![020 METRO 08.12 021METROMAG.COM
THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHTOBESITY ISNT THE ONLY NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECT OF CHILDRENS SEDENTARY
LIVES. IN FACT, IT MAY NOT EVEN BE THE MOST HARMFUL.
By David Doody
CHILDHOOD OBESITY
MORE >
mncnc.org
sajaifoundation.org
The generation of American kids currently under age 25 is
the first expected to have shorter lives than their parents.
Thats a step in the wrong direction if ever there was
one. This projection largely centers around the diets and
lifestyles of young people. In short: too many dinners from
drive-thrus and too many hours with backsides planted
firmly in comfy couchestablet, remote control or game
controller in hand.
The issue has caught the attention of the likes of First Lady
Michelle Obama, who has proclaimed herself First Mom
and has set her sights on conquering childhood obesity.
Celebrity chefs like Tom Colicchio and Maria Hines have
spoken out about the need to address the crisis. But what
is often lost in the discussion surrounding childrens need to
eat veggies and move around is the fact that humansand
possibly kids in particularare hardwired to do that moving
in green spaces.
[Kids are] not getting the outdoor time [older generations]
did, explains Dr. Catherine Jordan, director of the University
of Minnesota Extensions Children, Youth and Family
Consortium and former co-chair for the Minnesota Children
and Nature Connection (MN CNC). Theres, of course, a
huge obesity epidemic in our country with children, and
there is research that suggests that when kids spend time
in physical activity outdoors, they are actually doing more
strenuous physical activities [for longer periods of time]
than if they were physically active indoors.
The MN CNC is based on the national Children and Nature
Network, which was started by journalist Richard Louv on
the heels of his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, where
he coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the
trend he saw of young people spending less time in nature.
Many factors contribute to this deficit, including increased
entertainment options for children (were looking at you,
500,000 apps in iTunes), parents safety concerns and time
constraints, a greater number of structured activities for
kids and simply less green space in urban areas. Along with
contributing to weight issues in children, in the book Louv
claims NDD also leads to behavioral issues and cognitive
deficiencies.
[We] think time spent outdoors in nature contributes to
better attention and skill development around cognitive
development, and more social-emotional [aspects]
having to do with confidence, says Jordan. All of those
developmental outcomes eventually tie back to the
likelihood that kids will be successful in school and in life
We do think there are benefits to outdoor play that we
havent figured out how to replace with the kind of school
curriculum that we have been moving toward, which is
much more structured and test-oriented.
Its something many people just turn their heads to and say,
Its not my child, says Melissa Hanson, CEO and president
of the Sajai Foundation, a non-profit organization that works
with local communities to implement programs meant to
encourage children to spend more time outdoors and to eat
healthier (see next article). And yet, we look at this massive
group of kids coming into adulthood with so many issues far
earlier than [previous generations] It is everybodys issue,
and we all need to work together to be role models for kids
and to educate them on healthy choices. If we dont, the
issue [will become] this giant tsunami wave [of] escalating
health care costs and things we think wouldnt be related,
but very much are. As an example Hanson points to a
report from a group called Mission: Readiness titled Too
Fat to Fight that claims many potential military recruits
are too heavy to join the armed forces, therefore creating a
national security issue.
In comparison to the rest of the country, Minnesotas
kids are in relatively good shape, according to Hanson.
Whereas the national average sees around one-third of kids
considered overweight or obese, Minnesota boasts about
10 percent fewer children in those categories. The flip side
is theres still 23.1 percent of kids [who are overweight or
obese], Hanson says. So, I dont know if that [constitutes]
bragging rights or not[the epidemic] is here; it is very
prevalent.
Another issue almost always neglected when discussing
the effects of childrens sedentary lives is the negative
impact those lifestyles have on the environment. Not only
are children missing out on all the benefitscognitive and
physicalthat a connection to nature can offer, but they
are not developing the affiliation with the environment that
leads to stewardship.
If we have no experience with something, we cant come
to appreciate it, and were not likely to take care of it in the
future, explains Jordan. There is research [that shows] kids
with outdoor experiences that stick with them are better
stewards of the earth Its really hard to imagine kids who
have had no experience with nature understanding the need
to do this, because it hasnt made a major difference in
their lives.
Hanson, who was also a member of the group that founded
the MN CNC, agrees: It really does have a long-term impact
on the future of our environment, because if we arent
building stewards for the future, we wont have anyone who
cares about and actively engages in protecting our natural
states, places and resources.
As children become increasingly idle, more is at risk than
meets the eye. Sure, we see a quite literally ever-expanding
population, but what we dont seethe impediments to
learning, the disregard for naturemay be where the most
harm lies. So, how do we right the ship?
