2006_07 Research Covers.pmd

Transcription

SASKATCHEWAN ELOCUTION AND DEBATE ASSOCIATION
ASSOCIATION D'ÉLOCUTION ET DES DÉBATS DE LA SASKATCHEWAN
Quality Daily Physical Education
BIRT Saskatchewan Learning require all Saskatchewan students engage in
quality daily physical education.
Qu’il soit résolu que Le bureau de l’apprentissage de la Saskatchewan
oblige que tous les étudiants de la province ont une participation
quotidienne à des cours d’éducation physique de qualité.
Research prepared by SEDA Staff, Fall 2006
www.saskdebate.com
SEDA receives funding from
SEDA
SEDA PATRONS
The Saskatchewan Elocution and Debate
Association (SEDA) is a non-profit organization
that promotes speech and debate activities in
English and French. The Association is active
throughout the province from grade 5 through
grade 12, and at the University of Regina and the
University of Saskatchewan. The Association coordinates an annual program of speech and debate
tournaments and other special activities, including a
model legislature.
Honorary Patron - Hon. Dr. Gordon L. Barnhart,
Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Lotteries Trust Fund for
Sport, Culture, and Recreation
Saskatchewan Law Foundation
Celebrate Canada Committee for Saskatchewan
Luther College High School
Official Minority Language Office,
Department of Education
Mrs. Morris Shumiatcher
John Archer Family
Olivia Shumski
SEDA’s staff, along with printed and audio-visual
materials, are available to assist any individual or
group interested in elocution and debate.
Affiliations
SEDA is a registered charitable organization.
Charitable No. 11914 0077 RR0001.
Canadian Student Debating Federation
SaskCulture Inc.
For further information:
Saskatchewan Elocution
and Debate Association
1860 Lorne Street
Regina, Saskatchewan
S4P 2L7
Telephone: (306) 780-9243
Fax: (306) 781-6021
E-Mail: [email protected]
Web: www.saskdebate.com
SEDA receives funding from
Affirmative/Negative
Title: Should Physical Education in schools be compulsory?
Author: Alex Deane
Source: Debatabase
Date: Wednesday, September 17, 2003
Web site: http://www.idebate.org/debatabase/topic_details.php?topicID=229
In the UK, Physical Education (PE) is compulsory in state schools until the age of 16 – that is, that sports are
compulsory for as long as education is compulsory. Every year, more and more parents complain to their children’s
schools about PE; they believe that their children shouldn’t have to participate in physical activity if they don’t want
to. Proponents of PE, however, believe that it is a crucial element of all-round schooling – and our society’s wellbeing.
Pros
Participation in sport promotes health.
Government is, or should be, concerned with
the health of its citizens. Encouraging physical
activity in the young through compulsory PE
fights child obesity and contributes to forming
lifelong habits of exercise. This doesn’t have to
be through traditional team sports; increasingly
schools are able to offer exercise in the form of
swimming, gymnastics, dance, weight training,
use of a multigym, aerobics, etc.
Cons
Students should be allowed a choice. Lots of children
don’t want to do this. If their parents agree, why should
they be forced to (or forced to lie in producing a sick
note)? It is different from any other lesson - it is about
what one does with one’s body. In any case, it is a red
herring to say that PE makes any serious difference to
people’s health. There are plenty of more effective ways
of ensuring a healthy population than pushing children
round a freezing sports pitch once a week; not least
would be addressing the disgusting diets our young have
today, and encouraging walking or cycling to school
rather than total reliance on the car.
Physical Education is an important part of
holistic schooling. PE is an aspect of school
being about more than just book learning – it is
about educating the whole person, a holistic
education that betters us in an all-round sense,
rather than a merely academic experience.
Some aspects of physical education are vital for
future wellbeing, e.g. being able to swim,
learning to lift heavy weights safely.
Sport is a waste of school time and resources. One or two
PE lessons a week make very little difference to an
individual’s health – but a huge difference to a school’s
budget. It creates a whole extra department in schools,
wasting a great deal of money and time that could be
better spent on academic lessons. It also requires schools
buildings to be surrounded by a large amount of land for
playing fields, making it prohibitively expensive to build
new schools in urban areas. The quality of teaching is
low, as students are taught in huge classes. On the other
hand, the quality of teaching and of equipment goes up if
there are fewer (but keener) students taking the subject.
Frankly, given the average current pupil-teacher ration,
the subject is not merely without positive purpose – it
may be dangerous to students who are normally not
properly supervised.
Arguments about cost seem petty when
compared to this aim – and also misguided,
since PE departments would continue to exist to
serve those that chose to study PE voluntarily,
even if the subject were no longer to be
compulsory. Arguments about the size of
classes may well be correct, but these suggest
better funding for PE rather than abandonment
of the commitment to public health.
School sport is about discovering gifts. If not
driven by PE, many in society wouldn’t find
out that they had a talent for a sport, or even
that they enjoyed it. Once experienced, sport
can be enjoyed for life, while for some it will
provide the possibility of a college scholarship
and even a career.
Students can ‘discover’ these delights outside of school,
without ‘discovering’ the bullying that comes with PE
more than with any other lesson. They are more likely to
obtain specialist coaching at sports clubs.
Furthermore, for every child that ‘discovers a gift,’ there
are many that suffer. PE is unique, in that ‘failure’ in its
lessons involves physical humiliation. This is bad for
children and especially bad for adolescents, who have
3
Individuals are not humiliated in PE – if they
are, the schools concerned should be brought to
task just as they would be with regard to
humiliation of students in any subject. Rather,
as UNESCO says, the student should be helped
to fulfil a level of attainment in sport that
corresponds to his gifts.
more than enough body issues without this.
The quest for national sporting achievement
begins in schools. If we don’t have compulsory
PE, it is much harder to pick out athletes to
represent our country on a wider stage. Even
with a ‘sports academy’ model run along
Australian lines, it’s much easier to find
suitable individuals with a full sports program
in every school.
Schools aren’t supposed to be about fostering achievers
for the state – that smacks of Stalinism. Schools should
be tailored to the individual – if the individual student
doesn’t want to participate in sports, they shouldn’t have
to. If we allowed such national aims to be considered in
schools, would we consent to humiliation of those that
did badly in maths lessons, to encourage their
achievement in maths (and thus business skills?) Of
course not. But we allow that in PE.
State education is not just about aiding the
individual – it’s also about the state getting a
good return on its investment – in a welleducated populace to drive business and
entrepreneurialism etc. This applies equally in
sports, too.
Without school support, sports will collapse. If
full classes aren’t made up, then team activities
will end by sheer lack of numbers, no matter if
several very talented individuals are at the
school (or even potentially talented - they’ll
never know without the program). If voluntary
take-up of sport in schools is too low, then
schools will shut down PE programmes so that
there is no choice at all. Not everyone is
academic: why deprive those talented sports
students of their one chance to shine?
Forcing children that don’t want to play to make up teams
in order to allow others to shine smacks of rigid
education from a bygone era. In any case, in an
increasingly litigious age, a compulsory rather than
voluntary sports program is a liability. More and more
schools are avoiding the very team games (e.g. rugby,
soccer, hockey, football) the proposition discusses here,
due to the (realistic) fear of lawsuits.
Sport is different to, say Latin - it encompasses
life choices (most importantly, a concern for
physical fitness, but also working in a team etc)
that ought to be encouraged in all students.
Extra classes for interested students can take
place separately, and often do in the form of
fixtures with other schools, championships etc.
Sport shouldn’t be seen as an alternative to
academia, an either/or – it should be a part of
every student’s life in addition to their other
studies.
Successful sporting nations like Australia realise that
sports, like any other specialised subjects, are best taught
to selected groups that display both talent and interest in
the field – forcing all to compete holds back the able and
punishes the less able. The right way to go is to liberate
those that don’t want to participate, and allow those that
are extremely keen to go to academies that focus their
talents more efficiently than a regular school ever could.
Furthermore, our children are burdened enough in
schools already, especially at the older end of the system,
with multiple examinations. PE simply adds, needlessly,
to this hectic schedule.
If the opposition is correct about the heavy
workload involved in schools, then students are
that much more likely not to choose PE in an
environment where it is voluntary, and the
quality of our children’s health will be even
4
worse. Much better to keep being healthy
compulsory, and reform the pressures
elsewhere in the curriculum.
Sport helps to forge character. Playing team
sports builds character and encourages students
to work with others. It teaches children how to
win and lose with good grace and builds a
strong school spirit through competition with
other institutions. It is often the experience of
playing on a team together which builds the
strongest friendships at school, which endure
for years afterwards.
Many say the same benefits derive from the common
endurance of prison. In particular, injuries sustained
through school sport and the psychological trauma of
being bullied for sporting ineptitude can mark people for
years after they have left school. Teamwork can be better
developed through music, drama, community projects,
etc. without the need to encourage an ultra-competitive
ethos.
If not forced to exercise in youth, many will
never think to do it in adulthood. This is no idle
question: obesity in the UK is rising rapidly.
Individuals have no right to ‘choice’ about this:
they’re being compelled to attend school, to
take the lessons the state says they should take.
The state doesn’t just impose a curricular
compulsion, since physical attendance is forced
– so there’s nothing unique in principle about
enforced PE. Indeed, what can be more
important as an aim for our schools than to
encourage public health?
It is in recognition of that fact, that in 1978
UNESCO recognised PE as ‘as essential
element of lifelong education.’
If PE is made voluntary, it seems obvious that
many students – against their long term
interests, and the long term interests of society
– will choose not to. That will damage this
essential element of education, and damage
public health. It is true that the health of society
is not perfect even with compulsory PE – but
how much worse might it be without it?
We acknowledge the right of individuals (or their
parents) to control their own bodies – when they have an
operation, where they go, what they do. Why is this any
different?
This discussion should be held in the real world: students
actually aren’t compelled to attend PE classes, as ‘sick
notes’ are produced with alarming regularity by parents
complicit in their child’s wish to avoid this lesson. The
aim of ‘compulsory PE’ isn’t being fulfilled at present in
any case, and greater efforts to enforce it will only result
in more deceit, or children missing school for the entire
day – or, in the most extreme cases, being withdrawn
from state education by parents unwilling to allow their
children to be forced into something they don’t wish to
do. Instead, we should simply abandon the whole
exercise and allow PE to become voluntary. The
UNESCO charter stresses the right to PE, and was
addressed to nations that failed to provide it at all – it was
not meant to suggest that individuals should be compelled
to do it in nations that do.
Title: Results of the 2000 Physical Activity Monitor
Author:
Source: Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute
Date: 2000
Web site: http://www.cflri.ca/eng/provincial_data/pam2000/saskatchewan.php
Saskatchewan Physical activity profile
• As many as 69% of Saskatchewan residents are
insufficiently active for optimal health benefits.
• Physical inactivity declined significantly since the
early 1980s, going from 79% in 1981 to 69% in
2000.
• The most popular physical activities for adults over
18 are:
Walking for exercise
Gardening, yard work
Home exercise
Swimming
Social dancing
82%
77
53
48
45
5
Bicycling
Golf
Baseball, softball
Bowling
Weight training
Jogging, running
Skating
Exercise class, aerobics
Volleyball
Alpine skiing
Badminton
Ice hockey
In-line skating
Soccer
Basketball
o Awareness of guidelines—The 2000 Physical
Activity Monitor examined (1) adults' awareness of
physical activity guidelines for adults and (2) their
understanding of the messaging contained in these
guidelines. 40% of Saskatchewan adults are aware
of some guidelines for physical activity.
