The Childhood Obesity Blame Game

So by now you’ve probably heard or read something about the latest report on obesity. No big surprise here: America is getting fatter. Over the past year, obesity rates increased in 16 states and did not go down in the remaining states.

Trust for America’s Health is the non-partisan, nonprofit organization who released the annual report. Its mission is to prevent disease and epidemics. Their annual obesity report card is aptly named “F as in Fat”, as it looks like that is where we’re headed. Just 20 years ago, no state had obesity rate above 15 percent, and now every state is above that.

Obesity is certainly a problem. A couple weeks ago, another study was released showing that Type 2 Diabetes is on the rise across the board. It makes sense to curtail the problem with our nation’s youth. After all, if we can get the next generation healthy and in shape, maybe we can slow the upward trends.

One suggestion being raised in school systems across the nation is to hold gym teachers accountable for overweight students. In Fairfax County, the school system already sends home a Body Mass Index (BMI) report card. And in the state of Virginia schools already test a student’s fitness. The five areas include aerobic endurance, abdominal strength, upper body strength, back strength and flexibility.    

But this new proposal would tie a teacher’s performance to how well a student’s fitness improves. Unless someone is highly motivated, it’s hard to get them to make physical changes. As a trainer, I can push someone to the max—essentially kicking their behind during workouts. But, if they don’t get results, it’s most likely due to what they are doing outside their sessions with me.

In the same vein, physical education teachers only see children a couple times a week in most school systems. Why should they be held responsible for a kid’s obesity problem, when that child spends dozens of hours away from gym class? It’s that time that most of the damage probably occurs with watching television, playing videogames or spending time on the computer. The parents are the ones who need to take more responsibility for their kids.

There needs to be more family oriented activities that involve doing physical things: going to a park, swimming, rollerblading, playing a game of catch or taking a hike. Instead, some parents are so worn out by work and life’s daily stress that they want to do nothing more then take up residence on the couch and self medicate with food. But, the kids are watching your every move and learning those bad habits. Even if you have the best of intentions, you have to lead by example; hopefully setting positive examples along the way.

Then there is the whole ethical debate about turning gym class into a focus on weight and physical performance. Kids tend to favor computers over kickball already. No one is going to want to attend P.E. if it’s a constant measurement of their bodies and where they compare to other children. That kind of environment is a breeding ground for self-esteem issues and eating disorders. And let’s face it, being an adult is hard enough.

There are so many societal pressures to look a certain way. If we gave our children a strong foundation of self confidence in their abilities and who they are as a person, maybe it wouldn’t affect them so much later on as adults. But, drawing attention to a child’s inability to keep up with classmates or that he/she weighs more than their friends is not the way to do it. 

Besides parents being more active, they can introduce healthier eating habits. Maybe stop going out to dinner so much and cook at home. Trade in potato chips for apple slices and drink more water, less soda.  If parents can’t tackle their child’s weight on their own, then it may be time to call in an expert, like a doctor or nutritionist. But, this problem falls out of the scope of a teacher.