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Winter 2005 |
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H
e a l t h P r o m o t i o n
Active schools
initiative targets childhood obesity
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Submitted Photo |
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Celebration Participants in an
active schools program in central Newfoundland celebrate one year of
healthy living. |
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A central Newfoundland
program that promotes physical activity and good eating habits in the
school setting is expanding.
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By Dr. Carmel Casey |
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A central Newfoundland program that
promotes physical activity and good eating habits in the school
setting is expanding.
In a pilot project last year, five
primary/elementary schools in central Newfoundland volunteered to accept
the designation of Active School. Nearly 1,000 students and 70 teachers
took part in the pilot at William Mercer Academy in Dover, Smallwood
Academy in Gambo, Lewisporte Academy in Lewisporte, Greenwood Academy in
Campbellton, and Gill Memorial in Musgrave Harbour.
The pilot program was very well received
and plans are currently in place to implement Phase II this year, which
would see 12 more schools in the region become Active Schools. This
would add nearly 3,000 more students and 200 teachers.
The project is being undertaken due to the
alarming increase in the rates of childhood obesity and paediatric Type
2 diabetes in recent years. This trend threatens to shorten the lives of
this generation of children who will die prematurely due to the
complications of obesity including Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
An active school provides its students
with 180 minutes of physical activity in a six-day cycle as well as
adopts healthy nutrition practices. The students do 20 minutes of
physical activity in their classroom on their non-gym days. The activity
is led by regular classroom teachers who integrate the activity into the
curriculum.
The Nova Central School Board and the
Central Regional Integrated Health Authority, in partnership with the
Active Schools Committee, a multi-disciplinary, interagency group of
professionals, operate the active schools program.
Recently, all of the pilot project
participants gathered at the Gander Community Center for a celebration
of one year of healthy active living.
Children today are faced with many
challenges including sedentary lifestyle, an overabundance of high
caloric low nutritional value foods in super sized portions, and limited
opportunities for vigorous physical activity. There are numerous factors
contributing to this situation but one thing is clear if they are
going to survive this environment with any chance for good health and
longevity, then they must be taught the benefits of healthy active
living from an early age. One place where this can be done and done well
is in our school system.
We will continue to encourage the students
attending our Active Schools to live up to our logo Eat Well, Play
Hard, Be Strong.
Dr. Carmel Casey is a family physician in
Gander and is chairperson of the Active Schools Committee.
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