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Parent’s Aren’t the Only Ones Concerned About Children’s Health |
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These Organizations Make an Extra Effort to Keep Kids Fit
 Everyone’s talking about the health of our nation’s children. Whether you’re looking at the big picture and national statistics, or are just reading about the children in the state, city or town in which you live, it’s clear that something has to change. Just look at this small cross-section of our country’s children:
- In Los Angeles, the County Department of Health Services recently reported that 25 percent of boys and 18 percent of girls in grades five, seven and nine are overweight.
- In Massachusetts, the Center for Disease Control says that more than one-third of children ages 2 to 5 are at risk for being overweight or are already overweight.
- In South Carolina, more than 50 percent of children don’t participate in after-school team sports or lessons according to a report from the University of South Carolina.
The good news is that for every statistic about childhood fitness, there’s also an organization working to improve it. Awareness is clearly on the rise and it’s resulting in an improved outlook for children nationwide. Here are a few examples of the organizations:
Northridge Hospital, Los Angeles, California A recent grant of $60,000 developed the School-Based Obesity and Diabetes Initiative (SODI). This program encourages students to adopt healthy habits. Now, 12 public schools throughout Los Angeles participate in the program in which elementary school teachers learn to implement exercise into their classroom curriculum. “LAUSD has been a national leader in the fight against obesity,” says School Board Member Julie Korenstein. “I am proud to be a part of this program, which will help bring awareness to this deadly epidemic affecting millions of Los Angeles students.”
Body by Brandy 4 Kidz, Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts A partnership among Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Children’s Hospital Boston, United Way of Massachusetts Bay and local fitness expert Brandy Cruthird of “Body By Brandy” created a nonprofit gym specifically for kids ages 7 to 16. The gym is designed to make fitness fun and features a rock climbing wall, a boxing program, game bikes, dance revolution pads, cardiovascular equipment, a sports wall, and a health and science computer lab. Children receiving medical care at the Children’s Hospital of Boston are eligible for free membership.
Wellness Treasure Trail, Orangeburg, South Carolina In Orangeburg County, where approximately 35 percent of students are obese and another 30 percent are considered overweight, one elementary physical education teacher took action. “I noticed that a number of the children were not participating in the structured physical education activities,” says Sheila Evens, who was inspired to coordinate the Wellness Treasure Trail program. “We also found that many students had poor eating habits.” The program was funded by a grant from the Preventative Health and Health Services Block. It now is used for children to walk during recess. Students also created mile makers that give fitness information. Last school year, more than 500 students walked the trail during recess and 100 walked up to five miles. |
