Child obesity, yet no recess??

[Liz]

Ok, here's one for you:

We've all heard the new studies about the rising child obesity problem in the US. well, if this is such a problem, why are the administrators of countless schools across the country taking away recess? A friend of mine has a mother who teaches first grade and she's told us that there's no running or yelling (which is understandable, but still) or anything potentially dangerous allowed at recess anymore. She's even heard of other school eliminating recess all together. WHY?

Kids are GOING to get hurt, scraped, and bruised. They're kids! When I was a kid, we'd all display our latest cuts or bruises like battle scars. The point is, if there's such a big problem with children becoming over weight, why take away one of the only times durring the day when kids can really let off some extra stream (good for teachers) and burn some extra weight (good for students)?

[novalok]

Child obesity, i think is caused by all the lazy baby boom parents and stupid campus administrators. Who either let their kids eat what ever they please, or for admin's they take away the only physical activity in which all kids participate because a child gets wounded. Kids will be kids, I say don't take out the "out" for their life problems. They may not notice it now but it could lead to problems in the future.

[leethal]

in my oppinion, people really just need to do this (take away any potential dangers to children) to protect themselves. What happens if your kid gets hurt in school? you sue the school. So, the school prevents kids from getting hurt by making them stand still. They do squat, they get fat.

When i was a kid, I rode my bike, fell down, and got hurt. On the dirt. on the tarmac, on rocks, pretty much everywhere. I had constant wounds in my elbows and knees from the falling down.

And i loved it.

[JediKaren]

Yeah, I really don't get schools.

As I was growing up, I noticed more and more recess activities were being banned. No dodge ball. No kick ball. No wall ball. No being too wild on the jungle gym. It's stupid. The one time I got hurt was when I was in kindergarten and some sixth grader knocked me down while playing basketball. My knee got really scrapped up, but hey, that's the only thing that happened to me. My parents weren't happy, but they weren't mad at the school. Kids get hurt all the time. Look around your home. How many ways can a kid get hurt there, yet parents don't shut the kid in their room and tell them not to move. Parents accept a certain amount of risk at their home, even when they aren't watching the kid ever second of the day. I mean, a lot of parents leave their kid at home alone for hours, yet don't try to sue someone when the kid gets hurt.

As for taking away recess, why don't you just tell the teachers to go home while you're at it. Teachers are humans and need breaks. Dealing with 15-25 children between the ages of 6 or 7 to 12, for nearly 7 hours (at least at my school, I know hours vary) is hard on anyone. No offense, but trying to deal with five newbies for two hours drives me up the wall. I really don't know how teachers do it, day after day. A lot of kids are turning out to be ADHD or just ADD and badly need those 30 minute breaks to race around, solve classroom disagreements, gossip when the teacher won't let them otherwise, and yell for a while. I had one teacher that would make us run around the school half way through the morning just to get rid of steam. She also joined us. If I was teaching that age group and was told my students couldn't have a bit of time to play, which is vital to the learning process, then I would quit, and find a district that didn't have such stupid ideas. If the administration is so desperate to raise the test scores, then they need to do a bit of teaching themselves and find out how children learn best.

I say that if parents are so stupid to blame the school, then the school should put a permission slip in the back to school packet, asking for permission that the kid can attend recess and be allowed to play certain games. Heck, maybe the school should have the parents vote on which games to allow. Maybe that will make the stupid mother who freaks out over a skinned knee think twice before suing.

[psycho]

admin said:

Yeah, I really don't get schools.

As I was growing up, I noticed more and more recess activities were being banned. No dodge ball. No kick ball. No wall ball. No being too wild on the jungle gym. It's stupid. The one time I got hurt was when I was in kindergarten and some sixth grader knocked me down while playing basketball. My knee got really scrapped up, but hey, that's the only thing that happened to me. My parents weren't happy, but they weren't mad at the school. Kids get hurt all the time. Look around your home. How many ways can a kid get hurt there, yet parents don't shut the kid in their room and tell them not to move. Parents accept a certain amount of risk at their home, even when they aren't watching the kid ever second of the day. I mean, a lot of parents leave their kid at home alone for hours, yet don't try to sue someone when the kid gets hurt.

As for taking away recess, why don't you just tell the teachers to go home while you're at it. Teachers are humans and need breaks. Dealing with 15-25 children between the ages of 6 or 7 to 12, for nearly 7 hours (at least at my school, I know hours vary) is hard on anyone. No offense, but trying to deal with five newbies for two hours drives me up the wall. I really don't know how teachers do it, day after day. A lot of kids are turning out to be ADHD or just ADD and badly need those 30 minute breaks to race around, solve classroom disagreements, gossip when the teacher won't let them otherwise, and yell for a while. I had one teacher that would make us run around the school half way through the morning just to get rid of steam. She also joined us. If I was teaching that age group and was told my students couldn't have a bit of time to play, which is vital to the learning process, then I would quit, and find a district that didn't have such stupid ideas. If the administration is so desperate to raise the test scores, then they need to do a bit of teaching themselves and find out how children learn best.