Obviously theres no simple answer, but Jordan likes to
appeal to peoples sense of nostalgia for results. If people
need research-based information to understand the
importance of this, there is a body of work behind it, she
says. [But] most people, I think, resonate with the more
nostalgic [approach]. Whenever I present on this [topic], my
very first question to get to know the audience is, Think
about a memory from childhood. And then: Raise your
hand if that memory was an outdoor memory. If its adults
over 30, the majority of the room will raise their hands.
If you explain to them that our children are less likely to
raise their hands to that question when they get older, it
sort of pulls at peoples heartstrings a little bit; they realize
how important those experiences were and what great
memories they [have]. They feel a sense of loss for the next
generation, who [wont] be able to say that. +
NEW HABITSTHE SAJAI FOUNDATION LOOKS TO GIVE
TEACHERS AND OTHERS WORKING WITH KIDS
THE TOOLS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING.
By David Doody
In 2002 Melissa Hanson went to healthy-living advocate
Barb King and told her, Barb, the next big thing thats
going to affect kids is childhood obesity. The problem
was already present, Hanson admits, but she saw it
bubbling to the surface in years to come. From that
conversation, King went on to start the S辰jai Foundation,
a non-profit that encourages healthy lifestyles through
eating right and playing and exercising more outdoors.
Though King died in 2008, Hanson, as the CEO and
president of the organization, carries on the work
started with that conversation.
Through its Wise Kids programs, S辰jai offers curricula
to organizations already working with kidsschools,
the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubsthat focus on nutrition
and activity. In Wise Kids and Wise Kids Two, students
explore the Energy Balance concept (Calories IN =
Calories OUT) to specifically address the childhood
obesity crisis, while Wise Kids Outdoors focuses more
on time spent outdoors and how the environment, like
the human body, must have balance. The latter also
addresses the issues of Nature Deficit Disorder (see
previous article).
We give tools to those already working with kids so
that they can become effective teachers and [offer]
engagement opportunities for kids to learn about
healthy living, Hanson says. We want to reach the
kids first and foremost, because we know, much like
seatbelts and recycling, systematic changes are going
to come by having those kids pull their parents and the
rest of us along, in terms of forming new habits.
On September 29 S辰jai is hosting its Amazing Walk!
at North Mississippi Regional Park, a 5K event with
challenge stations along the way meant to teach about
the organization and the outdoors though activities like
geocaching, parkour and rock-climbing.
Volunteers are needed for this event as well as others
in which S辰jai takes part, like the Twin Cities Marathon
and National Get Outdoors Day. For more information,
visit sajaifoundation.org. +
NOT ONLY ARE CHILDREN MISSING OUT ON ALL
THE BENEFITSCOGNITIVE AND PHYSICALTHAT A
CONNECTION TO NATURE CAN OFFER, BUT THEY
ARE NOT DEVELOPING THE AFFILIATION WITH THE
ENVIRONMENT THAT LEADS TO STEWARDSHIP.
OBESITY FACTS
OVERWEIGHT
ADOLESCENTS
WILL LIKELY
BECOME
OVERWEIGHT
ADULTS
OUTDOOR RECREATION
36%
OF 6-12
YEAR OLDS
PARTICIPATE
30%
OF13-17
YEAR OLDS
PARTICIPATE
1 IN 6
CHILDREN
AGES 2-19
IS OBESE
YOUNGER CHILDREN WHO DONT
GET ENOUGH SLEEP ARE MORE
LIKELY TO BECOME OVERWEIGHT.
SLEEP
STUDENTS WITH HIGH PARTICIPA-
TION IN SCHOOL-BASED PHYSI-
CAL ACTIVITIES WERE MORE
LIKELY TO EARN HIGHER GRADES.
23.1%
KIDS IN MN
ARE OBESE
OR
OVERWEIGHT
NATIONAL
AVERAGE = 33%
MORE THAN
8 IN 10
PRINCIPALS
REPORT THAT
RECESS HAS A
POSITIVE IMPACT
ON ACADEMIC
ACHIEVEMENT
LINEAR TIME TRENDS
PREDICT THAT BY 2030,
51%
OF AMERICANS WILL
BE OBESE.