39
32
27
27
27
26
25
14
13
12
12
12
11
11
10
o Understanding of Guide messages—When asked
whether activity could be accumulated to meet the
guidelines, a key message in Canada's Physical
Activity Guide, Saskatchewan residents display a
mixed understanding about the requirement.
Specifically, 48% report that people need to do at
least 30 minutes of physical activity all at one
time, and 49% report, as per the Guide, that they
need to accumulate 30 minutes of physical activity
throughout the day.
What about children?
o Parents in Saskatchewan report that over half
(51%) of children and youth aged 5-17 are not
active enough for optimal growth and
development. For the purposes of this analysis, the
term "active enough" is equivalent to an energy
expenditure of at least eight kilocalories per
kilogram of body weight per day (KKD). For
example, a half hour of martial arts plus walking
for a total of at least one hour throughout the day
would be sufficient activity for a child.
o According to Saskatchewan parents, 84% of
children aged 5-17 do some physical activity at
home, 73% participate in physical education
classes at school, 49% participate in other physical
activities at school outside of physical education,
and 67% participate in physical activities
elsewhere.
o The most popular physical activities for children
aged 5 to 17 are:
Swings, slides, teeter-totters*
Bicycling
Walking
Swimming
Tobogganing, other winter activities
Skating
In-line skating
Running, jogging
Soccer
Baseball
o *This includes only 5-12 year-olds.
89%
87
85
79
73
60
56
50
42
39
Choices in commuting
o Active commuting among adults—In
Saskatchewan, 58% of adults report having walked
during the past year to work, school, for errands, or
as a means of getting around. Those who report
walking to commute did so for 136 days during the
past year and spent, on average, 109 minutes
walking on those days.
In addition, 22% of adults report having bicycled
during the past year to commute. On average, they
bicycled to commute 51 days out of the past year.
o Commuting for children: Active choices—
According to Saskatchewan parents, 28% of
children aged 5-17 use entirely active modes to
travel to and from school each day.
o Commuting for children: Inactive choices—48% of
children aged 5-17 rely solely on inactive modes of
transportation to travel to and from school.
o Commuting for children: Mixed choices—24% of
children aged 5-17 use a mixed mode, or
combination of active and inactive modes of
transportation, to travel to and from school.
Typically, this involves walking for part of the way
and being driven, or taking a bus or other public
transport, for the rest of the trip.
Physical activity programming in the school
environment
Knowledge of physical activity guidelines
6
o Physical education opportunities at school—31%
of Saskatchewan children aged 5-17 reportedly
receive physical education classes at school 1-2
days each week. A further 38% participate 3-4 days
a week, and 23% receive daily physical education.
Over half (62%) of Saskatchewan parents believe
that their children get enough physical activity
through physical education provided at school.
o Other physical activity programming at school—
72% of Saskatchewan parents report that their
children’s school offers physical activity programs
outside of physical education classes. A total of
44% believe that these types of programs meet
their children’s needs quite well or very well.
However, 39% state that their children’s needs are
met only somewhat well or not at all.
o Use of local physical activity facilities by
schools—85% of Saskatchewan parents indicate
that their children’s school makes use of local
community facilities for school physical activity
programming. This can include trips to local ski
hills, community swimming pools, arenas, and so
on.
Children's use of time after school
o Doing sedentary activities after school—
Saskatchewan parents report that 64% of children
usually do homework for part of the time between
the end of classes and dinner, and 79% also
reportedly engage in other sedentary activities,
such as reading, watching television, or playing
computer or video games. Accurate measures of
overall time spent in sedentary activities during this
time were not able to be derived because children
may sometimes do two or more sedentary activities
at once (such as doing homework and watching
television at the same time).
o Doing chores after school—Overall, 63% of
Saskatchewan children spend some time doing
chores between the time they finish school and
supper.
o Playing outdoors after school—81% of
Saskatchewan children reportedly play outdoors
between the time they finish school and the time
they eat dinner.
o Participating in organized activities after school—
35% of Saskatchewan children reportedly spend
time in organized activities, such as soccer practice
or swim classes, between the time they finish
school and the time they eat dinner.
o Participating in unorganized activities after
school—According to Saskatchewan parents, 76%
of children spend time in unorganized physical
activities, such as bicycling or walking, between
the time they finish school and the time they have
dinner.
Local opportunities to be active
o Public facilities and programs—The majority
(91%) of Saskatchewan parents report that public
facilities and programs are available locally for
their children to do physical activities. About 63%
of Saskatchewan parents believe that these public
facilities and programs meet their children’s
physical activity needs well or very well, while
26% report that they meet their needs somewhat
well. In addition, 35% of Saskatchewan parents
report that their children use these types of
facilities and programs often or very often, 34%
use them somewhat often, and 31% use them rarely
or not at all.
o Private facilities and programs—56% of
Saskatchewan parents indicate that local private
facilities and programs are available for their
children’s physical activity. Furthermore, 43%
believe that the local private facilities and
programs meet their children’s physical activity
needs well or very well, and 33% report that these
facilities do not meet their children’s needs very
well or at all. Half of Saskatchewan children (48%)
reportedly do not use private facilities and
programs very often or at all.
o Local parks and outdoor spaces—Local parks and
outdoor spaces in which children can do physical
activity are available to most Saskatchewan
residents (90%). Among Saskatchewan parents,
66% indicate that these types of facilities meet
their children’s needs either well or very well, a
further 23% report that they meet their needs
somewhat. In addition, 45% of Saskatchewan
children reportedly use parks and outdoor spaces
often or very often, 33% use them somewhat often,
and 22% do not use them very often or at all.
7
o Other local places for physical activity—79% of
Saskatchewan parents report that there are other
places, like school yards used after hours, available
locally for their children to do physical activity.
Moreover, 55% of all Saskatchewan parents
reporting availability believe that these facilities
meet their children’s needs well or very well, a
further 24% report that they meet these needs
somewhat well, and 21% report that they do not
meet these needs very well or at all. Finally, 30%
of Saskatchewan children reportedly use these
types of facilities often or very often, 31% use
them somewhat often, and 38% do not use them
very often or at all.
o Safety concerns about children’s physical
activity—A total of 23% of Saskatchewan parents
worry somewhat about their children’s safety when
they are playing outdoors in the local
neighbourhood, 23% worry a little, and 21% report
that they do not worry at all.
Parents in Saskatchewan are less likely than
Canadian parents overall to report that they worry a
great deal about their children’s safety when they
are playing outdoors.
Parental involvement in children's physical
activity
o Playing active games or sports with children—In
Saskatchewan, 40% of parents report playing
active games or sports with their children either
often or very often. A further 37% do this
sometimes, and 23% do this rarely or not at all.
o Transporting children to physical activities—The
majority of Saskatchewan parents (55%) take their
children often or very often to and from places
where they can be physically active. Moreover,
28% do this sometimes.
o Volunteering with physical activities—35% of
Saskatchewan parents report that they have
supervised recess or helped out at a physical
activity event at school during the past year. Also,
49% of parents indicate that they have volunteered
to help with their children’s physical activities
outside of school, including volunteering for a
sport or recreation group, serving on a committee,
helping at a special event or outing, or the like.
o Financial support of children’s physical activity—
As many as 69% of Saskatchewan parents report
that during the previous 12 months they have
contributed financially to their children’s physical
activities, including buying equipment, paying a
membership or fee, or paying for coaching or
instruction for their children’s physical activity.
Children's physical activity preferences
o Active or sedentary activities?—In Saskatchewan,
25% of parents report that their children prefer to
spend most of their time being physically active,
whereas fewer (18% in the West) state that their
children prefer mostly quiet activities, such as
watching television, reading, or playing computer
games. In addition, 57% of Saskatchewan parents
report that their children like to do both physically
active and sedentary activities equally.
o Organized or unorganized physical activities?—
Whereas 33% of Saskatchewan parents report that
when their children are active, they prefer
participating in unorganized physical activities,
such as riding a bike, skateboarding, or walking,
fewer (13% in the West) state that their children
prefer to engage in organized activities, such as
soccer, dance classes, or competitive basketball.
The remaining 53% of Saskatchewan parents say
that their children like organized and unorganized
physical activities equally.
Vigorous- or moderate-intensity activities?—In the
West, 26% of parents report that their children
prefer vigorous physical activities, which involve
considerable "running around," over moderate
activities, which are less strenuous. In
Saskatchewan, 29% of parents report a preference
on the part of their children for moderate over
vigorous activities. In addition, 46% of parents
indicate that their children favour vigorous- and
moderate-intensity activities equally.
8
Title: The Evidence Behind QDPE
Author:
Source: Child & Family Canada
Date:
Web site: http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/cahperd/00000418.htm
FACT 1
Daily physical activity improves children's skeletal
health, thereby also reducing the risk of the future
development of osteoporosis.
Evidence
• Eighty percent of back pain is attributed to a lack
of exercise and poor fitness levels. Chiropractic in
Canada, 1988
• Research shows that exercise may be more
important to bone growth than milk. Houston, 1983
• Physical activity in adolescence has an important
role in reducing the risk of osteoporosis later in life
by enhancing peak bone mass. Bailey & Martin,
1994
• Active adolescents have better skeletal health than
their less active peers. Sallis and Patrick, 1994
• Daily weight-bearing activities, of even brief
duration during adolescence, are critical for
enhancing bone development that affects skeletal
health throughout life. Sallis and Patrick, 1994
FACT 2
Recent research has indicated an increase in the
prevalence of childhood obesity which is linked to
a lack of physical activity. Both obesity and
inactivity are modifiable risk factors of
cardiovascular disease. Increasing participation in
regular physical activity will consequently reduce
the risk of this fatal disease.
Evidence
• In North America, 40% of five to eight year old
children can be classified as obese. Fishburne &
Harper-Tarr, 1992
• In the past 15 years the prevalence of obesity has
grown by more than 50% in Canadian children
aged six to 11 years, and by 40% in those aged 12
to 17. Forty to 90% of overweight youngsters
become obese adults who are at high risk of
developing heart disease and diabetes. A major
cause of obesity is sedentary lifestyles. Lechky,
1994
• Forty percent of Canadian children already have at
least one risk factor for heart disease-reduced
fitness due to an inactive lifestyle. Fishburne &
Harper-Tarr, 1992
• The primary health benefits from childhood
physical activity will most likely come in
preventing or delaying morbidity and mortality
from cardiovascular disease. Sallis & McKenzie,
1991
• Inactive adults are at least twice as likely to die of
cardiovascular disease as active adults. This
relative risk is approximately the same as the
relative risk of the other major cardiovascular
disease risk factors: cigarette smoking, high blood
pressure and high serum cholesterol. Berlin &
Colditz, 1990; Powell, Thompson, Caspersen &
Kendrick, 1987
• Several modifiable risk factors for coronary heart
disease begin early in childhood, such as obesity,
increased blood lipid, hypertension and lack of
exercise. In fact, coronary heart disease typically
develops slowly as risk factors increase and
combine. Leppo, 1993
• Obesity and overweight conditions (in children) are
associated with decreased levels of physical
activity and overweight conditions (in children) are
associated with decreased levels of physical
activity. Exercise is one of the few factors
correlated with long term body weight
maintenance. King & Tribble, 1991
Fact 3
Regular physical activity improves children's
mental health and contributes to their growth
and development.
