|
Study Reinforces Importance of Following National Pediatric Guidelines for Physical Activity, Screen Time
Apr 18, 2008
A study published in the Journal of Pediatrics finds that children who failed to adhere to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommendations for physical activity and screen time were up to four times more likely to be overweight than those who followed the guidelines, United Press International reports. The academy recommends that boys take 11,000 steps and girls take 13,000 steps daily and that both genders limit screen time to two hours daily. To assess the link between adherence to the AAP recommendations and overweight, researchers from Iowa State University and the National Institute on Media and Family evaluated the lifestyle habits of 709 children ages 7 to 12. All children were issued a pedometer to measure their steps and were given surveys to determine the amount of time they spent watching TV or playing video games. Among children who met the AAP recommendations, 10 percent of boys and 20 percent of girls were overweight. In contrast, 35 percent of boys and 40 percent of girls who failed to meet the recommendations were overweight. The researchers note that screen time and physical activity appeared to equally influence both genders’ risk for overweight, whereas physical activity more strongly influenced girls' risk for overweight than screen time. Noting that very few children met both benchmarks, lead author Kelly Laurson of Iowa State University suggests that caregivers may be able to reduce childhood obesity risk by limiting screen time and promoting physical activity ( UPI, 4/17/08; Journal of Pediatrics, 5/17/08). |
VERB: its what you do! Games and Exercise at
http://www.verbnow.com/
President’s Fitness Challenge— Can you do it?
http://www.presidentschallenge.org/
Body and Mind: Center for Disease Control for Kids
http://www.bam.gov/
Powerful Girls have Powerful Bones
http://www.cdc.gov/powerfulbones/
Brainteasers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences
http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/braint.htm
Wellness Policy Moves Forward; District Hosts Parent and Champions Trainings
The Wellness Policy is a recent law that requires all school districts that participate in the National School Lunch Program to adopt local school wellness policies addressing healthy eating and physical activity.
Saint Paul Public Schools recently teamed up with the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint venture between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation. The goal of the Healthy Schools Program is to create a nation where a healthy school environment is the norm not the exception. A series of Champions trainings were held in October, November and February. In addition, SPPS hosted a parent volunteer session focusing on healthy fundraisers and non-food rewards.
Ninety-four percent of district schools have attended at least one training session. One of the goals of the training is for schools to form a wellness committee. This is the first step schools can take to implement the Wellness Policy. A school wellness committee is a group of school staff, parents and community members working together to support and provide a healthy learning environment. Many schools already have wellness committees in place.
| 
