Obesity and Diabetes
Despite a federal government statement that kids are doing 30 minutes exercise at school EACH day, at my child's school, SPORT is an ENRICHMENT subject along with music.
Of course, music is important and people love it but sport or physical activity, is not an ENRICHMENT but a CORE subject to keep people fit, thinking effectively and being healthy. Kids are getting heavier and having symptoms that are previously only seen in much older sedentary office workers. As a computer programmer, I know about sedentary lifestyle. Moving your mouse finger really doesn't give you a good cardio workout.
As you go past 40, you can expect high blood pressure, overweight, diabetes etc as you decreas activity generally but why should our kids encounter the same thing? Surely, ever child should run and play at school to allow the maintain weight and general fitness. Young girls are especially concious of their body shape - is it right that they might be able to play the clarinet but are not basically fit.
Basic fitness has many benefits and is simple to administer. In my time at school, we did MUCH more activity. Is it because the sun is hotter or because insurance has made it hard for schools to have sporting events. Is the danger of being sued too great?
I have to pay to take my kids to little Athletics to keep them fit and I'm happy to do this. However, what of the kids who parents don't think this way or don't the financial capacity to provide this.
When the school announced there would be 30 minutes per day of physical activity as part of the Qld government program, I was ecstatic but this was short-lived. The "cop-out" was that the activity (supposed to be MODERATE according the the Education Queensland website) would be INCORPORATED into each lesson as "we have too little time to allow dedicated 30 minute session" because of all the other things we have to do. I wrote to the Principal and he said we seem to be doing all sorts of things outside the basic reading, writing, and arithmetic including internet security, bullying, health education, stranger danger etc.
Of course these things are important but ISN'T HEALTH our most basic thing??? Without health, how can we think effectively? Why do we think we are sophisticated when our kids can perform in musicals and yet our kids are getting more overweight and less healthy.
Why don't we mandate healthy food in the tuck shop? We still have lots of pies and fried food.
It is staggering we cannot see that our kids are heading towards a MUCH earlier encounter with obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Surely, as the population ages, we will have enough trouble just keeping our old people (myself included) treated in hospital let alone the enormous tsunami of health problems from our kids in the future.
Like climate change, we are incredibly stupid about many issues ...
Of course, music is important and people love it but sport or physical activity, is not an ENRICHMENT but a CORE subject to keep people fit, thinking effectively and being healthy. Kids are getting heavier and having symptoms that are previously only seen in much older sedentary office workers. As a computer programmer, I know about sedentary lifestyle. Moving your mouse finger really doesn't give you a good cardio workout.
As you go past 40, you can expect high blood pressure, overweight, diabetes etc as you decreas activity generally but why should our kids encounter the same thing? Surely, ever child should run and play at school to allow the maintain weight and general fitness. Young girls are especially concious of their body shape - is it right that they might be able to play the clarinet but are not basically fit.
Basic fitness has many benefits and is simple to administer. In my time at school, we did MUCH more activity. Is it because the sun is hotter or because insurance has made it hard for schools to have sporting events. Is the danger of being sued too great?
I have to pay to take my kids to little Athletics to keep them fit and I'm happy to do this. However, what of the kids who parents don't think this way or don't the financial capacity to provide this.
When the school announced there would be 30 minutes per day of physical activity as part of the Qld government program, I was ecstatic but this was short-lived. The "cop-out" was that the activity (supposed to be MODERATE according the the Education Queensland website) would be INCORPORATED into each lesson as "we have too little time to allow dedicated 30 minute session" because of all the other things we have to do. I wrote to the Principal and he said we seem to be doing all sorts of things outside the basic reading, writing, and arithmetic including internet security, bullying, health education, stranger danger etc.
Of course these things are important but ISN'T HEALTH our most basic thing??? Without health, how can we think effectively? Why do we think we are sophisticated when our kids can perform in musicals and yet our kids are getting more overweight and less healthy.
Why don't we mandate healthy food in the tuck shop? We still have lots of pies and fried food.
It is staggering we cannot see that our kids are heading towards a MUCH earlier encounter with obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Surely, as the population ages, we will have enough trouble just keeping our old people (myself included) treated in hospital let alone the enormous tsunami of health problems from our kids in the future.
Like climate change, we are incredibly stupid about many issues ...
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