Evidence
• Physical activity is consistently related to
improvements in self-esteem, self-concept,
depressive symptoms and anxiety/stress. Calfas &
Taylor, 1994
• Exercise plays a role in reducing anxiety,
depression and tension, and it has beneficial effects
on the emotional status of both young and old
persons. In children, physical training results in
increased self-esteem and perceived physical
competence which are necessary, interceding
variables that enable children to cope with mental
stress. DeMarco & Sidney, 1989
• Moderate physical activity, on a regular basis,
reduces the symptoms of mild or moderate
depression and anxiety neuroses by improving selfimage, social skills, mental health, perhaps
cognitive function and total well-being. Katz,
Adler, Mazzarella & Ince, 1985
FACT 4
9
Regular physical activity enhances academic
performance.
Evidence
• An individual enjoys improved concentration,
enhanced memory and learning, enhanced
creativity, better problem-solving ability and
improved mood state for up to two hours following
exercise. Taylor & Taylor, 1989
• Children's movement experiences are intimately
connected with their intellectual, emotional,
aesthetic, social, physical and motor development.
In other words, physical education is necessary to
ensure overall human development. Fishburne &
Haslam, 1992
• Improvements in discipline, academic performance
and self-concept are benefits associated with
regular physical activity. Fishburne & Boras, 1989
• Moderate to vigorous physical activity favourably
enhances skill performance in classroom functions
such as arithmetic, reading, memorization and
categorization. Keays, 1993
• Even when more time is devoted to physical
education, academic performance has been found
not to suffer. Maynard, Coonan, Worsley, Dwyer
& Baghurst, 1987
FACT 5
Habitual physical activity levels begin to decline
dramatically during adolescence.
Evidence
• Children's habitual physical activity levels are low
and more important, these levels decline
dramatically from childhood through adolescence.
Weiss, 1993; Rowland, 1990; Sallis, Buono, Roby,
Micale & Nelson, 1991
• When physical education is no longer required,
many children diminish their habitual activity. The
number of students opting to take physical
education classes also declines with particular
interest focused on the increasing trend of girls'
non-participation in physical activity. DeMarco &
Sidney, 1989
• During adolescence, time spent by both girls and
boys in physical activity declines, and the decline
continues into adulthood. Because of this
downward trend, even those adolescents currently
meeting the physical activity guidelines are at risk
for becoming sedentary adults. Sallis & Patrick,
1994
• Several studies from Europe suggest that habitual
activity levels decline dramatically from age six to
18. Freedson & Rowland, 1992
FACT 6
It is important to educate, encourage and motivate
children to participate in regular physical
activity because the habits they establish in
childhood carry over to adulthood.
Evidence
• One of the rationales for promoting physical
activity in youth is to enhance their future health by
increasing the probability that they will remain
active as adults. It is believed that adolescents who
develop a habit of participating in activities that
can be carried over into adulthood will be more
likely to remain active. Sallis & Patrick, 1994
• Regular physical activity must be encouraged for
the younger population so that they will develop
the habit of regular physical activity and carry it
into their adult years. Freedson, 1992
• Activity and fitness levels in childhood tend to
continue into adulthood, when sedentary habits
have their impact. Blair, 1992; Freedson & Roland,
1992
• It is generally accepted, but not presently proven,
that participation patterns, quality of physical
activity and perception of physical activity formed
during childhood will determine whether a habit of
daily activity will persist into adulthood. Weiss &
Petlichkoff, 1989
FACT 7
Participation in regular physical activity has a
positive impact on behaviour and healthy lifestyles
in youth.
Evidence
• Physical activity participation throughout the
school years has a strong positive association with
good outcomes and a negative association with
delinquent and criminal behaviour. Marsh, 1990
• Children and youth who are physically active
report lower levels of smoking and alcohol
consumption than their less active counterparts.
Campbell, 1988
• Among young people, high levels of fitness are
associated with a decline in smoking and drinking
behaviour, healthier eating habits and with
increased self-esteem. Guzman, 1992
• Programs involving physical activity for youth can
deter costly, negative social behaviour. In a pilot
project in remote northern Manitoba communities,
there was a 17% reduction in crime in communities
participating in the program as opposed to a more
than 10% increase in communities without the
program. Winther & Currie, 1987
• Recreation (including physical activity) can be a
way out of the monotonous and often destructive
life of non-work and non-school that is the
situation facing so many Aboriginal youth. It can
be an effective context in which to develop
physical, social and emotional skills and
confidence. Both Aboriginal leaders and members
10
of the professional community of educators and
criminologists have expressed the belief that the
lack of recreational activity in most Aboriginal
communities is linked to complaints of boredom,
episodes of drug and alcohol experimentation and
other forms of self-destructive behaviour.
Government of Canada, 1994
FACT 8
Physical education is not being perceived in the
school system as an essential and unique part of
a child's learning, which it truly represents.
Many authors support the need for quality,
daily physical education in the school
curriculum.
Evidence
• Only 847 out of more than 15,000 Canadian
schools have physical education programs formally
recognized by CAHPERD as QDPE programs.
CAHPERD a, 1995
• Evidence clearly indicates the link between body
and mind in learning and development, yet
educators are slow to respond to this research
evidence and continue to shy away from a
curriculum that emphasizes a balance in subject
areas. Fishburne & Harper-Tarr, 1992; Fishburne
& Haslam, 1992
• Physical and health education can be considered a
powerful immunizing agent against heart disease
and other lifestyle related diseases. The lack of
daily physical education in the school curriculum is
similar to public health authorities withholding or
sporadically applying an immunizing agent that
could act against a variety of degenerative diseases.
In the latter case, public outrage would be
widespread and justifiable. So should it be for the
former case. Pipe, 1992
• The large number of children who can be reached
through the schools and the importance of the
development of early patterns for diet and exercise
make a compelling case for schools as a major
focal point for reaching the national objectives for
health promotion and disease prevention. SimonsMcKenzie, 1991; McGinnis, Kanner & DeGraw,
1991
• School physical education programs provide the
only major setting in which virtually all children
can be taught the health-related physical activities
necessary for lifetime physical fitness, as well as
the skills necessary to enjoy sport-related physical
activities into adulthood. Sallis & McKenzie, 1991;
McGinnis, Kanner & DeGraw, 1991
• Because school physical education is the logical
setting for promoting sport-related and healthrelated physical activities, it remains imperative
that curriculum developers, department heads and
physical education teachers address the issues of
children and youth fitness as they plan, develop
and implement curricula. Quinn & Stand, 1993
• All adolescents should be physically active daily,
or nearly every day, as part of play, games, sports,
work, transportation, recreation, physical
education, or planned exercise, in the context of
family, school and community activities. Sallis &
Patrick, 1994
FACT 9
There has been a significant decline of qualified
physical education specialists and consultants
nation-wide.
Evidence
• Between 1982 and 1994, physical education
consultant positions in British Columbia were
reduced from 33 to 12. CAHPERD d, 1994
• Consultant positions are often renewed for only a
one to two year term rather than being permanent
positions. This results in a lack of continuity.
CAHPERD d, 1994
• Less than half of all physical education teachers
have a degree in physical education or the
equivalent. Cross-Canada Survey on
Mainstreaming Students with Physical Disabilities,
1986
• Nineteen percent of physical education teachers
have taken no physical education courses
whatsoever. Cross-Canada Survey on
Mainstreaming Students with Physical Disabilities,
1986
FACT 10
Considerable inconsistencies and inequities exist
in physical education programs across the
country: QDPE programs could help eliminate
these unfortunate situations.
Evidence
• Girls prefer fitness and aerobic activities and skill
training, but these activities usually are not
available to them on a year-round basis; schools
often lack adequate athletic facilities for both
genders, with girls receiving less than equal
treatment in allocation of facilities; more sport
programs are available in schools for boys than
girls; boys' activities generally receive more
funding than girls' activities; and a lack of coaches
exist for intramural sports, as well as an
insufficient number of female coaches and role
models. DeMarco & Sidney, 1989
• The time recommended for physical education by
provincial ministries of education varies greatly
throughout the country:
- No fixed time requirement in Nova Scotia;
- 150 minutes per week in Saskatchewan and
Manitoba;
11
- 10% of curriculum time in British Columbia;
- Various school boards only offer a single physical
education class each week!
CAHPERD b, 1994
• The evaluation process for physical education
discourages many students from including this
subject in their timetables; it is easier to achieve a
90% average in high school math than a 70% in
physical education. CAHPERD b, 1994
• More than 20% of mainstreamed students with
physical disabilities are attending academic classes
or other activities in place of physical education.
Cross-Canada Survey on Mainstreaming Students
with Physical Disabilities, 1986
• The QDPE concept stresses daily physical
education for ALL Canadian youth. CAHPERD a,
1994
• QDPE promotes a minimum time allotment of 150
minutes per week throughout all provinces.
CAHPERD b, 1994
• QDPE programs promote equal opportunities for
learning and participation. CAHPERD a, 1994
FACT 11
An increase of youth participation in physical
activity will provide significant reductions in
health care costs by decreasing their future risk
related to a variety of diseases.
Evidence
• Young women who increase their level of physical
activity and calcium intake by a modest amount
can reduce the risk of osteoporosis at age 70 by
almost one third. The resulting reduction in hip
fractures due to osteoporosis through increased
physical activity and calcium supplementation
could result in substantial savings. Osteoporosis
Society of Canada, 1992
• Physical activity can reduce the risk of developing
colon cancer by 50%. Lee, Paffenbarger & Hsieh,
1991
• Primarily because of the prevalence of inactive
lifestyles, it appears more lives could be saved by
changing physical activity habits of the population
than by changing any other major cardiovascular
disease risk factor. Sallis & McKenzie, 1991
• Physical activity performed regularly can reduce
the relative risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes
by 50%. Manson, J.E., Natham & Krolewski, 1992
• Regular physical activity, when properly
undertaken, can be effective in preventing and
limiting the disabling effects of heart disease and
stroke. Kuntzleman, Reiff, 1992; Heart and Stroke
Foundation of Canada, 1993 References
See the web site for complete citation of
References
Title: Battling the Bulge: Despite dieting and exercise, Canadians are growing more obese
Author: David Staples
Source: Calgary Herald [Final Edition], page OS.01.F
Date: November 29, 2003
Web site: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=478516531
On a typical North American
city street in front of a typically
large and modern health club, a
woman stood, fresh from her
workout, and started to loudly
berate herself.
"You just have got to stop
eating! You have got to stop
eating!"
The woman's self-flagellation
was personal, but the sentiment
she expressed summed up
something larger and tragic
about this particular age. Not
only do we have an obesity
epidemic in Canada, but we're
desperate for answers: How did
we get to be so overweight?
How can we lose pounds? Have
we always felt this way about
obesity?
The Canadian Institute of Health
Research reports that almost half
of Canadians are overweight,
meaning their Body Mass Index,
a ratio of weight to height, is
greater than 25 but less than 30.
(A six-foot-tall man, for
example, is defined as
overweight at roughly 190
pounds and underweight at 150.)
The overweight are more prone
to such afflictions as diabetes,
heart disease, high-blood
pressure, osteoarthritis, sleep
apnea, asthma, cancer and
complications with pregnancy.
In greatest danger, however, are
the obese, those who have a
BMI of more than 30 (for
example, a six-foot-tall man
who weighs just over 220
pounds).
