is to catalogue the numerous projects and activities designed to improve the health and well-being of children and hopefully inspire other communities to do the same. The Medica Foundation has released their projects for 2007 and listed below are their kid related projects:

• 2008 City of Lakes Loppet Event and Programming Initiative, $30,000 to support the 2008 event and incorporate a year-round program to educate youth and promote physical activity and involvement in the Tri-Loppet and Trail Loppet events for Minneapolis Public School Students. A project of the City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation.
• Fit Team for Kids, $30,000 for expansion of the Health Start School-Based Clinic comprehensive health and fitness program for low-income students at risk for obesity in three St. Paul high schools. A project of West-Side Community Health Services.
• Healthy Lifeways Project, $30,000 to utilize nutrition awareness and structured physical activity to reduce health disparities in American Indian youth. A project of Little Earth Residents Association.
• Bolder Options Health Habits Program, $30,000 to expand the Healthy Habits Mentoring Program to a satellite office at Dunwoody Institute to support North Minneapolis youth. A project of Bolder Options.
• Healthy Lifestyles for North Minneapolis Teens, $25,000 to expand health and wellness activities through the completion of a health assessment, referrals to a nutritionist, health educator or on-site clinic and by offering healthy food choices. A project of the Plymouth Christian Youth Center.
• Ready. Set. Action! Peer Education Model, $30,000 to develop a program by junior high/middle school students to educate elementary school students about healthy eating and exercise. A project of the Illusion Theater and School, Inc.
• Running Buddies Program, $20,000 to pair at-risk youth (ages 5-17) with adults to train and run 5K, 5-mile and trail races, including training plans, nutrition education, shoes, goal setting advice and relationship support. A project of Duluth Area Family YMCA.
• Strong Kids, $25,000 to provide a 12-week program for parents and children to develop a healthy approach to lifetime weight management. A program of the Marshall Area YMCA.
• SWITCH, $30,000 to implement the program in two Burnsville, Minn. elementary schools. SWITCH, designed to help communities, schools and families promote and choose healthy lifestyles, is a program of the National Institute on Media and the Family.

It’s great to see schools come up with innovative solutions to legislation. Last fall, Florida passed a bill to mandate that students from Kindergarten to Grade 5 required to do 150 minutes of exercise per week. As TampaBay.com reports, some schools are resorting to measuring their 150 minutes in 5 minute or even less exercise blocks. Here are some examples:

• When the law went into effect last fall, some — including Hillsborough — began counting 5-minute exercise breaks and short walks around campus as exercise.
• For five minutes, the kids practice clapping, flying, jumping, marching, lunging and high-fiving. Then the activity break ends.
• Choosing to stick to a plan that has allowed elementary kids to receive daily PE instruction for the past 30 years. The catch: They group several classes together and rely on PE assistants for supervision.

Here are two schools’ methods of meeting the targets:

A typical 30-minute PE session at Cross Bayou Elementary School

Walking from the classroom to the PE field: 3 minutes

Stretching/warming up: 5 minutes

Running a quarter mile: 4 minutes

Instructional time*: 15 minutes

Walking back to the classroom: 3 minutes

*This includes the teacher’s explanation of the activity and the activity itself, which could be passing a basketball, shooting hoops or kicking a soccer ball.

Dale Mabry Elementary: How one school fits in 150 minutes of PE for fourth-graders each week

PE class: 60 minutes

Teacher-directed PE: 60 minutes

Movement in classroom: 20 minutes

Health education: 10 minutes

Meal diaries, nutritional Web sites, activities about 5 minutes

My own opinion is that while this may not be was legislators had in mind, focussing more attention on physcial activity is good. But more importantly the 150 minute targets allow schools the freedom (but not necessarily the resources nor expertise in some cases) to pursue innovative and creative solutions for their students. It would be an interesting research study to see the outcomes of this legislature and the various methods that schools employ actually makes a difference on children’s health.

Walking, moving organised:

Mayor Karl Dean and the Healthy Nashville Leadership Council will take to the trails of the Richland Creek Greenway on Saturday morning to start off a city wide challenge to “get moving” and to restart the Healthy Nashville initiative.The Mayor’s Let’s Get Moving Challenge is in conjunction with National Public Health Week from April 7 to 13. During the week, Mayor Dean will be participating in a number of activities to demonstrate how all Nashvillians can get moving more and in the process take advantage of our city’s many resources for a healthy lifestyle.

“The health of a city is indicative of the community’s overall quality of life and its economy. Nashville is a great and growing city, and the type of people we want to continue to attract here are looking for a lifestyle that is more active, and in turn more health and environment conscious,” Mayor Dean said.

“This week is about leading by example and bringing awareness to an issue that I hope will be part of our city’s conversation going forward. It’s also an opportunity to highlight our award-winning system of parks and greenways, which are a great place to get outdoors and get moving.”

Healthy Nashville is an initiative of the Mayor’s Office created by Executive Order. The initiative is lead by an 18-member Leadership Council and supported by the Metro Public Health Department.

“Just 30 minutes a day of activity – even a brisk walk or a bike ride – can have great benefits. It can improve your mood, your sleep, and your overall sense of wellbeing right away. Exercise can also lower blood pressure, improve cholesterol and reduce your chances of getting heart disease, cancer, or brittle bones,” said Dr. Bill Paul, Metro Health director.

“Let’s Get Moving Challenge” Schedule:

Saturday, April 5 – Kickoff Walk and “Leadership on the Move” Day
Members of the Healthy Nashville Leadership Council will join Mayor Dean at the Richland Creek Greenway to kickoff the Let’s Get Moving Challenge with a 2.5 mile walk.