40%DISTRICTS
HAVE ELIMINATED
(OR ARE WORKING TO ELIMINATE)
RECESS
OF SCHOOL
LIFE WITHOUT THE OUTDOORS
OF ANXIETY
DISORDERS
HIGHER RATE
44%](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/8d9a8bff-787e-4816-9c73-ef08db09a4bf-150805164519-lva1-app6892/85/nature-deficit-disorder-childhood-obesity_2-1-320.jpg)
![Written Analysis Final Project[1]](https://cdn.slidesharecdn.com/ss_thumbnails/WrittenAnalysisFinalProject1-12348099224-phpapp03-thumbnail.jpg?width=560&fit=bounds)
More Related Content
What's hot (18)
Similar to nature-deficit-disorder-childhood-obesity_2 (12)
nature-deficit-disorder-childhood-obesity_2
- 1. 020 METRO 08.12 021METROMAG.COM THE KIDS ARE NOT ALL RIGHTOBESITY ISNT THE ONLY NEGATIVE SIDE EFFECT OF CHILDRENS SEDENTARY LIVES. IN FACT, IT MAY NOT EVEN BE THE MOST HARMFUL. By David Doody CHILDHOOD OBESITY MORE > mncnc.org sajaifoundation.org The generation of American kids currently under age 25 is the first expected to have shorter lives than their parents. Thats a step in the wrong direction if ever there was one. This projection largely centers around the diets and lifestyles of young people. In short: too many dinners from drive-thrus and too many hours with backsides planted firmly in comfy couchestablet, remote control or game controller in hand. The issue has caught the attention of the likes of First Lady Michelle Obama, who has proclaimed herself First Mom and has set her sights on conquering childhood obesity. Celebrity chefs like Tom Colicchio and Maria Hines have spoken out about the need to address the crisis. But what is often lost in the discussion surrounding childrens need to eat veggies and move around is the fact that humansand possibly kids in particularare hardwired to do that moving in green spaces. [Kids are] not getting the outdoor time [older generations] did, explains Dr. Catherine Jordan, director of the University of Minnesota Extensions Children, Youth and Family Consortium and former co-chair for the Minnesota Children and Nature Connection (MN CNC). Theres, of course, a huge obesity epidemic in our country with children, and there is research that suggests that when kids spend time in physical activity outdoors, they are actually doing more strenuous physical activities [for longer periods of time] than if they were physically active indoors. The MN CNC is based on the national Children and Nature Network, which was started by journalist Richard Louv on the heels of his 2005 book Last Child in the Woods, where he coined the term Nature Deficit Disorder to describe the trend he saw of young people spending less time in nature. Many factors contribute to this deficit, including increased entertainment options for children (were looking at you, 500,000 apps in iTunes), parents safety concerns and time constraints, a greater number of structured activities for kids and simply less green space in urban areas. Along with contributing to weight issues in children, in the book Louv claims NDD also leads to behavioral issues and cognitive deficiencies. [We] think time spent outdoors in nature contributes to better attention and skill development around cognitive development, and more social-emotional [aspects] having to do with confidence, says Jordan. All of those developmental outcomes eventually tie back to the likelihood that kids will be successful in school and in life We do think there are benefits to outdoor play that we havent figured out how to replace with the kind of school curriculum that we have been moving toward, which is much more structured and test-oriented. Its something many people just turn their heads to and say, Its not my child, says Melissa Hanson, CEO and president of the Sajai Foundation, a non-profit organization that works with local communities to implement programs meant to encourage children to spend more time outdoors and to eat healthier (see next article). And yet, we look at this massive group of kids coming into adulthood with so many issues far earlier than [previous generations] It is everybodys issue, and we all need to work together to be role models for kids and to educate them on healthy choices. If we dont, the issue [will become] this giant tsunami wave [of] escalating health care costs and things we think wouldnt be related, but very much are. As an example Hanson points to a report from a group called Mission: Readiness titled Too Fat to Fight that claims many potential military recruits are too heavy to join the armed forces, therefore creating a national security issue. In comparison to the rest of the country, Minnesotas kids are in relatively good shape, according to Hanson. Whereas the national average sees around one-third of kids considered overweight or obese, Minnesota boasts about 10 percent fewer children in those categories. The flip side is theres still 23.1 percent of kids [who are overweight or obese], Hanson says. So, I dont know if that [constitutes] bragging rights or not[the epidemic] is here; it is very prevalent. Another issue almost always neglected when discussing the effects of childrens sedentary lives is the negative impact those lifestyles have on the environment. Not only are children