Departments: Health
Student Weight: Heavy Burden

Obesity in youth has doubled over the past 20 years--today, one in five children is overweight or obese. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher has declared youth obesity one of the top 10 U.S. health priorities. Robert Kaiser, on staff with the NEA Health Information Network and chief instructor at the Washington (D.C.) Karate Academy, Washington, surveys the state of weight in American kids.

What are the primary causes of overweight and obesity in youth?
We haven't identified all of the reasons for the current epidemic of overweight and obesity among our nation's youth. But research has shown today's children are exercising less, eating more calorie-filled foods, and sitting for longer periods either in front of the television or a computer screen.

According to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, 25 percent of U.S. children spend four hours or more watching television every day.

Shrinking school budgets have either reduced physical education classes or eliminated them all together. Newly built communities often lack sidewalks where children can walk or ride their bicycles.

Does being overweight affect a student's ability to learn?
Being overweight or obese may have a significant negative impact on a student's academic performance.

Children who are overweight or obese have more illnesses and tend to be less physically active than children who are at their appropriate weight. They tend to miss more days of school and then have to make up for lost class time.

The effects of obesity have the potential to snowball. Students who suffer more illness and have poorer health habits are more likely to drop out of school and maintain their unhealthy practices into adulthood. That, in turn, puts them at increased risk for diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, high blood pressure, and subsequently premature death.

In its statement on physical education, the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports states that "research supports our firm conviction that strong healthy bodies promote learning and enhance mental and emotional health, social development, self-esteem, and overall fitness in youth."

What role does self-esteem play in becoming overweight--and in returning to a properly proportional weight?
A healthy self-esteem and self-image are critical components in the willingness and effort a child puts into healthy behaviors.

We see children all the time with poor self-esteem who have become complacent and accepting of their own bad eating habits, their weight problems, and their lack of participation in physical activity. Poor self-esteem leads to other dangerous risk behaviors such as tobacco and alcohol use, unsafe sexual activity, and violence.

Won't many overweight kids just grow out of their weight problem?
No. According to the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, obese children and adolescents are more likely to go on to become obese adults.

If a physically active lifestyle and healthy eating habits are established in childhood, these patterns will often continue into adulthood. So it's important for children to develop healthy lifestyles at an early age and incorporate them into their daily lives as they become young adults.

How can educators help?
School-based programs can make a significant positive impact on the nutrition and physical activities of students nationwide.

The International Life Sciences Institute has developed an innovative yet simple classroom program called Take10!^(tm), that helps promote physical activity among elementary school children. This program is designed to help incorporate ten minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity into the school day.

School nurses and other health professionals within schools can help design and develop age appropriate physical activities and nutrition programs.

Food service directors are often constrained by very tight budgets, but they can work with nutrition experts and youth to develop healthier lunches that include more fruits and vegetables and that are lower in fat and sodium.

What works to prevent obesity in children and adolescents?
Adults who have a significant role in a child's life can encourage more physical activity and less television watching. Other tips that can be relayed:

• Walking every day for 20 to 30 minutes is very helpful for improving and maintaining good health.

• Stop eating before you're full and feeling "stuffed."

• Eat only half portions at restaurants that serve oversized portions.

• Exercise before eating, since this helps burn the already stored fat.

Resources:

• For more information on the International Life Sciences Institute classroom program Take10!^(tm), visit the Web at www.ilsi.org.
• Information at www.obesity.com provides commonsense advice on how to avoid fad diets, eat reasonably in restaurants that tend to pile it on, and how to get active. Articles include "Walking: Humanity's Oldest Exercise Helps Control Weight."
• For a copy of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports physical education statement and accompanying fact sheet, visit www.indiana.edu/~preschal/council.html.
  This comprehensive site also links to research reports on fitness and to the general report Toward a Better Understanding of Physical Fitness & Activity. The site also provides information on modifications that can be made in fitness qualifying requirements for students with physical disabilities.