I say that if parents are so stupid to blame the school, then the school should put a permission slip in the back to school packet, asking for permission that the kid can attend recess and be allowed to play certain games. Heck, maybe the school should have the parents vote on which games to allow. Maybe that will make the stupid mother who freaks out over a skinned knee think twice before suing.

[shadow=red,left,300][glow=red,2,300]i agree with JK on this one.[/glow][/shadow]

[JediKaren]

"i agree with JK on this one."

Ok Psyco and everyone else, that's the response I don't want. Expand on that. Surely there are a few more thoughts or examples you have to add on. I don't want one liners like that. Come on, put more effort and thought or I'll have to start deleting comments like that.

[brandonslau]

Child obesity is the parent's fault most of the time.They constantly feed their kids fast food like Mc Donald's and Pizza Hut, whatever.Especially in the USA we are the fatest country in the world.Kids in this generation and time perioid we are in and before lower their metabs by eating non nutritonal foods and being un active.That is why I think child obesity is from. Also now we have no much technology kids stay in and play their PSP or game boy, on the internet instead of being outside or participating in sports.If you are a parent and you see your child is getting very fat and over weight you should know what to do then.Just they other day a mother at a elementary school was talking to her son and asked what did he want to eat he said mc donalds.she said no shes cooking you had mc donalds yesterday, he cried and jump(he was obese for a 1st grader) saying it over and over again finally she gave in.Parents should be more strict on diet.Im not saying everyone is like this but there are alot of them.

[neopsychic]

psycho said:

admin said:

Yeah, I really don't get schools.

As I was growing up, I noticed more and more recess activities were being banned. No dodge ball. No kick ball. No wall ball. No being too wild on the jungle gym. It's stupid. The one time I got hurt was when I was in kindergarten and some sixth grader knocked me down while playing basketball. My knee got really scrapped up, but hey, that's the only thing that happened to me. My parents weren't happy, but they weren't mad at the school. Kids get hurt all the time. Look around your home. How many ways can a kid get hurt there, yet parents don't shut the kid in their room and tell them not to move. Parents accept a certain amount of risk at their home, even when they aren't watching the kid ever second of the day. I mean, a lot of parents leave their kid at home alone for hours, yet don't try to sue someone when the kid gets hurt.

As for taking away recess, why don't you just tell the teachers to go home while you're at it. Teachers are humans and need breaks. Dealing with 15-25 children between the ages of 6 or 7 to 12, for nearly 7 hours (at least at my school, I know hours vary) is hard on anyone. No offense, but trying to deal with five newbies for two hours drives me up the wall. I really don't know how teachers do it, day after day. A lot of kids are turning out to be ADHD or just ADD and badly need those 30 minute breaks to race around, solve classroom disagreements, gossip when the teacher won't let them otherwise, and yell for a while. I had one teacher that would make us run around the school half way through the morning just to get rid of steam. She also joined us. If I was teaching that age group and was told my students couldn't have a bit of time to play, which is vital to the learning process, then I would quit, and find a district that didn't have such stupid ideas. If the administration is so desperate to raise the test scores, then they need to do a bit of teaching themselves and find out how children learn best.

I say that if parents are so stupid to blame the school, then the school should put a permission slip in the back to school packet, asking for permission that the kid can attend recess and be allowed to play certain games. Heck, maybe the school should have the parents vote on which games to allow. Maybe that will make the stupid mother who freaks out over a skinned knee think twice before suing.

[shadow=red,left,300][glow=red,2,300]i agree with JK on this one.[/glow][/shadow]

I also agree, I remember elementry school. Some days I had 2 recess, that really owned. Me and my friends ran around like hell just playing tag lol. But on the other hand people who feed their children pop will be garenteed problems. Some people lose weight just by working out and cutting pop out of their diet because its extra sugar and calories. Fast food is a killer, McDonalds has salads with just as much calories as whole day's worth of food. Eat out 5 times a week with lots of pop and your most likely going to get fat. Then again there are genetic predespositions. Im extremely light for my age 140 and in college. No matter how much I eat, I just can't gain weight, even if I do nothing for months on end.

[JediKaren]

Most people that I know eat a lot of junk food because they can't be bothered to cook themselves. They can be bothered to look at what they are buying or watch what they eat, how much, or when they eat. It's actually cheaper to buy and cook your own food. It may not seem like it when you see how much it adds up at the store, but a cost study over time will show you how much you can save. Also, don't buy brand name stuff. Get the store brand. It may not taste the best in all cases, but it's pretty good and a lot cheaper.

