Articles

I’ve been collecting articles about children’s health issues and obesity for several years. Most of these can be accessed on line. Some of the more significant ones are listed here with a brief synopsis.

Elitism in Youth Sports Yields Physical Fatness

The New York Times
February 1, 2004, Sunday, Late Edition – Final
Headline: Back Talk
Byline: By Ken Reed; a sports industry consultant with a Ph.D. in Sport Admnistration from the University of Northern Colorado.

“We’re fat. In fact, as a country, we’ve never been fatter.” Reed points out that 65% of Americans are either overweight or obese and that our children are on pace to be significantly fatter than we are. He cites all of the pertinent statistics that everybody already knows.

Reed points out the fact that PE in our schools has steadily declined and that by high school most kids are basically finished with PE. He goes on to state that as children grow older, sports opportunities diminish and many are forced to the sidelines where they become sedentary spectators. He attributes this to the emphasis placed upon performance and elite athlete. In other words, participation and fun have been replaced by participation for the elite as the games have become highly competitive.

He goes on to say that when you peel back the layers of the onion, you see that we don’t value sports programs for our kids, but what we really value is elite sports programs.

This is a very good article and we recommend reading it in its entirety.

Targeting childhood obesity in the Sooner State

Integris Health
The Journal Record
January 28, 2004
By Stanley F. Hupfeld,FACHE, President & CEO of Integris Health.

The Fit Kids Coalition was formed by some of the leading health advocates in Oklahoma to address childhood obesity. Several good proposals that focus on reestablishing PE in public school curricula and removing unhealthy foods and drink from the schools. A good example of a grassroots effort to make a difference.

Skinny on U.S. eating: Adult calories up 13%

The Houston Chronicle.com
Feb. 6, 2004, 12:40 AM
Byline: David Wahlberg
Cox News Service

Quotes from two new studies released by the CDC (Feb. 6,2004). Women ate 1,877 calories a day in 1999-2000, up 22 percent from 1971-1974. Federal guidelines for sedentary adults recommend 1,600 calories a day.

Men took in 2,618 calories a day, up 7 percent for the same period. Federal guidelines recommend 2,200 calories a day.

Carbohydrates accounted for 13 percent more of the average diet in 1999-2000 than in 1971-1974.

The studies also point out that fast food, takeout meals, larger portion sizes and lots of pizza, soft drinks and salty snacks account for many of the extra calories people are eating.

The CDC study also reports that 75% of adults surveyed had done some kind of physical activity but nothing that met recommendations for 60 minutes of rigorous activity a day. This shows progress, but a lot of work still needs to be done to increase physical activity levels.

Too much weight tugs at kids' hearts

By Dennis Thompson Jr., HealthDay
Need more proof the U.S. childhood obesity crisis may be a ticking time bomb?

Researchers have found that many schoolchildren are exhibiting early risk factors of diabetes and heart disease, often displaying troubling symptoms that usually show up in adults.
In fact, a recent study found one in eight children have three or more risk factors for what doctors call metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that serve as an early warning signal for heart disease and diabetes. And more than half of the children have at least one of the risk factors.
These risk factors include high blood pressure, inefficient processing of glucose, elevated insulin levels, low levels of "good" HDL cholesterol and elevated triglycerides — a fatty substance found in the blood.

Diabetes threat looms for thin people who don’t exercise

Minneapolis Star Tribune
February 3, 2004
Byline: Donna Halvorsen dhalvorsen@startribune.com
http://www.startribune.com

The big finding is that young people are at substantial risk from being overweight and inactive.” If you are 25 and unfit, you should do something about it.” People are exposing themselves to very significant diseases later in life.

U.S. Panel urges war on fat

Washington Post
Dec. 2, 2003 12:00 AM

Intensive therapy is suggested; it’s a big deal, expert warns. A government advisory group urges that doctors weigh and measure all adults and recommend intensive counseling and behavior treatment for those found to be obese. First time ever!

The new guidelines represent a major shift in how the health care system addresses obesity.

Obesity cost taxpayers $39B in 2003

USA Today.com
January 22, 2004 12:24AM
Byline: Nanci Hellmich

Obese Americans cost about $75 Billion in weight-related medical bills in 2003 and taxpayers paid for about half. That’s about $175 per taxpayer – through Medicare and Medicaid programs for obesity-linked illnesses. (Obesity Research)

Also showed that the medical bill for people who are just a few to 30 pounds over ideal weight is as much as $93 Billion.

Kids Play outdoors less, study finds

The Times Union (Albany, NY)
July 8, 2003 Three Star Edition
Section: Life & Leisure, pg. D2
Byline: Mary Beth Faler; Stamford Advocate

26 percent of mothers surveyed said their kids played outdoors more often than indoors. Good article about the social and physical aspects of outdoor play. Team sports can’t replace free play. Rhonda Clements, author of the study fears that organized youth sports are not child-initiated, but adult structured. Rhonda.l.clements@hofstra.edu

Worth reading.

Why fast food makes you get fat

BBC News
October 22, 2003
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/3210750.stm

“The nutritional make up of fast food encourages people to gorge on it unintentionally, increasing their risk of obesity.” Energy dense foods can fool people into consuming more calories than the body needs. A typical fast food meal is more than one and a half times higher than an average meal.

Research shows that we need to eat foods with less fat and added sugars and to exercise more.

Children needs greater amounts of physical activity

RESTON, VA, December 30, 2003 - - Five years after releasing the first physical activity guidelines for children five to 12 years of age, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) is increasing the recommended amount. The first of four new guidelines recommends at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours of physical activity per day. This is not surprising given the fact that inactivity has contributed to the recent obesity epidemic and sedentary living is a known threat to health.
Summary Guidelines
Among the recommendations are the following:
• Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of age appropriate physical activity on all, or most days of the week.
• Children should participate in several bouts of physical activity lasting 15 minutes or more each day.
• Children should participate each day in a variety of age-appropriate physical activities designed to achieve optimal health, wellness, fitness and performance benefits.
• Extended periods (periods of two hours or more) of inactivity are discouraged for children, especially during the daytime hours.
To order a copy of the new physical activity guidelines, visit the online bookstore at www.aahperd.org or call 1-800-321-0789. The cost is $12 for NASPE/AAHPERD members, and $16 for non-members. Stock number is 304-10276.

Why Gym Class Matters

TheWall Street Journal On Line WSJ.com
Health Journal
Byline: Tara Parker-Pope
Sept. 2, 2003

Increasingly, researchers believe that remaining physically active into adulthood is often determined by whether a person develops an “athletic identify” in childhood. Even the specific sport a child chooses, whether it is football or tennis, can have a profound impact on whether he or she exercises later in life and even influence risk for cardiovascular disease.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/0,,SB106245450216885900,00.html

Ouch! Many feel pain of health care costs

The Arizona Republic
Nov. 2, 2003 12:00 AM
Byline: Jodie Snyder
www.azcentral.com

Nationally, employees’ premium contributions are now 22.3 percent, up from 20.5 percent in 2002. In Phoenix, the news is worse. In 2003, the cost to cover employees increased 19 percent on average, one of the highest increases in the country.