In 1985, just 5.6 per cent of
Canadians were obese. By 1998,
that number was 14.8 per cent.
12
The obese are far more likely to
die prematurely than someone of
normal weight (a BMI rating of
20-25).
Things are even worse in the
United States, where 60 per cent
of people are overweight and
about half of that number obese.
By contrast, in the late 1970s,
only 32 per cent of Americans
were overweight, just 15 per
cent obese.
Yet while obesity rates
skyrocket, North Americans are
at a loss about what to do about
it, says history professor Peter
Stearns of George Mason
University in Virginia, author of
Fat History: Bodies and Beauty
in the Modern West.
"We don't know what to identify
as the leading problem," Stearns
says.
In Canada, people are bettereducated and more dietconscious than ever before, yet
Canadians are getting fatter,
says Dr. David Lau, a professor
of medicine, biochemistry and
molecular biology at the
University of Calgary and
president of the non-profit group
Obesity Canada.
"I think the public is confused.
The messages out there are often
conflicting. They have to sift
through a lot of information to
find the real facts."
Experts don't agree on much
when it comes to obesity,
debating each other on
everything from the validity of
various statistics to the causes of
weight gain.
We overeat because we're selfindulgent gluttons, some say.
No, we overeat because we're
victims, mistreated as children
and searching for solace. We're
fat because big business cleverly
markets addictive food, others
say. No, we're fat because we
love a bargain and we're keen to
gobble up large portions of lowcost food.
With so little agreement,
perhaps it's best to start an
inquiry into the causes of
obesity by looking back into
human history. The first
surprising thing you'll find is
that when compared to the many
famished centuries of human
existence, our recent success at
packing on weight can actually
be considered a tremendous,
unprecedented success. No other
society has ever been so adept at
producing high- calorie food. No
longer do fears of starvation and
malnutrition haunt our tables.
No longer are we stunted,
scrawny and weak.
The Body Mass Index has been
rising for the past 100 years,
Todd Buchholz, an expert on
global economic trends and an
ex-White House economic
adviser, points out in his study
of the North American fast food
industry, Burgers, Fries and
Lawyers.
From the 1890s to the 1960s, the
average American male went up
in weight by 16 pounds, from a
BMI of 23.6 to 26 (no accurate
Canadian BMI, food
consumption or exercise
statistics exist for this period).
Through the 20th century, food
became much more affordable.
In 1929, families spent 24 per
cent of their incomes on food. In
1961, it was 17 per cent. By
2001, it was 10 per cent.
"The rise of the BMI from the
19th century to about 1960
should be counted as one of the
great social and medical
victories of modern times,"
Buchholz says.
No ancient philosopher or
doctor or politician ever spent
much time expounding on why
people were obese. "It was not a
major part of human history,"
says Dr. Barry Popkin of the
University of North Carolina, a
leading researcher on obesity
issues.
Even the rich and powerful used
to be malnourished.
The mummies housed in Cairo's
Egyptian Museum reveal King
Rameses II was about five foot
two, stunted compared with
modern nutrition and health
standards, says Louis Grivetti, a
nutritional geographer from the
University of California, Davis.
And for all the talk of Roman
nobles eating until they vomited
at their lavish feasts, most
Romans were thin. They ate a
bland, cereal- based diet. The
armour collection in the Tower
of London reveals medieval
knights were not towering, as in
Hollywood epics, but were
stunted because of poor diet and
dismal sanitation.
Weight gain is so important to
humans that it's wired into our
genes, says Yvon Chagnon of
the University of Laval, a
leading researcher into genetics
and obesity.
In order to survive times of
famine, the human species
selected bodies adept at gaining
and maintaining weight,
Chagnon says.
"Those who are more prone to
store fat, to store enough energy
reserves, are favoured to survive
and to reproduce."
As for the causes of obesity, the
list is long:
Gluttony
13
The first objections to
overeating had little to do with
health, but focused on the belief
that gluttony led to moral decay.
The Greeks attacked the
Persians for their opulent
feasting. The Romans did the
same to the Etruscans and,
centuries later, the Christians
accused the Romans of impure
eating habits.
Moralists in Rome had long
feared that the people would
lose their moral fibre by
becoming dediti ventri, slaves to
their own stomachs. At different
times, sumptuary laws were
passed in Rome to enforce
moderation at feasts, limiting the
cost, the number of guests, and
the variety of dishes served.
Diet
The great French gourmet
Brillat-Savarin was the first to
write about food in a modern
way, using concepts and terms
about diet and dieting that would
be familiar to 21st century
readers. "It is plain that we eat
too much," he wrote in 1825.
"Enormous masses of food stuff
and potables are absorbed every
day without need."
Particular foods were identified
and demonized by BrillatSavarin. He singled out "starchy
and farinaceous (floury)
elements" as being the cause of
"fatty corpulence." As proof, the
Frenchman suggested meat
eaters in the wild, such as
jackals, wolves and birds of
prey, never got fat.
Brillat-Savarin recommended a
diet of vegetable soup, seltzer
water, radishes, artichokes,
asparagus, celery and the crusts
of bread. Have fruit for dessert,
he said, not sugary dishes, and
added: "Shun beer as if it were
the plague."
North America's wealthiest
people had proudly eaten a highfat diet through the 1960s, but
educated people started to turn
away from this kind of meal in
the 1970s. Low-fat became the
rage in the 1980s, and the
consumption of fat dropped. But
people still kept packing on
pounds.
The main problem was that
calorie consumption also went
up during the 1980s and 1990s,
says nutritional expert Dr. Lisa
Young of New York University.
A low carb diet was first
suggested by Canadian diabetes
researcher Frederick Banting
(1891-1941) in the 1930s. Low
carb rose to prominence again in
recent times through the popular
Atkins diet.
"Diet trends change with time,"
says researcher Dr. Barbara
Rolls of Pennsylvania State
University.
"People want magic, and they
keep focusing on weird changes
in their habitual nutrient
composition, or mixing different
kinds of foods, or eliminating all
kinds of foods, and, in the end,
none of that works. Restrictions
only serve to make you want the
food more. Can you imagine a
life without pasta and rice and
potatoes and bread?"
But some leading researchers
insist diet is key. Dr. Neil
Barnard of George Washington
University, president of the
Physicians Committee for
Responsible Medicine, points
out that in modern-day Japan,
people aren't much more active
than in North America, but
obesity is all but unknown. Just
two per cent of Japanese are
obese, just 15 per cent
overweight.
The reason? The plant-based
Japanese diet of rice, noodles
and vegetables is high in carbs,
but low in fat. "There is nobody
in Japan doing the Atkins diet,"
Barnard says. "They're eating a
plant- based diet and getting
regular exercise and they are
skinny, end of story."
The North American diet of
meat and dairy products is a
recipe for obesity, says Barnard,
especially as we've come to
consume more food. In the
1970s, people ate 15 pounds of
cheese, which is often 70 per
cent fat. Now it's up to 30
pounds a year, as fast-food
joints push concoctions like
extra cheese on pizza or the
Cheddar Lover's Bacon
Cheeseburger.
People are now eating more
calories than they did in the
1970s. Intakes increased from an
average of 1,876 calories a day
in 1978 to 2,043 calories in
1995.
We burn off about 70 per cent of
our calories through the normal
functioning of our body and the
remaining 30 per cent through
activity. To put on 10 pounds in
a year, Dr. Lau says, we'd have
to consume only 100 calories
more a day than we burn -about one can of pop or 15
minutes less of brisk exercise.
Activity
Most people understand the
simple equation of weight loss:
To lose pounds, you must burn
more calories than you eat. Yet
while it sounds simple enough,
there's an army of North
Americans straining and failing
to shed pounds. At least 95 per
cent of people who go on diets
end up at the same weight or
higher within two years of the
start of their diet.
14
About half of the obesity experts
believe that a lack of exercise is
the cause of the high failure rate.
burning 10 calories a day, which
adds up to a few extra pounds of
weight per year, Popkin says.
As early as 1825, Brillat-Savarin
wrote that too little exercise and
too much sleep led to obesity.
Along with cutting down on
certain foods, he argued the
obese needed to walk more,
even if it tired them out, made
them sweaty and bored them to
tears. If an obese person refused
to change, he argued, they
should be shocked out of their
complacency, by being told,
"Very well then: eat! Get fat!
Become ugly, and thick, and
asthmatic, and finally die in
your own melted grease."
The more our cities sprawl and
the more we rely on cars, the
fatter we get, a University of
British Columbia study has
found. People who live in
sprawling neighbourhoods
weighed six pounds more than
those who live in North
America's most compact innercity neighbourhoods, where
people can walk to do their
errands.
In the 19th century, North
American farm and factory
workers used to wolf down
3,800 to 4,800 calories a day,
Grivetti says, but they could
burn off those calories with hard
work.
In 1910, 68 per cent of people
were employed in physically
strenuous jobs. Today, only 42
per cent of employees are active
at work, leading many obesity
researchers to say that before,
we got paid to exercise, but now
we must pay to exercise.
The Canadian Fitness and
Lifestyle Research Institute has
found that the health of twothirds of Canadians is at serious
risk due to dangerously inactive
lifestyles. Only 10 per cent of
Canada's 15,800 schools have
quality physical education
programs daily, says the
Canadian Physiotherapy
Association.
Numerous studies have noted
we watch far more TV, drive
around in cars more and employ
many labour-saving devices. For
every such gadget we use -from the garage-door opener to
the dishwasher -- we stop
But Barnard argues that exercise
is overrated as a cause of
obesity. Even if you run full-out
for a mile, you only burn 100
calories, he says. A person who
runs eight kilometres a day can
easily gain all that weight back
and more in a few minutes by
chowing down on a burger, pop
and fries.
Psychological
When no diet and no amount of
lecturing and moralizing stopped
rampant obesity, people turned
to psychology to find clues.
Psychologists came up with
many theories. No longer did
people overeat because they
were sinning gluttons, or
because they had a poor diet and
little exercise. Instead, Francine
Prose writes, people were
thought to overeat because they
were victims themselves,
harmed by some past event.
"What's generally agreed upon
now (at least in the popular
imagination) is that compulsive
eaters, the modern-day gluttons,
have some outstanding 'issues'
involving low self-esteem or
past abuse, some bottomless
void they are trying to fill by
binging on massive infusions of
unhealthy, fattening food."
Genetics
That certain physical types of
people are prone to putting on
weight was noted by the
perceptive Brillat-Savarin, who
wrote: "Out of 100 fat people,
90 have short faces, round eyes
and snub noses. . . . When a gay,
rose-cheeked girl appears in a
drawing room with a roguish
nose, delightful curves, plump
tiny hands and feet, everyone is
completely charmed by her,
while I, taught by experience,
see her as she will be in another
10 years. I see the ravages which
fatness will have wreaked on
this appealing freshness."
In the 1990s, the genetic causes
of obesity came to the forefront.
If humans were biologically
selected to pack on fat in order
to survive famines, it certainly
seemed possible to researchers
that some humans would have
more fat-packing potential than
others. A series of studies
proved this notion.
Many experts believe that while
genetics can explain why certain
people get fat, it doesn't explain
why we're all getting so heavy.
Barnard says that if one identical
twin lives in North America and
the other lives in Japan and eats
a plant-based diet, the Japaneseraised twin will be thinner.
