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On our morning walk today we decided to walk by the local middle school. The kids were outside playing flag football so we stopped to cheer them on and enjoy the games. While my son was busy screaming for the “ball! ball!” all I could think of was “omigosh…most of these kids are FAT!” Seriously, that is the only thing I could focus on. What is going on with this world?

With the exception of a handful of boys, most of the other kids were just standing around—presumably waiting for the torture of gym class to end. Not one girl was actively playing in the game.

The saddest part was the gym teacher. She was also fat. As she stood on one end of the field yelling out orders to the kids, I was screaming inside “you need to start moving yourself lady!”. She didn’t move once from her “spot”. It made me sick to my stomach. How can a school hire an overweight physical education teacher? Isn’t that like going to a dentist who has a mouthful of rotted teeth? She is supposed to be a role model yet obviously does not practice what she is hopefully preaching to these kids.

According to the Mayo Clinic, approximately 30.3 percent of children (ages 6 to 11) are overweight and 15.3 percent are obese. For adolescents (ages 12 to 19), 30.4 percent are overweight and 15.5 percent are obese. I absolutely do not want my kids to have a weight problem. It is my responsibility to teach them to be active individuals and to enjoy middle school gym!!!

Here are some tips that we can do to make sure our kids become (and stay) active:

• start early!! The younger your kids are, the better. Teach them now to be active and chances are they will grow into active adults.
• get them toys that encourage them to be active. ( a football, roller blades, bikes, etc.)
• Be a role model!!! This is the most important one for your entire family. If you are a couch potato, chances are your kids will be couch potatoes as well. Turn off the TV and get outside. Go for walks together, jump rope, bike, dance—whatever it takes to get your whole family moving. It doesn’t have to take place in a gym environment to be considered exercise.
• Talk to them about being physically active and why it is good for you.
• Limit their TV and computer time. This is a huge time sucker for everyone, myself included. Set a timer and keep firm rules.
• Sign your kids up for sports and find one they like. Don’t force your child to play football if they would prefer baseball or soccer. Just like for yourself, the activity should be something they enjoy doing.
• Make it FUN! Fitness is fun for everyone, including your kids!

Please make fitness a priority in your life as well as your kids.

Written on Tuesday, October 9th, 2007 at 7:05 pm
Filed under facts.
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