Don't eat so much and all the time. You can survive a bit of tummy pain or complaints. My father drives me nuts when I catch him all the time, especially during late at night eating chips, or sandwichs loaded with mayo. It's gross. At college, the caf gets the cheapest foods which is heavy in fat and try to feed us a lot of breads and little meat.

While I'm a tiny bit over what I should weigh, I try to keep it reasonable. Don't eat all the time. Don't eat huge meals. Stop if you're full. Don't keep food in your room. Keep a bottle of water in your room at all times. If you are like me and have the biggest sugar addiction, then get those water flavor stuff that has 5 calories and add that (though be warned. That stuff makes me have to go more often).

lol and I'm typing this while eating candy...oh well. I'm not the best, but I do know a few things.

[lovetanime]

...my quick veiw on things just putting it out there...

first the whole school thing umm even with recess a good majority of kids will just sit around and do nothing anyway... the only way for a kid to truly be healthy is to want to be healthy...and in order for a child to want to be healthy they must have a fun way to play... in finding a fun way to play a child finds happiness this should be a time that the parent bonds with there child ... the parent has to use there own mind to intice the child into being active... if the child does not find fun in being active they will find that activity is just work latter on in life... so that issue of obesity wont be affected much

as far as junk food goes there is a limit to how much this can be restricted, if a child feels they are not allowed to have this junk food they will feel rebellion against the parents feeling as if it is there obligation to have this food...they could even result to stealing and other forms of crimes... so one needs to find a middle path between these two sides

..me personally i have a refrigerator in my room though it is only filled with carrots, cellery, apples, pears, yogurt, and well you get the idea... by keeping this on hand im less likely to walk all the way to the kitchen and get say grr... i cant even think oh yeh slim jim or something lol

oh and as for going often i also keep a little bit of pomegrante tea on hand... if you feel a little umm ... sick drink some and even though youll have to go through 30 min of pure agony by the time your done youll feel amazing...gross i know

technically my doc says im a healthy weight for my body build ... lots of muscle makes me weigh alot but i want to lose a few pounds anyway

also a fun way to exercise is DDR lol

[pyrokinetic]

People need to watch what they eat, and have at least 6 hours of physical eactivity a week. I don't understand why schools are taking away recess. Just recently, my school made it optional to take gym. A good number of kids stopped taking gym, and I bet they have already felt the affects.

[JediKaren]

Wow. At my high school we only had to take gym for two years and I was so thankful for that. But I sort of make up for that because when my parents allowed me, I would go walking in the woods for as long as 3 hours at a time. College requires you to take a semester of some type of PE activity. Most people take two half semester courses. I'm taking swimming and thinking heavily of taking self defense: women only.

[Cronus]

At my school we have two breaks and a lesson dedicated to fitness and we are forced to join an extra murel for after scool.

[The Adfeng]

At my future high school, now we only have to take one year of PE. It's unbelievable. I'll probably take it for at least all 4 years, unless I have to take another class that's required. I see it as this: Extend the school day one hour, let that extra hour be a time of playing outside/inside in the gym. Am i right? I mean, the Administrators will think that that will be alot of extra money needed, but, it's worth it. I, personally, yes, Cu, would LOVE for that to be. And I think that everyone else would agree with me in my school.

[lovetanime]

jj said:

At my future high school, now we only have to take one year of PE. It's unbelievable. I'll probably take it for at least all 4 years, unless I have to take another class that's required. I see it as this: Extend the school day one hour, let that extra hour be a time of playing outside/inside in the gym. Am i right? I mean, the Administrators will think that that will be alot of extra money needed, but, it's worth it. I, personally, yes, Cu, would LOVE for that to be. And I think that everyone else would agree with me in my school.

in high school they probably believe that you are old enough that you shouldnt need to be told to exercise and do it on your own...by this age they should let you do as you wish for physical activity... i mean really there are thousands of things you could do... the schools feel that is your own responsiility of that age or atleast thats my opinion...i know alot of the most fit people in my school get annoyed when they have to take PE for 1 semester because they feel like its a total waste of time having a teacher schedule your own physical activity because its not the kind you need most for your body...when it includes games that really arent that big of a deal or anything... because your really not getting much out of it...ofcourse im just trying to m ake there argument present... oh and money wise... most people just sneak of during gym and smoke crack anyways... i mean really its impossible for a PE teacher to look after everyone

oh and i get my weekly physical activity in... through DDR just so everyone knows... usually about 5 miles a day worth of DDR... if that makes since

also schools probably only care about teaching you one thing... what you need for your future job... personally im not going to be taking any PE classes and to tell the truth i cant gosh i have soooo many classes i have to go through in order to grow up to be what i wanna be