Super-sizing
There has been a dramatic
increase in portion sizes, Young
says, both at home and at
restaurants. Indeed, the supersizing of foods can be blamed
almost completely for the rapid
increase in obesity in the 1980s
and 1990s, Young says.
"It is absolutely due to portion
sizes. It's amazing how much
portion sizes have changed over
time."
15
A brownie recipe in the 1970s
era Joy of Cooking called for 30
brownies to be made. Today,
using the same amount of
ingredients, that recipe calls for
16 brownies, the expectation
being that people want that
bigger brownie on their plate.
In a recent study, Young and her
colleague, Dr. Marion Nestle,
found portion sizes at
restaurants had increased for
fries, hamburgers, pop, chicken
and every other food, except
bread. A typical bagel used to
weigh two or three ounces,
compared with four to seven
ounces today. A medium
popcorn at a movie theatre will
now hold up to 16 cups of
popcorn, containing 1,000
calories.
In the '80s, fast-food outlets
began to super-size pop and
fries, giving people much more
product for just a fraction more
cost. Super- sizing makes
economic sense for the
restaurants because food
accounts for just 20 per cent of
total costs, with the rest
covering labour, packaging,
transportation, marketing and
other expenses. Restaurants also
know customers love to get
value for their money, Young
says. "We're very driven by,
'Let's get a deal.' "
Food addiction
So why don't we all just eat
healthy low-fat, low-calorie
foods? It's because we crave
certain foods, says Barnard,
author of Breaking the Food
Seduction.
In fact, Barnard says, North
Americans are addicted to foods,
putting forward the most
controversial theory about why
obesity rates are climbing.
Barnard acknowledges the case
for food addiction is yet to be
conclusively proven, but he still
argues North Americans are
hooked on chocolate, meat,
cheese and sugary foods, or
foods such as potato chips that
easily convert to sugar in the
body.
the major food companies for
causing the obesity epidemic.
These foods are addictive, he
argues, in that they're a daily
habit for many people,
something they don't feel they
can do without, even though
they understand they pay a
heavy price for consuming them.
So far, however, American
courts haven't been sympathetic
to such lawsuits. A New York
judge, ruling against an obese
teenager who sued McDonald's
for millions, said the lawsuit
was doomed because we should
all know that eating too much
fast food is bad for us and that
there is no conclusive proof
McDonald's food is especially
dangerous.
The addiction model fits with
the psychological factors in
obesity, Barnard says.
Most of the food scientists and
diet experts are also leery about
these lawsuits.
Forty per cent of compulsive
eaters have a gene that causes
them to have too few dopamine
receptors in their brains, he says.
This means their bodies don't
easily produce natural opiates.
They feel out of sorts and
experience less pleasure than
normal people.
When Young hears that a 250pound 17-year-old is suing a fast
food company, she wonders
what that teen's parents were
doing when the child still
weighed 170 pounds. She rejects
the notion that parents don't
know that greasy, fatty fries and
sugary sodas are bad for you.
Instead, she says, some parents
prefer to ignore the evidence.
In a study, Barnard found that
the same drug that stops people
from binging on heroin also
stops them from binging on
chocolate, cheese, sugary foods
and meat.
More research is needed before
the addictive model is accepted
as fact, Barnard acknowledges.
Young doesn't buy it for now. "I
see addiction as purely habit -- I
don't think there is anything
physiological in chocolate
calling out your name."
Corporations and governments
If food addictions were proven
to be a major cause of obesity,
and it could be shown that
corporations knowingly used
these addictions to lure people to
overeat, it would be a boon for
the lawyers now trying to sue
Every time you walk down the
street, you are inundated with
opportunities to buy cheap, fatty
food, Young says. Still, people
must take some responsibility.
"You have to be a defensive
diner."
Just like an alcoholic is
responsible for staying off
booze, so is a foodaholic
responsible for avoiding the
foods that make them binge,
Barnard says.
But Barnard alleges that "Big
Food" has laced food with
substances such as caffeine,
sugar, cheese and chocolate in
order to trigger opiate responses
and to get consumers hooked on
their products. For instance,
Coca-Cola adds caffeine to its
pop, he says.
16
In cattle country, farmers make
sure to feed their cattle so that
fat is marbled through the lean
meat, making for a better-tasting
steak. "You can call that
manipulation or you can call that
good farming practices,"
Barnard says.
consumers the fact they're using
trans fatty acids in foods (for
example, hydrogenated oil)
while knowing these acids
contribute to cancer. "In general,
they are honest people, out there
trying to sell their product under
the rules of the game."
Popkin says the big companies
aren't doing anything dishonest - unless they're hiding from
Popkin would like to see those
rules change, however. He'd like
to ban the advertising of junk
food to children and get rid of
junk food vending machines in
schools. There should be a tax
on candy, he says, and
government subsidies should go
toward fruit and vegetable
production, not into producing
meat, cheap sugar and cheap
edible oils, as has generally been
the case.
Title: Generation X-Cess: Radical Reforms urged, Time for ‘pampheltizing’ over
Author: Ted Whipp and Craig Pearson
Source: Windsor Star [Final Edition], Page A 18
Date: September 6, 2003
Conquer the mind. Heal the
body. Soothe the soul. If Canada
is to save its children from
obesity's path to ill-health and
premature death - and save
taxpayers billions of dollars in
medical bills - the nation's
leading experts say dramatic
changes are required in public
policy, personal fitness, diet and
emotional well-being. They're
calling on the federal
government for an all-out
assault on the order of
campaigns waged against
smoking, drinking and lax seatbelt use.
"The time has come to move
from pamphletizing the issue to
really getting down to business,"
said health researcher Mark
Tremblay, senior scientific
adviser on health measurements
for Statistics Canada. "It scares
the hell out of me."
As dean of kinesiology at the
University of Saskatchewan,
Tremblay was lead researcher of
a study that's become a
reference on Canadian rates of
child obesity. It showed that
between 1981 and 1996 the
number of overweight seven- to
13-year-old boys tripled from 11
to 33 per cent. The percentage of
girls more than doubled to 27
per cent.
It's a problem that won't be
cured simply by more parks and
rec programs, say Tremblay and
others.
"Child obesity is a signal that
something is going horribly
wrong with the health of our
children," said Bill Jeffery,
national co- ordinator for the
100,000-member Canadian
office of the Centre for Science
in the Public Interest in Ottawa.
"Children are bombarded with
the message to eat junk foods.
They see it all the time."
The non-profit health advocacy
organization joined a chorus of
voices calling for bold measures
after the World Health
Organization this year warned of
rising levels of obesity, heart
disease and diabetes worldwide.
Mike Havey, a University of
Windsor coach and athletics
administrator, said the vast
majority of youth are missing in
action in traditional sport and
physical-education programs.
Young people in day-camp
programs can't sustain activity
for as long as kids two decades
ago.
"They tire quickly."
So, the prospect of a national,
community-based campaign by
coaches that encourages activity
with grassroot changes remains
compelling for him. Called Let's
Get Moving, the effort by the
Canadian Professional Coaches
Association is attracting
attention, action and
participants.
Think of Canada's decades-old
ParticipACTION campaign for
kids and you get the drift of an
effort to encourage an active
lifestyle among youth. It
addresses obesity, physical
inactivity and the increase in
violent crime.
"It's not a new idea, quality
daily physical education,"
Havey says.
But an approach based on
activity for its own sake and fun,
17
holds much appeal for him and
others in sport. "You have to
find ways to engage kids," says
Havey, such as cleaning up a
neighbourhood park.
Many overweight youngsters
can't hope to change their bodies
before they first alter their
emotions.
"There are always underlying
issues going on with teens who
binge eat, so we try to attack
those issues first," said Trisha
Neil, eating disorder counsellor
at Windsor's Teen Health
Centre. "The binge eating is
really a side-effect of that."
Young people often channel
their negative emotions into
subtly self-destructive activities
where they manage some
control, such as eating too little
or too much, Neil said.
"Some teens basically say 'I'm
going to deal with a lot of my
emotions by eating a whole
bunch and kind of stuffing them
down and not processing them.'
So we really go for the
emotional stuff. What's going on
or what's troubling them?"
management of their child and
their behaviours," he said. "And
there would be an intervention
with the child, looking at their
own understanding of what their
pattern is between eating and
psychological issues."
GET MOVING
For more information on the
Let's Get Moving program,
contact the Canadian
Professional Coaches
Association, 141 Laurier Ave.
W., Suite 300, Ottawa, Ont.,
K1P 5J3; phone 613-235-5000.
www.coach.ca/ get
moving/front.htm
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Poor diets and physical
inactivity are responsible for $6
billion to $10 billion a year in
health care costs and lost
productivity in Canada because
of premature death and
disability, according to the
Ottawa-based Centre for Science
in the Public Interest. The nonprofit group proposes a series of
reforms:
.
Psychologist Dr. Jay McGrory
deals with psychologically
related obesity with a mix of
plain-old fitness education and
more complex psychological
exploration - of child and
parents.
* Exempt healthy restaurant
foods, such as low-fat milk, fruit
juice, most salads and vegetablebased dishes, from the GST.
"Counselling would be a
combination of assisting the
parents in terms of their
* Include preventative nutrition
counselling services under
provincial medicare programs.
* Apply the GST to sugary
cereals sold in retail stores.
* Prohibit ads for junk food and
video games directed at
children.
* Require weight loss and
fitness programs and products to
disclose "reliable evidence" of
their long-term effectiveness and
safety.
* Require chain restaurants to
disclose basic nutrition facts,
such as calorie levels, on menus.
* Improve labelling of packaged
foods by requiring nutrition
information on fresh meat,
poultry and seafood (expected to
be exempted from new
mandatory nutrition labelling
rules).
* Require that processed foods
containing fruits, vegetables,
whole grains, or added sugars
show the percentage, by weight,
of those ingredients.
* Significantly alter school
curricula so that students get
daily physical education classes
and also receive bi-weekly
nutrition and food preparation
classes for at least two years.
* Conduct an intensive, mass
media campaign to promote
nutrition and physical activity.
* Require medium and large
workplaces to ensure cafeterias
offer "healthy menu items," and
also "enable" workers in
sedentary desk jobs to get more
physical activity.
18
Title: Gym teachers extol ‘bold’ plan: Finding time for classes the challenge
Author: Shelley Knapp
Source: Calgary Herald, pg B.3
Date: August 21, 2003
Physical education teachers
from around the province are
applauding Alberta Learning's
decision to mandate daily
classes within two years.
"This is a bold and courageous
move by the Alberta
government," said Dwayne
Sheehan, president of the Health
and Physical Education Council,
a branch of the Alberta
Teachers' Association.
On Monday, Learning Minister
Lyle Oberg told the Herald the
government would be mandating
up to 30 minutes of daily
physical education for
kindergarten to Grade 12 in an
effort to stem the growth in
childhood obesity cases.
Currently, elementary students
do about 110 minutes of
physical education weekly,
junior high a minimum of 75
hours a year and high school
students can't graduate without
credit for Grade 10 phys. ed.
Physical education is optional in
Grades 11 and 12. Last year,
only 16 per cent of students
opted to take the highest level of
phys. ed.
"With this initiative the
government is leading the nation
in its support for daily physical
activity. There is absolutely no
downside to this," added
Sheehan.
For years, the council has been
lobbying to have at least 150
minutes (30 minutes daily) of
mandatory phys. ed. classes a
week.
Health Canada has also been
advocating that children to get
90 minutes of physical activity
daily.