The Challenge: Join the mayor and the Leadership Council at 9:30 a.m. at the McCabe Golf Course Trailhead, 4601 Murphy Road.

Monday, April 7 – “Departments on the Move” Day
Each department of the Metropolitan Government will be challenged to find a way for their employees to get moving during the work day.

The Challenge: Find a way to put more physical activity into a typical day. Climb the stairs instead of using the elevator or take a short walk during a break.

Wednesday, April 9 – Kids on the Move
Mayor Dean will teach a P.E. class at one of the public elementary schools to highlight the need for children to get more exercise.

The Challenge: Spend some time with a child and show them how fun exercise can be. Go swimming, skating or play a ball game.

Thursday, April 10 – “Moving for Free” Day
Mayor Dean will highlight one of the ways to get moving for free in Nashville by walking at the East Community Center with one of the city’s most avid walkers.

The Challenge: Use the free resources at one of the many community centers or greenways to get moving.

Friday, April 11 – “Move over Traffic” Alternate Commute Day
Mayor Dean will walk to a bus stop and ride an MTA bus to work to highlight how easy it is to get more exercise, lessen the impact the daily commute has on the environment and save on fuel costs.

The Challenge: Find an alternate way to commute to work – ride a bike, take a bus or carpool. Get moving more and the car moving less.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day 2008 is coming up on 12 April:

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is a free, fun-filled day of activities designed to promote healthy kids and families in spirit, mind and body. YMCA Healthy Kids Day celebrates making fitness fun, and introduces kids to an array of YMCA programs and tools that teach healthy behaviors and healthy ways to play-an essential lesson in learning how to take care of themselves throughout their lifetimes.

Click here for a list of YMCAs hosting Healthy Kids events.

Launching this year at YMCA Healthy Kids Day is Healthy Family Home, a program to help families in any community incorporate healthier habits at home. Funded by Eli Lilly and Company, Healthy Family Home focuses on practical, achievable lifestyle changes in the areas of family life where small changes can have the biggest impact—playing every day, eating healthy and family time. Pick up a free Healthy Family Home Starter Kit at your YMCA’s Healthy Kids Day event, or visit www.healthyfamilyhome.org beginning April 12 for a Starter Kit and additional information to help you feel supported in making important changes with your family.

YMCA Healthy Kids Day is part of Activate America®, an innovative public health initiative of the YMCA movement that is making healthy living a reality for millions of Americans. By celebrating health and wellness of young people through a variety of fun, physical activities, YMCA Healthy Kids Day encourages kids and families nationwide to stay active, connected and healthy.

The YMCA Healthy Kids Day event is celebrated annually. Activities at participating YMCAs will vary and may include games, sports, health screenings and more.

This looks good and I like the online tracking component:

The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports is launching the first-ever National President’s Challenge, a six week physical activity challenge to get America moving!  The Challenge, which kicks off March 20th, is designed to help people live healthier and get fit by finding activities they really enjoy.

Many people remember the youth fitness test they performed in school.  What began in 1966 as a school-based program has now become the President’s Challenge and something everyone can participate in, including youth, adults, senior citizens, and people with disabilities.  The online program allows participants to track their activities, see their progress and challenge themselves to become healthier.

Signing up for the National President’s Challenge is easy and free.  Simply go to www.presidentschallenge.org and register as an individual or with a group to participate with friends, family or co-workers.  To complete the Challenge, youth aged 6-17 are encouraged to aim for at least 60 minutes of activity, five days a week, while adults 18 and older are encouraged to get at least 30 minutes of activity, five days a week.

Register at www.presidentschallenge.org. Some nice tips on getting moving from their site:

 ADULTS

•    Stand up and walk while on the phone.
•    Take stairs instead of elevators.
•    Park farther from the office and walk the difference.
•    Get off the bus a stop earlier and walk the difference.
•    Take a long walk instead of a long lunch.
•     Take a walk break instead of a coffee break.
•    Choose activities you enjoy (consistency is more important than intensity).
•    Start with small steps.  Walk 2000 steps a day; work up to 10,000 steps or more a day.
•    Get active with your family.  An active family is a healthy family.

KIDS

•    Take your dog out for a walk.
•    Start up a playground kickball game.
•    Join a sports team.
•    Go to the park with a friend.
•    Help your parents with yard work.
•    Play tag with kids in your neighborhood.
•    Ride your bike to school.
•    Walk to the store for your mom or dad.
•    See how many jumping jacks you can do.
•    Race a friend to the end of the block.

As opposed to Australia, a proposal to track the BMI of children gets knocked on the head:

The bill’s sponsor says the data would only have been used to shape efforts to fight childhood obesity, but the panel voted to strip it from a larger public health bill.

The sponsor, Representative Diane Loeffler of Minneapolis, says she did not set out to monitor individual children or make their status public in the schools. She says childhood obesity is an epidemic that’s threatening the health of children everywhere.

Opponents still feared the numbers could shame overweight children and teenagers. But the proposal is still alive for now in a Senate bill.

San Marcos students now have to pass high school fitness tests under a new California law:

The new law, which goes into effect with this year’s freshmen class, is geared toward students who have room for improvement on the statewide physical fitness test —- the so-called Fitnessgram.

The test is designed to measure categories such as muscle strength, endurance, flexibility and aerobic capacity, the body’s ability to generate energy with the use of oxygen.

Results of the test are reported each year in grades five, seven and nine, and are based on students’ performance in six tasks: curl-ups, trunk lifts, push-ups or pull-ups, shoulder stretches, body composition and a 1-mile run.

While students are required to take two years of physical education to graduate high school, the new law requires students who do not pass at least five of the six tasks on the test in ninth grade to continue to enroll in physical education until they pass. Physical education is not required after the sophomore year, but students can still take it as an elective.