Vocal Strain Can Take Unseen Toll on Teachers

If Susan Dalton had continued putting off a visit to the doctor, she could have permanently lost something she needs in her classroom everyday: her voice.

"Like any teacher, I was hesitant to take a day off work," says Susan Dalton, a seventh grade teacher at White House Middle School in White House, Tennessee.

In the spring of 1995, Dalton suffered from what she thought was chronic laryngitis. Many days, her voice became hoarse. On other days, she could not speak at all.

Dalton put off seeing a doctor. But after two months, when it finally became clear that the hoarseness was not going away, Dalton eventually visited Dr. Mark Courey of the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic in Nashville.

Courey discovered nodules developing on Dalton's vocal chords. After a year of voice therapy produced no improvement, Dalton had surgery to have the vocal nodules removed. Without the surgery, Dalton could have permanently lost her voice.

"I always had sore throats. I didn't think it was anything out of the ordinary," says Dalton.

Many teachers may suffer from the same condition as Dalton--and, like her, incorrectly believe that it's something less serious.

"Greater teacher awareness in the area of proper voice use is long overdue," says Courey, whose clients include country music artists. About 10 percent of his patients are teachers--a figure that belies the extent of the problem, Courey notes, since a high percentage of teachers complain about generic "voice problems."

"The classroom setting is very demanding," says Courey. A combination of the classroom environment and the teacher's behavior can lead to vocal strain.

To prevent damage to the vocal chords, Courey suggests paying attention to symptoms, which include neck pain and roughness in the voice.

Teachers should never get to the point where they are hoarse at the end of each day, says Courey. "If the hoarseness persists for more than two weeks, it should get checked," he adds.

Dalton, in her 12^th year of teaching, now uses more non-verbal cues in class and has reorganized her lessons to provide for less time speaking. When she does speak to the class, she uses a microphone and transmitter clipped to her lapel, and her lectures are broadcast through a nearby speaker. And Dalton continues her rehabilitation.

--Marc Pilotin

Quick Tip

By Joan Deguire North

On handling stress and improving the quality of work life:

• Watch for stress. You won't use any stress management strategies if you're not aware that stress is eating at you. Know your symptoms.
• If you're in a full-blown stress attack, first take several deep breaths and consciously relax all muscles. Think about something larger, like waves on a beach or a new nephew. These actions help distance you from the stressing situation. After that, you can engage in problem-solving or find friends who lull you back to yourself.
• A while back, I vowed to do one kindness a day at work before I would allow myself to go home at night. The effect was miraculous.

Joan Deguire North, dean of the College of Professional Studies and a professor of education at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, has taught courses in stress management.

From the NEA Health Information Network

• Cancer Survivors
  The NEA Health Information Network is looking for input on the formation of an NEA Cancer Survivors Caucus. If you're interested in providing feedback on what a Survivors Caucus could offer, please visit http://neahin.org/wwwboard/. Watch this page for future announcements about caucus initiatives.

• American Heart Month
  March is American Heart Month, a time to take special notice of coronary heart disease--America's No. 1 killer. Reduce your risk factors, know the warning signs, and know how to respond quickly if warning signs occur. For more information contact the American Heart Association at 800/ AHA-USA1 or visit www.americanheart.org.

• Adolescent Directory Online
  Indiana University Center for Adolescent Studies provides Adolescent Directory Online, a collection of electronic resources aimed at helping parents, educators, researchers, health practitioners, and teens. Visit http://www.educ.indiana.edu/cas/adol/adol.html.

• Kids Health Page
  Educators and parents can tap a colorful U.S. Food and Drug Administration Web site on health issues (www.fda.gov/ocopacom/kids/). Kids can take quizzes on food, drugs, medicine, and tobacco. They can read about FDA investigators, vaccines, and how to properly care for a pet. Eighteen teen health articles are provided, with topics including acne, menstruation and eating disorders.

• Health Groups
  The Society of State Direc-tors of Health, Physical Education and Recreation maintains a list of national organizations working in health education, physical education, and broader fields of health and education. Visit www.thesociety.org.