Carol Bazinet, the president of
the Calgary Association of
Parents and School Councils
acknowledged that Oberg's idea
has merit, but questioned how it
will be executed.
"When you look at a kid's
schedule, one has to wonder
where this is going to fit in,
especially at the high school
level and who is going to pay for
it," Bazinet asked.
Oberg said Tuesday the school
day won't be lengthened to
accommodate the daily
workouts.
However, some elements now
included in the curriculum might
have to be pared down or
eliminated. He wouldn't
speculate on what those might
be.
"I don't know. I guess that's
what we're going to be looking
at as we re-vision the program,"
said Oberg. "We're taking a look
at the whole curriculum. Is it
going to be easy? No.
"There are going to be some
issues, but that's what we'll work
out with the ATA, with school
boards, with everyone over the
next two years."
Sheehan says many of the
province's schools are already
meeting the new mandate.
Alberta leads the way when it
comes to quality daily physical
education, according to awards
presented to the Canadian
Association for Health, Physical
Education, Recreation and
Dance.
More than 200 Alberta schools
were recognized for their
programs.
"All schools can meet this goal.
It will require some creative
time-tabling, a commitment by
staff and parents and adequate
resources," added Sheehan.
With files from Tom Olsen, Legislature Bureau Chief. [email protected]
19
Title: Getting children into the game ; Overweight students ignore gym class, sports Competitive emphasis hurts
participation;
Author: Chris Sorensen
Source: Toronto Start, page A.07
Date: December 1, 2002
Domenica Florio didn't plan on
abandoning extracurricular
sports during her final year of
high school- the competition
shut her out.
Armed with more enthusiasm
than talent, Florio said she was
overwhelmed during soccer and
badminton tryouts and didn't
make either of the teams. Still
determined to play, she joined
the school's recreational soccer
program- the "fun" program- but
soon found herself on the
sidelines twisting blades of grass
between her fingers.
"If you're not a great athlete, I
think it's really difficult to stay
involved," the 18-year-old OAC
student said.
Yet staying involved is precisely
what a growing number of
doctors are prescribing to a
generation of young Canadians,
many of whom are being turned
off physical activity at a time
when they need it most.
Recent studies show more than
half of Canadian children don't
receive enough exercise, while
the number of children who are
too heavy to be healthy
continues to climb. Since 1981,
the number of overweight
children (aged 7 to 13) jumped
from 11 to 33 per cent among
boys and from 13 to 27 per cent
among girls.
The trend has doctors worried
because overweight children are
more likely to develop health
ailments as adults.
"In fact, you don't even have to
wait for them to become adults,"
said Arya Sharma, a medical
researcher at McMaster
University and a specialist in
obesity and its related illnesses.
"When you look at obese kids,
they already have a lot of health
problems."
Instead, parents look to
organized high school and
community sports to make their
children fit- activities that
quickly weed out less-thangifted players and provide
relatively little continuous
exercise, often less than a couple
of hours per week.
One of those conditions is type 2
diabetes, formerly known as
adult-onset diabetes. Other
potential problems include high
blood pressure and heart disease,
conditions that Sharma said
promise to overburden the
health care system.
"A kid should have a few hours
every day," said Sharma.
Obesity was among the
preventable health problems
recognized by the Romanow
report on the future of health
care, released Thursday. It
recommends an increased
emphasis on "prevention and
promotion initiatives."
But while Sharma agrees
preventative medicine is
important, he pointed out that it
has so far been mostly
ineffective.
"The reason that 40 or 50 years
of lifestyle counselling has
failed is because there has been
such a tremendous change in the
way our society works. When I
was a kid, you'd come home,
dump off your bags and go play
in the street. But parents don't
want their children to play
unsupervised anymore."
"We simply don't allow our kids
to be out there and be physically
active."
That's why a growing number of
physicians suggest that
something needs to be done to
increase activity levels in
schools, where physical
education is becoming less and
less of a priority.
Of more than 15,000 Canadian
schools, only 847 are recognized
for providing "quality daily
physical education" by the
Canadian Association for
Health, Physical Education,
Recreation and Dance, a nonprofit organization based in
Ottawa.
In Ontario, the advocacy group
People For Education released a
survey last spring that showed
the number of elementary
schools with physical education
teachers has dropped 26 per cent
in five years, with only 18 per
cent of primary schools having a
full-time specialist.
Similar concerns have been
expressed with the province's
secondary system, where a new,
tougher curriculum has placed
additional pressures on students,
many of whom abandon gym
classes and extracurricular
20
sports after completing a final
mandatory phys. ed. credit
between Grade 9 and their final
year.
Steve Friesen, a gym teacher at
Guelph's St. James Catholic
High School, estimated that
nearly 80 per cent of students at
his school complete the required
credit in Grade 9 and never look
back. He attributed the problem
to a condensed high school
program- four years instead of
five- and the province's current
focus on academic instruction.
But education ministry
spokesperson Dave Ross said
doing so would require students
giving up other courses they
currently require for graduation
and, often, entrance to college or
university.
"There's only so many courses
that can be done in a year," Ross
said.
For students like Florio,
however, the current debate
misses the point. She said
mandatory phys. ed. classes
won't do much to encourage
participation among her peers,
many of whom were turned off
the subject years ago.
for Sports, Character and
Community, LaVoi argues that
the structure of youth sport, in
both high schools and
communities, is rapidly moving
toward an emphasis almost
exclusively on competition and
winning, rather than fun and
enjoyment.
"If you're one of those kids
who's a late developer, or who
doesn't have the skills or desire,
then you're really left out,"
LaVoi said. The irony, she
added, is that people like
Michael Jordan and Wayne
Gretzky are held up as role
models for children, but few can
live up to the standard that's
placed before them.
The good news, said LaVoi, is
that the current thinking among
physical education specialists is
one that stresses inclusive ideas
about personal development and
skill mastery- something that all
students can benefit from
regardless of their athleticism.
The bad news is that, "Nobody
seems to be doing anything
about it because of a lack of
funding."
Still, some are trying to reverse
the trend.
Most simply don't view
themselves as athletic enough to
participate, she said. "I'm not
trying to judge any of the
coaches or anything ... but
they're not looking for people
who just enjoy the game.
They're looking for the best
players to see if they can win."
Wedged between a pair of
apartments near Main St. and
Danforth Ave, each day at
Toronto's Secord Elementary
School begins with an optional,
but popular touch football game
that's played with two balls,
some 100 students, and four
teachers.
Nicole LaVoi agrees. A research
associate at the University of
Notre Dame's Mendelson Center
And instead of keeping score, a
bobblehead replica of the
Toronto Argonauts' "Pinball"
Clemons is awarded daily to the
student who shows the best
effort. A good throw. A valiant
interception attempt. Or, in 9year-old Justin Harvey's case,
catching a difficult long- bomb
pass on a gusty Friday that
bounced haphazardly off two
other players.
The school also has a policy,
reinforced by its two phys. ed.
teachers, to include some level
of physical activity into each
student's day.
Similarly, at St. James High
School in Guelph, Friesen has
restructured his phys. ed. classes
to make them more appealing to
a majority. For example, during
basketball season he emphasizes
"driveway games" like 21 and
Horse instead of full-blown
basketball, which often leaves
many feeling inadequate if
they're not coordinated enough
to sink a lay-up.
Friesen also launched a lunchhour intramural program, which
now attracts some 700 of the
school's 1,450 students. He said
he made the changes several
years ago, in part, because he
was concerned his own children
weren't getting enough exercise
at school.
"I realized that, as the years go
by, sports were becoming more
and more of an elite activity. We
were consistently giving our
attention to the people who need
it the least."'We simply don't
allow our kids to be out there
and be physically active'”.
21
Title: Is your Province fit for Kids?
Author: Sara Bedal
Source: Today’s Parent, Volume 23, Issue 6, page 64Date: June 2006
Canadian children are in the
grips of an inactivity epidemic.
Here's how we can help them
shape up
professionals are talking about
an inactivity crisis - some are
even calling it an inactivity
epidemic.
PICTURE THIS: It's a typical
weekday morning and parents
are gridlocked m a school
parking lot, dropping off their
kids. Students spot their friends,
pulling out Game Boys and
Pixel Chix for a quick bit of fun
before the bell rings.
Meanwhile, the custodian
prepares the gym for a gradeeight assembly, while the phys.
ed teacher wonders what she'll
do with her rambunctious grade
twos now that the gym is taken again. Too bad, she thinks, the
playground equipment was
recently declared unsafe.
In response, Today's Purent
wanted to tell the story behind
the statistics. By examining both
the active and inactive ways kids
spend their days, we developed
a report card assessing how each
area of the country is
progressing in offering fitness
opportunities to kids. According
to our six criteria, British
Columbia comes out on top (see
"Who's the Fittest in the Land?"
p. 68). Does this suggest climate
plays a role? Perhaps.
Population size and regional
economy are also potential
factors in why BC garnered top
marks. But our aim was not to
pit province against province,
rather to spark discussion among
educators and among parents. If
the experts are right and we're
looking at an epidemic, then we
need to know how fit our kids
are today before we can plan for
tomorrow.
What's wrong with this picture?
Everything.
Scenes like this are played out at
schools across the country, and
while it may seem benign and
no big deal - parents driving
their kids to school, gym classes
cancelled - stats on children's
levels of fitness underscore how
our kids are not measuring up.
Fifty-seven percent of children
in Canada are not active enough
to meet international guidelines
for optimal growth and
development. Children's
overweight/obesity rates have
almost tripled in the last two
decades. And the real kicker? If
we don't reverse the trend,
today's children may face a
shorter life expectancy than their
parents.
Clearly, there's a crisis.
Certainly an obesity crisis, but
increasingly health care
How active should KIDS be?
According to the Canadian
Dance (CAHPHRD), children
should be actively moving for at
least 90 minutes a day, a
conclusion supported by the
Ontario Medical Association,
which last fall released a report
saying schools should schedule
one hour a day of structured
aerobic activity and exercise for
elementary and secondary
school students.
Sounds good in theory, hut in
practice ? I low do we ensure
our kids are active enough now
to help ward off serious health
conditions such as type 2
diabetes and cardiovascular
disease.'
"Part of the problem with
finding a solution is that there's
no definable enemy," says John
Corlett, dean of the Facuity of
Applied Health Sciences at
Brock University in St.
Catharines, Ont. "There's a real
difficulty in identifying the
opposition - who's to blame
here?"
How active should SCHOOLS
be?
It's easy to blame schools,
especially with reduced gym
time and cutbacks of qualified
phys. ed teachers. But Louise
Humbert, an associate professor
in the College of Kinesiology at
the University of Saskatchewan
in Saskatoon, believes the
solution is more complex than
simply leaving it to schools to
jam more minutes of physical
activity into the curriculum.
Humbert feels there has to be a
cultural shift, incorporating
education ministries, school
boards and administrations. She
suggests re-examining policies,
such as amalgamating school
divisions, that, at first glance,
may he fiscally prudent, but
disregard the health impact of
busing kids to and from school
for an hour a day. She points to
other moves, such as forbidding
students to hike to school
(because of recurring theft)
instead of moving bike racks to
22
more secure locations, svhich
she calls downright baffling.
