Childhood Obesity: A Plan to Change a Generation

Tuesday, 06 July 2010 11:47 Written by  Paris Puckett

With childhood obesity on the rise, our first lady, Michelle Obama has implemented Let’s Move!, a national campaign that will start implementing healthy eating habits in schools, homes and would include active exercises to children at an early age, the beginning of an ultimate goal that can change the lives of children and parents for years to come.

With countless studies reported and broken down to find its root, the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that one in every three children in the United States is obese or overweight, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC ) has estimated that childhood obesity has tripled within the past 30 years.  With this said, obesity in children has increased, alarmingly from 6.5 percent since 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008 in children between the ages of 6-11.

 

ap

These facts have given people like Lannette Wolford the courage and selflessness to stand up and follow suit with our First Lady’s quest for inspiration and extending the lives of our children.

 

Owner of Kid-Fit-Chicago, Wolford shared insight through a Q&A on her attempt to tackle childhood obesity in communities to instill a healthy, positive way of living through physical education classes, proper nutrition and education regarding the development of their bodies, geared specifically for preschoolers and parents, to learn how to lead and live a healthier life, so that this obesity epidemic can no longer be a troublesome issue.

 

Gloss Magazine Online: What is Kid-Fit?

 

Lannette Wolford: KID-FIT is a licensed curriculum that teaches children ages 2-5 the basics of healthy lifestyle habits. Through an age appropriate physical fitness class, KID-FIT teaches sports skills, gymnastics, dance, rhythm and creative movement while enhancing muscular strength, endurance, heart health and flexibility.  Children use fun equipment like scarves, bean bags, hoops and balls while learning about different parts of their bodies.

 

At the end of one year, children will have learned a clear set of goals for each body system. Plus, why it's important to exercise daily and eat healthy.  More importantly, KID-FIT kids associate exercise with fun - an exciting first step in helping children enjoy long and healthy lives while decreasing their risk for obesity, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.

 

GMO: How did you get started with Kid-Fit?

 

LW: I began looking for fitness programs that I could enroll my own daughter in and found that they just didn't exist or at the very least were too far away.  I am a group exercise instructor and at the time was a physical education student. I was reading an article in American Fitness Magazine published by KID-FIT creator Michele Silence and found KID-FIT to be just the thing I was looking for, as well as an exciting business opportunity. (I did not create KID-FIT, I am the Chicago-land licensee, and her website is http://kid-fit.com)

 

GMO:  What was your initial goal with being involved with Kid-Fit?

 

LW: My goal was then and is now to provide a safe, fun and non-discriminating environment where children can exercise, build relationships, gain nutritional information and learn strategies to live an overall healthy lifestyle. My dream is for every child to have access to fitness in an environment that inspires them to return.

 

GMO:  How important is health and physical education amongst children?

 

LW: It is extremely important; we need to plant the seed of positive lifestyle behaviors at an early age, so that children will benefit from a lifetime of health and wellness. When children develop sound movement skills early, they improve their self-esteem and are more likely to practice healthful activities as adults.  It is much easier to keep weight off than it is to lose it.

 

GMO: What do parents and their children take away from these classes?

 

LW: Well the parents are not typically present during a KID-FIT class because they are done in the school.  However, I have gotten reports from parents that their child loves to come to class on KID-FIT day.  Children have gone home and told their parents how greasy food will clog up their arteries and make it hard for their heart to work.  The children feel very proud of themselves that they are exercising, and I have heard comments from children like, "I can do it because I'm a big girl," and "I won't ever smoke because it will hurt my lungs." They make gradual improvements in gross and fine motor skills during every KID-FIT class.

 

GMO:  What are your thoughts towards childhood obesity?

 

LW: I feel that childhood obesity is an unnecessary epidemic that has plagued our nation! Our children have to eat; they don't have money to buy food and eat what we give them. Why do we choose to give them food that is detrimental to their health!? Our society has become so driven by convenience that our children have suffered.  Parents come home from a long day at work, are too tired to make dinner and don't want to be bothered with the kids. So they order take out and send the kids off to play with the latest video game or surf the Internet.

 

Neighborhoods are not as safe as they used to be, so kids don't play outside like they used to. Schools are jam packed in the mornings with cars because kids don't even walk to school anymore! Then our schools try to waiver out of PE classes because of budgeting issues, all of these things have contributed to childhood obesity.

 

GMO:  How have these classes changed the lives of children and or parents?

 

LW: KID-FIT has been taught all around the world and there have been reports about children revealing that they have been the victims of abuse after going through a unit about body parts. In this segment, we teach the children about "good touches" and "bad touches." One little girl in particular was able to tell about the bad touches she was getting from someone and the authorities were notified.  Several stories have been told about parents and grandparents quitting smoking after their child has learned about how bad smoking is for them and asked them to stop.

 

GMO:  What can we do as a community to educate people about the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle?

 

LW: We need to lead by example. It does no good to talk about the importance of a healthy lifestyle if we are not leading ourselves. I would like to see more family fitness days and health fairs. Community centers should start offering fitness programs that are geared toward children; we could offer nutrition clinics and recipe exchanges.  Most adults know that fitness and nutrition are important to their health and well-being; the problem occurs because it is often ignored until overweight has become an issue.  By focusing more on prevention, we will take that exciting and necessary first step in reducing what has become an enormous problem in our society.

With childhood obesity on the rise, our first lady, Michelle Obama has implemented Let’s Move!, a national campaign that will start implementing healthy eating habits in schools, homes and would include active exercises to children at an early age, the beginning of an ultimate goal that can change the lives of children and parents for years to come.

 

With countless studies reported and broken down to find its root, the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that one in every three children in the United States is obese or overweight, while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has estimated that childhood obesity has tripled within the past 30 years. With this said, obesity in children has increased, alarmingly from 6.5 percent since 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008 in children between the ages of 6-11.

 

These facts have given people like Lannette Wolford the courage and selflessness to stand up and follow suit with our First Lady’s quest for inspiration and extending the lives of our children.

 


Don't forget to visit the Glossy Blog!

Paris Puckett

Paris Puckett

Paris Puckett is a GMO Staff writer.

She can be contacted at Paris@glossmagazineonline.com

Latest from Paris Puckett