Galway Advertiser 2004/2004_06_24/GA_2406_E1_018.pdf 

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18

Galway Advertiser

June 24 2004

NEWS

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FASHION

BEAUTY

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H E A LT H

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LIFE

MARY

O'CONNOR

Dangers facing Ireland's tellytubby children
"Irish kids losing battle with obesity" "Expert warns of dangers facing Ireland's tellytubby children" "Parents urged to tackle major threat to underfives health" the headlines scream. No one could have imagined years ago that childhood obesity would become such a major concern today. The latest research indicates that the percentage of overweight children has more than doubled in the last 20 years. One in seven boys is now obese at the age of four compared to one in 10 girls, according to a recent nationwide study of 18,000 four to 16-year-olds. It revealed that 29 per cent of four-year-old girls and 36 per cent of boys were overweight. These included those who were obese. The survey warns we have created an environment in which children are spending an inordinate amount of time in front of the television. Avery Faigenbaum - a top American paediatric health expert who spoke at a one-day workshop for teachers on youth fitness in Galway recently - agrees. Most children do not get enough exercise, he believes, and are spending too much time involved in sedentary activities. The professor, who lectures at the College of New Jersey, says this issue must be tackled. "Years ago we had less concern about physical activity programmes for children and teenagers because long walks to school, physical chores in the afternoon and regular participation in school-based physical education classes kept their bodies healthy and strong. "But today, computers and video games have decreased youngsters' need to move and there are fewer safe places for them to play. In the United States, children between the ages of two and 18 years spend an astounding four hours a day using electronic media (eg, watching television, playing video games or using a computer). Not only is watching television

Major health problems
"The bottom line is that a sedentary lifestyle during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of developing major health problems such as heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis later in life. Moreover, the negative health consequences associated with obesity and physical inactivity include the troubling appearance of type 2 "adult onset" diabetes among children and teenagers. "Physical inactivity among children and teenagers has become a major public health concern. At present, we spend billions of dollars a year on lifestyle-related diseases and the likelihood of a significant increase is both real and alarming. If we don't reverse this trend, this may be the first generation of children that has a shorter lifespan than their parents. Since most efforts to treat childhood obesity have failed, we need to focus on prevention." The issue must be addressed in the home and at school, he believes. "We need to create opportunities for boys and girls of all ages and abilities to be physically active and the time to act is now. Rather than focus entirely on fitness skills and sports performance, youth programmes should be directed towards life-long physical activities and having fun." We need to get away from the belief that to be beneficial exercise must be regimented or painful, he says. "We're sold the wrong message. We are talking about physical activity, any bodily movement such as dance, walking at lunchhour, playing soccer and not keeping the score. We need to get away from the concept of exercise that's

Child's play: James O'Toole of Sportsmed West having fun with whis daughter Jade Mannion O'Toole (3) and her cousin Ryan Mannion (5) . Photo:- Mike Shaughnessy

a sedentary behaviour, but 50 per cent of the commercials kids watch are for sugary snacks and junk food. In my view, television is nothing more than an `obesity machine'." He says it is hard to imagine an environment more effective than ours for producing childhood obesity. " In some schools, physical education is unfortunately viewed as an expendable part of the educational curriculum and there is a growing attitude that recess should be cut back or eliminated. Parents

are concerned about unsafe parks and we chauffeur our kids everywhere. We sell junk food in our schools [in the US] and some parents allow children to drink soda pop instead of low fat milk and fruit juice. And this is no longer an American problem. Recent data suggests that kids in Greece, Portugal, Israel, Denmark and Ireland are catching up." The US specialist warns there are links between childhood obesity and physical inactivity and numerous illnesses.

structured." While well-organised, quality sports have a role to play, they might not be the most suitable for unfit, overweight children, he feels. "Team sports such as rugby and soccer are difficult to carryover into adulthood and are not necessarily the best solution for decreasing the hypoactivity of overweight youth. We need to reintroduce daily physical education classes back into the school day and we need to offer before and after school physical activity programmes for boys and girls of all ages and abilities." Choosing a healthy diet is one of the keys to tackling this problem which is threatening children's health, he believes. "We need to eliminate junk food from the schools while offering healthy alternatives that look and taste good. Schools have a responsibility not just to provide education but to promote healthy lifestyles." Children are easily influenced by fast food chains' slick marketing, he says, examples of which include the McDonald's happy meals which provide toys. "These entice children to go there from a young age. The marketing of McDonald's is genius. I'm not an anti-McDonalds' guy but having a McDonald's every day for lunch and no physical activity that's a concern." Parents have a major role to play both in cultivating good eating habits in their children and encouraging physical activity. "Parents need to be good role models as they support healthy behaviours. The cost of inaction from parents, teachers, health care providers and the government is a price we cannot afford."

Balls, balloons and a bit of imagination
Local sports medicine practitioner James O' Toole, who organised a number of seminars on youth fitness in conjuntion with the Western Health Board and NUI Galway, fears the country's health care system will be put under enormous strain in 10 to 15 years time by the increasing numbers of unfit and overweight children. Mr O'Toole, a graduate of NUI Galway and Harvard, says this problem needs to be addressed both in the home and at school. "Children need to learn proper eating and exercise habits. There is too much emphasis generally on winning in sports for children too. Lots just want to have fun. They must be catered for as well." He set up the country's first early morning school activity programme at Scoil Bhride in Shantalla in association with school principal Frankie Keane and Matt O'Connell. This 12 week 40 minute initiative which kicked off in Easter was aimed at nine to 12year-olds and included a healthy breakfast. "We brought the children in at 8am and got them to play fun filled games based on Avery Faigenbaum's theories.The results were very encouraging with the teachers saying the children were much more attentive in class." He is calling for the introduction of mobile playcentres which would visit schools daily. "You would not need fancy equipment for these self contained units, just balls, balloons and a bit of imagination." He wants the Government to draw up a three to five year plan to tackle lack of activity and poor dietary habits among children. "The Minister for Health has set up a National Task Force on Obesity and is inviting submissions from the public before June 30. It is important that people make suggestions on ways to tackle this health issue."

Most children do not get enough excercise, says US paediatric health expert Avery Faigenbaum.