Yet most experts single out
schools as a promising place to
start. Currently, progress is
inconsistent. No province, tor
instance, insists on daily
physical education, but Alberta
and Ontario have mandated
daily physical activity in the
schools - 30 minutes and at least
20 minutes, respectively. I he
difference? Physical activity can
be widely interpreted - it could
be as simple as walking around
the schoolyard or as vigorous as
aerobics in the gym for the
whole school.
In Saskatchewan, the ministry of
education's guidelines admirably
specify 150 minutes of physical
education a week for grades one
to nine, but that can get short
shrift when other subjects such
as language arts ami music
compete for precious curriculum
time.
Meanwhile, the presence of
qualified phys. eel teachers is
equally patchy. For example,
Quebec, Prince Kdward Island
and the French schools in New
Brunswick require all
elementary-level PF teachers to
have a bachelor's degree in
physical education (or the
equivalent), but other provinces
don't make this stipulation. So
what ends up happening is the
grade-three teacher, who has no
phys. cxl training, supervises,
say, an elimination game where most kids sit on the
sidelines and many of the girls
don't want to play because the
game is too competitive.
Activity level: next to zero.
While not all effective gym
teachers boast a specialist's
degree, Humbert believes
teachers who are not physical
education specialists too often
are challenged at teaching
fundamental motor patterns.
This is important because
without those basic skills, it's
difficult for kids to build and
ultimately develop a lifelong
love of physical fitness. And
that's the point - to not only get
kids active, but to help them
love it.
How active should PARENTS
be?
Not surprisingly, then, it often
rests with parents to spark - and
support - their children's interest
in physical activity, and studies
show they should start with
themselves. A 1998 Statistics
Canada survey found, for
instance, that 64 percent of
children (aged 5 to 14)
participated in sports when one
or both of their parents were
active. (That figure jumped to
86 percent when at least one
parent was active and involved
in sport on a volunteer basis.)
Contrast that with only 36
percent of kids who played
sports when neither of their
parents was active in organized
sports or volunteered in sport.
"Parents have got to be a partner
in this move to enhance the
health of our children," says
Humbert. Whether it's squeezing
in a 20-minute walk between
supper and homework or cycling
a local nature path on a Sunday
afternoon, "it's about making the
time as opposed to finding the
time," she says. "Then it's about
being supported." By schools.
By employers. By city planners.
By policy-makers. "It's going to
take a while."
[Sidebar]
Too often, phys. ed class is the
first to get postponed, shortened
or flat out cancelled.
57% of Canadian schools meet
the provincial requirements for
allotted time devoted to physical
education.[dagger]
[Sidebar]
Number Crunching
Our provincial report card runs
the gamut from B to F. but what
do these grades really mean? Of
course, we haven't measured just
how fit kids are in each
province, but we have singled
out six key indicators that
suggest what shape kids are in
and what fitness opportunities
are available to them.
We selected the indicators
knowing that lifestyle is
inextricably linked to fitness
levels. We looked at screen
time, overweight/obesity rates,
weekly physical activity and the
percentage of kids who
"inactively commute" to school
We also included minutes of
weekly phys. ed (though, what
governments recommend is not
necessarily followed) and
parents' involvement in their
kids' physical activity.
We then set benchmarks and
awarded each province a score
out of five for each indicator For
example, when we looked at the
National Longitudinal Suivey of
Children and Youth and
discovered, on average, 32% of
kids aged 4 to 14 watch more
than two hours of TV or videos
a day, we assigned five points to
BC, where the percentage is
only 23. PEI, on the other hand,
received only one point in this
category since it's reported that
about 44% of children in this
age group are glued to the tube
for more than two hours daily.
In setting the benchmark for
minutes of phys. ed per week,
we turned to the Canadian
23
Dance, which recommends a
minimum of 1 50 minutes a
week. Data for the other four
indicators were drawn from the
2004 Canadian Community
Health Suivey - Nutrition and
the Canadian Fitness and
Lifestyle Research Institute's
2000 Physical Activity Monitor.
Finally, each province earned a
score out of 30, which we
converted to a percent and then
arrived at a letter grade.
NOTE We could not rank the
territones because of small
population - and hence, sample
size. Similarly, comparisons
between provinces should be
made with caution due to small
sample sizes and margins of
error.
[Sidebar]
20% of Canadian kids receive
daily physical education.
41 % receive one to two days
per week.
10% receive none at all.[dagger]
CASE STUDY:
P.J. Gillen School in Esterhazy
Sask.
How one school made phys. ed
part of every student's day
Drop by Esterhazy on a school
day and, depending on the time
of year, you may find kids
clipping on cross-country skis,
sweeping the ice at the local
curling rink or cannonballing at
the local outdoor swimming
pool. Sounds like fun? That's the
idea behind PJ. Gillen School's
daily offering of physical
education to its 210 students,
kindergarten to grade five.
Daily phys. ed is due in large
part to the efforts of the school's
principal, Reg Leidl. Since
joining the staff of RJ. Gillen as
the gym teacher in 1985, Leidl's
been committed to ensuring his
students are active. Every day.
In PE circles, the school's
program is known as Quality
Daily Physical Education
CQDPE), a term coined by the
Recreation and Dance
(CAHPERDI Each year,
CAHPERD recognizes
Canadian schools that deliver
daily phys. ed to their students
for a minimum of 1 50 minutes a
week. In 2004, almost 300
schools earned this "diamond"
award and PJ. Gillen has won
the top award 15 years running.
Making the leap to daily phys.
ed took some innovative
thinking, says Leidl. First, he
had to get his staff to buy in. So
Leidl makes a concerted effort
to listen and respond to his
teachers' requests for their own
programs. Today, about a third
of PJ. Gillen's teachers have
training in phys. ed and teach
most of the school's gym
periods. secondly, since demand
for gym time surpassed
availability. Leidl looked
outside the school. Skating,
snowshoeing, swimming and
bowling are now part of the
QDPE program. In short, the
community became his
gymnasium.
he urges other educators to "start
somewhere. If you can't do it
daily, then increase it to what
you can do. Be creative."
Respect also underscores the
school's philosophy on cutting
kids from teams. "We never cut
anybody here," says Leidl, who
takes the same approach when
coaching Esterhazy's high
school football team. He admits
the team loses more games than
it wins, but says, "Ask kids,
'Would you rather play or win"?'
I think we all know what the
answer would be." In track and
field, top kids train along with
others and the school makes a
point of recognizing individual
improvement at assemblies.
"The kids eat that up. They love
that kind of stuff," says Leidl.
Whatever the activity - a crosscountry skiing jaunt combined
with a wiener roast, or a
swimming party capped off with
playing in the park - it's
camaraderie that's front and
centre.
By putting sport in a social
context, Leidl hopes he and his
staff are sowing seeds for a
lifelong love of being active.
"People continue physical
activity after school not so much
in the elite sport areas, but in
areas where there's socialization
and not a lot of emphasis on
skill," he says. "I'm totally
convinced that's what the hook
is after you get out of school. It's
all the other things."
[Sidebar]
Leidl acknowledges that
extending the phys. ed
curriculum into the community
may be a tougher challenge in
urban areas, where recreation
facilities may not be within
walking distance. And
scheduling gym every day for all
students at larger schools can
pose a logistical headache. Still,
87% of Canadian schools have
equipment and facilities for
physical education programs
rated as inadequate.[dagger]
These Kids Are Made for
Walking
24
Kids are prone to bursts of
energy (and less-than-perfect
memories), so it's virtually
impossible to accurately
measure just how active they
really are. But a new nationwide
study may come close.
data should be available by the
end of the study's second year in
2007.
CAN PLAY, or Canada's Study
on Physical Activity Levels
Among Youth, has young
people, aged five to 19,
fastening Digi-Walker
pedometers to their belts,
waistbands and pant pockets and
wearing them for seven
consecutive days. The electronic
devices measure total steps
taken dunny the clay as well as
other up-and-down hip
movements such as squatting
down to tie up a shoe. (The
pedometers don't count cycling
on a smooth surface, for
example, and mustn't be worn in
the water.)
39% of Canadian schools report
having a physical education
specialist.[dagger]
The Canadian Fitness and
Lifestyle Research Institute
(CFLRI) launched CAN PLAY
in April 2005, with financial
support from federal, provincial
and territorial governments. The
groundbreaking study will
measure a total of 30,000 youth
over three years for 52 weeks of
the year with the goal of
determining who's more - and
less - active according to factors
such as age. sex and location.
Findings should help guide
government promotion of
physical activity. Look for firstyear national tesults on the
CFLRI website (cflri.ca) this
fall, while provincial/territorial
[Sidebar]
Fitness Snapshots
$5.3 billion: The health care cost
to Canadians in 2001 due to
illness, injuries and diseases
associated with physical
inactivity.[dagger]
57% of Canadian children (5 to
17) are not active enough to
meet international guidelines for
optimal growth and
development. Children from
economically disadvantaged
families have fewer
opportunities for participation in
physical activity[dagger]
[dagger] Sources: Canadian
Dance; Canadian Council of
University Physical Education
and Kinesiology Administrators
Kids Down Under Get Busy
Physical inactivity among youth
is hardly a made-inCanada
problem. It's global, says the
World Health Organization,
which estimates less than onethird of young people worldwide
are sufficiently active.
But just how far are some
countries prepared to go in
addressing the problem?
Australia, for one, has opted to
play hardball. Prime Minister
John Howard has announced
that in order to receive funding
to 2008. education jurisdictions
must include in their curricula at
least two hours of physical
activity per week for children in
primary and junior secondary
schools.
"Around 40 percent of our
children do not participate in
organized sport outside school
hours," Howaid said, adding an
estimated 1.5 million
Australians under 18 are
overweight or obese. "While
parents will continue to play the
primary role in bringing up their
children, we all need to tackle
this issue - in partnership with
school and sporting
communities, with the health
sector and food industry,"
Prior to Howard's
announcement, there were no
national minimum
requirements for physical
activity. Now the plan is for
kids to get their two hours a
week through phys. ed classes,
exercise and fitness programs
and extracurricular sports - all
at school. The program
complements another
Australian government
initiative, which is plowing
$90 million AU into an afterschool physical activity
program.
25
Title: CAPHERD Scholar Address: Carpe Diem: A challenge for all of us
Author: Louise Humbert
Source: Physical & Health Education Journal, Volume 71, Issue 3, page 4
Date: Autumn 2005
It was an incredible honour to be
asked to deliver the 2005
CAHPERD Scholar Address
during the SPEA/CAHPERD
Conference held last May. I am
very grateful to my dear friend
Nick Forsberg for giving me the
opportunity, and to all of the
individuals involved in both
CAHPERD and SPEA for
supporting me in this endeavor.
My sincere thanks are extended
to Andrea Grantham from
CAHPERD who, in the
preceding months of the
Address, gave me excellent
advice and thoughtful guidance
in the preparation of this talk.
The 2005 International Year of
Sport and Physical Education
provides us with a unique
opportunity that is truly
knocking on our door. Are we
up to the challenge? The
opportunity to reflect on our
work as a profession, and offer
my thoughts and comments is
indeed a privilege. As I prepared
for this Address I realized that,
as usual, I have more questions
than answers and my questions
are often met with more
questions and more questions. I
have concluded that while I have
few definitive answers, I would
like to take this opportunity to
raise a few issues that may
resonate with you, and your
work.
The theme of the 2005
SPEA/CAHPERD conference
"Celebrate the Past - Shape the
Future" was very fitting. The
year 2005 is not only the year
that Saskatchewan celebrates its
100th birthday, it is also the
2005 International Year of Sport
and Physical Education (as
declared by the United Nations).