missing out on all the benefitscognitive and physicalthat a connection to nature can offer, but they are not developing the affiliation with the environment that leads to stewardship. If we have no experience with something, we cant come to appreciate it, and were not likely to take care of it in the future, explains Jordan. There is research [that shows] kids with outdoor experiences that stick with them are better stewards of the earth Its really hard to imagine kids who have had no experience with nature understanding the need to do this, because it hasnt made a major difference in their lives. Hanson, who was also a member of the group that founded the MN CNC, agrees: It really does have a long-term impact on the future of our environment, because if we arent building stewards for the future, we wont have anyone who cares about and actively engages in protecting our natural states, places and resources. As children become increasingly idle, more is at risk than meets the eye. Sure, we see a quite literally ever-expanding population, but what we dont seethe impediments to learning, the disregard for naturemay be where the most harm lies. So, how do we right the ship? Obviously theres no simple answer, but Jordan likes to appeal to peoples sense of nostalgia for results. If people need research-based information to understand the importance of this, there is a body of work behind it, she says. [But] most people, I think, resonate with the more nostalgic [approach]. Whenever I present on this [topic], my very first question to get to know the audience is, Think about a memory from childhood. And then: Raise your hand if that memory was an outdoor memory. If its adults over 30, the majority of the room will raise their hands. If you explain to them that our children are less likely to raise their hands to that question when they get older, it sort of pulls at peoples heartstrings a little bit; they realize how important those experiences were and what great memories they [have]. They feel a sense of loss for the next generation, who [wont] be able to say that. + NEW HABITSTHE SAJAI FOUNDATION LOOKS TO GIVE TEACHERS AND OTHERS WORKING WITH KIDS THE TOOLS TO PROMOTE HEALTHY LIVING. By David Doody In 2002 Melissa Hanson went to healthy-living advocate Barb King and told her, Barb, the next big thing thats going to affect kids is childhood obesity. The problem was already present, Hanson admits, but she saw it bubbling to the surface in years to come. From that conversation, King went on to start the S辰jai Foundation, a non-profit that encourages healthy lifestyles through eating right and playing and exercising more outdoors. Though King died in 2008, Hanson, as the CEO and president of the organization, carries on the work started with that conversation. Through its Wise Kids programs, S辰jai offers curricula to organizations already working with kidsschools, the YMCA, Boys & Girls Clubsthat focus on nutrition and activity. In Wise Kids and Wise Kids Two, students explore the Energy Balance concept (Calories IN = Calories OUT) to specifically address the childhood obesity crisis, while Wise Kids Outdoors focuses more on time spent outdoors and how the environment, like the human body, must have balance. The latter also addresses the issues of Nature Deficit Disorder (see previous article). We give tools to those already working with kids so that they can become effective teachers and [offer] engagement opportunities for kids to learn about healthy living, Hanson says. We want to reach the kids first and foremost, because we know, much like seatbelts and recycling, systematic changes are going to come by having those kids pull their parents and the rest of us along, in terms of forming new habits. On September 29 S辰jai is hosting its Amazing Walk! at North Mississippi Regional Park, a 5K event with challenge stations along the way meant to teach about the organization and the outdoors though activities like geocaching, parkour and rock-climbing. Volunteers are needed for this event as well as others in which S辰jai takes part, like the Twin Cities Marathon and National Get Outdoors Day. For more information, visit sajaifoundation.org. + NOT ONLY ARE CHILDREN MISSING OUT ON ALL THE BENEFITSCOGNITIVE AND PHYSICALTHAT A CONNECTION TO NATURE CAN OFFER, BUT THEY ARE NOT DEVELOPING THE AFFILIATION WITH THE ENVIRONMENT THAT LEADS TO STEWARDSHIP. OBESITY FACTS OVERWEIGHT ADOLESCENTS WILL LIKELY BECOME OVERWEIGHT ADULTS OUTDOOR RECREATION 36% OF 6-12 YEAR OLDS PARTICIPATE 30% OF13-17 YEAR OLDS PARTICIPATE 1 IN 6 CHILDREN AGES 2-19 IS OBESE YOUNGER CHILDREN WHO DONT GET ENOUGH SLEEP ARE MORE LIKELY TO BECOME OVERWEIGHT. SLEEP STUDENTS WITH HIGH PARTICIPA- TION IN SCHOOL-BASED PHYSI- CAL ACTIVITIES WERE MORE LIKELY TO EARN HIGHER GRADES. 23.1% KIDS IN MN ARE OBESE OR OVERWEIGHT NATIONAL AVERAGE = 33% MORE THAN 8 IN 10 PRINCIPALS REPORT THAT RECESS HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT LINEAR TIME TRENDS PREDICT THAT BY 2030, 51% OF AMERICANS WILL BE OBESE. 40%DISTRICTS HAVE ELIMINATED (OR ARE WORKING TO ELIMINATE) RECESS OF SCHOOL LIFE WITHOUT THE OUTDOORS OF ANXIETY DISORDERS HIGHER RATE 44%