Inactive & Overweight Kids: What can Physical Educators Do? Stephen C. Jefferies & Kirk E. Mathias Central Washington University

President John F. Kennedy presents… A Vision for Children’s Health in America

The Problem? Growing Obesity In the last 30 years... NEARLY TRIPLED OBESITY NEARLY TRIPLED OBESITY Children ages 2-5 (5 to 14%) Youth ages (5 to 17%) QUADRUPLED OBESITY QUADRUPLED OBESITY Children ages 6-11 (4 to19%) (Ogden, Carroll, & Flegan, 2003)

Health Implications of Obesity Youth poor self esteem poor self esteem lower quality of life lower quality of life hypertension hypertension obstructive sleep apnea and gallbladder disease tripled between obstructive sleep apnea and gallbladder disease tripled between type 2 diabetes (45% of all newly diagnosed diabetes cases in pediatrics) type 2 diabetes (45% of all newly diagnosed diabetes cases in pediatrics)Adults overweight by age 8 results in adult with BMI of 41 overweight by age 8 results in adult with BMI of 41 adult obesity identified at 35. (Rosenbloom, 2002) Parents will have a longer lifespan than their children (Dietz & Robinson, 2005)

Cause of Obesity Children are consuming too much of the wrong kinds of food and beverages and doing too little.

recess/talk to friends read/tv/sit/ eat travel class class video games/tv dinner travel sleep recess/talk to friends class class

The Impact of Just One Soda… 12 oz soda = 160 calories Walk 45 minutes = no weight gain Walk 45 minutes = no weight gain Failure to exercise for 22 days = gain 1lb Failure to exercise for 22 days = gain 1lb Failure to exercise for 1 year = gain 20lbs Failure to exercise for 1 year = gain 20lbs

Shared Responsibility Overweight children become overweight adults. (Perry et al., 1990)

Government Obesity is a security risk Financial consequences Social consequences Future perspective

Industry & Media Advertising bans & Advertising alternatives Collaborative agreements sodas sodas snack foods snack foods Refocus on healthier and profitable alternatives

Communities TWO key issues: 1.Safety 2.Accessibility

Communities Environmental modifications including: recreation facilities recreation facilities parks, pools, gyms, trails safe roads safe roads bike lanes and trails bike lanes and trails walking routes walking routes child accessible parks child accessible parks Physical activity program accessibility team sports team sports sport lessons sport lessons recreational sports/activities recreational sports/activities

Families Prevent obesity before it starts

Families Develop parenting skills birth – k habits birth – k habits limit sedentary activities limit sedentary activities control TV, video and computer use promote active play promote active play encourage active transportation to and from school encourage active transportation to and from school support and engage the students in after school activities and recreational programs support and engage the students in after school activities and recreational programs search out summer activity programs search out summer activity programs

..and then there are our schools

recess/talk to friends read/tv/sit/ eat travel class class video games/tv dinner travel sleep recess/talk to friends class class School Families Industry & Media Government

Schools School Meals Competitive Foods Resist School Marketing & Advertising School Wellness Policies Recess Longer School Day Changing School Policies - Words of Advice PE Classes PE Substitutions and Waivers Transportation

Physical Education Daily Physical Education Before and After School Programs Sharing Body Mass Index & Student Health Data 10 minutes Classroom-based Physical Activity program (GoZonkers.tv) Activity promoting programs Log it Log it Verb Verb Summer and Vacation PE programs Be an Advocate - Role model

Physical Education Changing Physical Education Increase actual activity time during class. Increase actual activity time during class. decrease down time or waiting time (Siedentop, 1987; Simons- Morton, 1993; Healthy People 2010) Activity variety Activity variety Drills are often not motivating Drills are often not motivating Success = fun = lifelong physical activity participation Success = fun = lifelong physical activity participation Avoid discouraging the overweight and inactive! Avoid discouraging the overweight and inactive!

Redefining Physical Education for the 21 st Century “The activities selected to be taught within school hours must tend to carry over into the out-of-school play periods. During childhood and youth the only activities which will be carried on with intensity are the play activities. These activities tend to be continued because of the pleasure they give. Formalized and artificial activities are fatiguing and uninteresting after the novelty has worn off, and they cease to go on as soon as adult compulsion is discontinued.” Clark Hetherington, School program in physical education (1922)

Habit Changing habitually “We want students to habitually choose to be active and to eat healthy foods.”

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The following additional slides were not used in the presentation but might contain information of interest to you.

INCREASE IN SEDENTARY LIFESTYLE Young people aged 2–18 spend, on average, over 4 hours a day watching television, watching videotapes, playing video games, or using a computer. Most of this time—2 hours and 46 minutes per day, on average—is spent watching television. One-third of children and adolescents watch television for more than 3 hours a day, and Nearly one-fifth (17%) watch more than 5 hours of television a day.

TRANSPORTATION CHANGES Walking and bicycling by children aged 5–15 dropped 40% between 1977 and More than one-third (37%) of all trips to school are made from one mile away or less, but only 31% of these trips are made by walking.