Thus the opportunity to gather
together in 2005 provided us all
with a wonderful opportunity to
reflect on our past achievements,
and give thoughtful
consideration to where we want
to go!
It is within this spirit that I
selected the tide for this address.
I first heard the phrase "Carpe
Diem" in the movie, "Dead
Poet's Society". This movie
depicted the experiences of a
unique teacher and his students
at an exclusive all boys' school
in New England. On the first
day of class, the teacher asks his
students to follow him to the
main foyer of the school. He
pauses and directs them to look
into the trophy cases at the
pictures of the young men who
participated in a variety of clubs
and activities at the school in the
past. He points out one very old
picture and encourages the boys
to look long and hard at the
faces of the young men that
have gone before them. The
teacher goes on to challenge the
students to use their time on
earth well, to make a difference,
to seize the opportunities that
are presented to them, "Carpe
Diem boys, Carpe Diem ... seize
the day."
I have never forgotten that
scene. It illustrated to me the
importance of looking back and
at the same time making the
most of the opportunities
presented to us. I saw this movie
with three of my very closest
friends who, at the time, were all
teachers. After the show we
talked for hours about the story
and how it related to our work
with youth. We were inspired to
encourage our students to seize
the opportunities presented to
them and to work to be the best
they could be.
I believe this message resonates
for all of us today. As physical
educators we are faced with
many challenges, but we must
remember that what we do today
can truly shape the lives of our
students in the future. I find
myself wondering, are we
seizing the opportunities
presented to us?
I have spent many years in this
profession, and I have never
before seen a time when the
health and well being of children
and youth is in the news like it is
today. Lately it seems that the
call to increase the physical
activity levels of all Canadians,
in particular Canadian children
and youth, has never been
louder. A week seldom passes
when we are not reminded that
the current and future health of
our children is at risk if they do
not become more physically
active.
Despite this media awareness
and an expanding body of
research detailing the numerous
physical and psychological
health benefits of activity, the
majority of Canadian youth are
inactive. A recent survey
indicated that as many as 82%
of Canadian youth are not active
enough to meet international
guidelines (6-8 kkd) for optimal
growth and development (Craig
and Cameron, 2004). At the
2003 CAHPERD conference in
26
Winnipeg, Dr. Andrew Pipe
concluded: "For the majority in
our society, a sedentary lifestyle
constitutes a major health risk,
and will be an incalculable
burden on our health and social
systems in the future." In 2005,
Dr. Steven Blair, President and
CEO of the Cooper Institute,
reported that physical inactivity
is the biggest public health
problem of the 21st century.
generalist teachers are left with
little or no support for the
instruction of physical education
or health, I wonder if anyone is
listening.
lack of expertise and support,
and no time in the curriculum
(British Columbia Ministry of
Education, 2001; Dwyer et. al.,
2003; Humbert & Chad 1998).
When school based
administrators tell me that
parents seldom, if ever, discuss
the importance of physical
education for their children, I
wonder if anyone is listening.
In a paper reiterating the
importance of physical activity
on the healthy development of
the growing skeleton in children
and youth, Dr. Don Bailey, a
University of Saskatchewan
professor emeritus, suggested
that "... all of this has been said
many times before, but those in
positions of authority don't seem
to have listened . . ." (Bailey,
2000, p. 348). Dr. Bailey
concludes with a question that
we all must have asked at one
time or another . . . "Is anyone
out there listening?"
As I see more and more parents
providing their children with an
assortment of technology that
both supports and promotes a
sedentary lifestyle, I wonder if
anyone is listening.
Time and time again teachers of
elementary students tell me that
they have limited time to teach
physical education because of
the pressures they feel to teach
the "basics". It is apparent that
physical education is seldom
seen as a "basic", yet what could
be more basic then the health
and well being of our children . .
. our future? Will it ever be
possible to raise the physical
health and well being of our
children to the stature that
academic literacy enjoys in
many schools and school
divisions? Recently a large
school division in Saskatchewan
embarked upon a system wide
literacy initiative. At the annual
teachers convention seven of the
nine keynote speakers focused
on academic literacy. At a time
when our children and youth
face numerous threats to their
health, not one keynote speaker
was called upon to discuss
student health and well being. I
ask again - is anyone out ther
listening?
As a mother of two school aged
children, a former physical
education teacher and
consultant, and a university
teacher and researcher, I must
admit I have asked this question
several times. When I hear of
students missing physical
education for a litany of reasons
such as poor behavior, lost
shoes, work in the "academic"
classes not completed, loss of
the gym due to assemblies,
Christmas concerts, elections
etc., I wonder if anyone out
there is listening.
When I hear that the curricular
minutes allocated to the
instruction of physical education
are not being taught, I wonder if
anyone is listening.
When physical education and
health consultant positions are
deleted, and classroom
When adults successfully
engineer physical activity out of
much of their lives and the lives
of their family . . . and view this
as progress, I wonder if anyone
is listening.
What can be done? How can we
as physical educators shape the
future? How can we stem the
inactivity tide? If individuals
and organizations truly care
about the health and well being
of Canadians and if they want to
make a change in the lives of
children, their attention should
turn to schools - to our gyms,
fields, and classrooms. Sallis
and McKenzie (1991) suggest
that the setting with the most
promise for having a public
health impact is the schools,
because virtually all children
can be reached in schools.
However the challenges of
increasing the activity of school
aged children and youth are
many. Those of us who work in
schools are well aware of the
barriers faced when trying to
implement quality physical
education programs. These
include but are not limited to the
following: lack of equipment
and facilities, low priority
placed on physical education,
While school based physical
education programs play a
pivotal role in increasing the
physical activity behaviours of
children and youth, it is apparent
that such programs cannot
accomplish such a large feat on
their own. I must admit that I
once believed that if teachers
and administrators could
overcome the barriers they faced
in the delivery of quality
physical education programs,
the physical activity levels of
students would then increase. In
fact, for a period of time I gave
presentations with the explicit
message that teachers could be
"super heroes" in the inactivity
27
battle. However, experience has
taught me that educators cannot
win this battle alone - nor should
they try. While schools have a
definite role to play, it is clear
that patterns of health and
disease are largely a
consequence of how we learn,
live and work (Canadian
Institute for Health Information,
2004). Thus, strategies to
increase the physical activity
patterns of children and youth
must take into account the
realities of their daily lives. A
diverse range of issues need to
be considered, and those of us
who are committed to increasing
the health and well being of
children and youth must work
together.
A recent study conducted by a
research team at the University
of Saskatchewan determined
that 48% of youth in grades 7-12
reported that their family
strongly influenced their activity
patterns (Spink et. al., 2005). In
addition to support for physical
activity, parents' involvement in
physical activity has been shown
to be positively associated with
exercise participation among
youth (Trost, Sallis, Pate,
Freedson, Taylor & Dowda,
2003). The integral role of the
family in providing physical
activity opportunities to their
children is clear.
The design of the communities
in which we live greatly affects
our levels of physical activity.
Can we build environments that
support physical activity? Dr.
Larry Frank a researcher at the
University of British Columbia
has determined that the way
communities are structured can
impact public health. His
research has determined that the
more time a person spends in
their car, the more likely he or
she will be overweight (Heart
and Stroke Foundation, 2005).
How does this research affect
our work with children? What
policies are in place in your
school that support and promote
active transportation to and from
school?
For the vast majority of
Canadians, the primary source
of health care information is
their physician. A recently
developed strategy, "Physicianbased Assessment and
Counseling on Exercise
(PACE)" seeks to have
physician referral of physical
activity become a regular
component of a complete
physical examination. It is
hoped that the advice of a
physician will result in an
increase in physical activity. If a
physician prescribes physical
activity, the status afforded to it
in our society may increase.
If awareness of the importance
of physical activity can be raised
among parents, physicians and
community planners, then the
school will not have to go it
alone. Since the school is a focal
point in most communities it can
act as a hub for communitybased strategies.
This became clear to me when,
in the fall of 2001, I attended the
National Roundtable on Active
School Communities in
Charlottetown, PEL At the
conclusion of these meetings,
Norm Campbell the Executive
Director of the Saskatchewan
Parks and Recreation
Association (SPRA) suggested
that too often agencies and
organizations interested in
promoting physical activity
worked alone, like a lonely grain
elevator on the Saskatchewan
prairie. He explained that the
time had come for us to work
together, to move out of our
silos and be like an inland grain
terminal, a place where ideas
and initiatives are organized
together and coordinated and
supported by a variety of groups
and organizations.
Norm's words resonated with me
then and now. Those of us who
work in schools cannot work
alone. We need to seek out new
partners and new ways of
working to promote physical
activity in our young people. At
the university where I work, the
lines between departments and
colleges are blurring. The
distinctions between what were
exclusively the responsibility of
our college and the
responsibility of other colleges
is hazy. Multi-disciplinary
approaches to the prevention
and treatment of disease
conditions such as obesity and
diabetes are now not only
encouraged they are expected. I
would suggest that a similar
approach is needed for those of
us interested in promoting
physical activity for children
and youth. However, moving
from stand alone grain elevators
and silos to integrated inland
grain terminals is difficult and
messy, and as boundaries blur,
and the world we know changes,
we may feel threatened or
uncomfortable.
For example, over the past few
years I have watched with both
interest and concern as
organizations such as
CAHPERD and SPEA wrestled
with the difference between
physical activity and physical
education. While I can
appreciate that these two
concepts are both similar and
unique, I was alarmed to see the
word "versus" appear in these
early discussions as it appeared
that the two terms (and those
who advocate each) were in
battle with each other. A recent
document published by
CAHPERD defines physical
28
education and physical activity
individually, and identifies the
important role of physical
education in providing the
foundation that enables a child
to be physically active illustrating the important
interplay of these two areas
(Fishburne & Hickson, 2005)*.
The authors indicate that the
term physical activity has "... the
potential to negatively impact
the way Physical Education is
viewed and delivered in
Canada" (pl). I respect that
many physical educators are
concerned about the term
physical activity, however I
believe that the predominant use
of die term physical activity
gives us numerous opportunities
to clearly articulate what we as
physical educators do. Almost
every physical education
curriculum in Canada
emphasizes that physical
education programs can offer
students the skills, knowledge
and attitudes they will need to
lead physically active lifestyles.
We do not need to battle the
physical activity movement, we
need to embrace it and seize
every opportunity to educate
those who promote physical
activity (health professionals,
officials at all levels of
governments and in all
departments, the media, etc.) of
the integral role that school
based physical education
programs play in any physical
activity initiative.
My experience working with
Saskatchewan in motion (a
province wide movement aimed
at increasing the physical
activity levels of all people in
Saskatchewan) has shown me
that an organization committed
to promoting physical activity
to people of all ages can offer
incredible support to schoolbased physical education
programs. The vision of
Saskatchewan in motion is that
the people of Saskatchewan
will be the healthiest, most
physically active in Canada. An
integral component of the in
motion initiative is the in motion
school. Children attending an in
motion school should receive at
least 30 minutes of physical
activity a day and Quality Daily
Physical Education is
advocated as the foundation of
an in motion school - the base,
the rock upon which physical
activity initiatives can be built.
Provincial initiatives similar to
Saskatchewan in motion are
occurring across Canada, Since
a positive or negative experience
in physical education can have a
pronounced effect on students'
willingness to become involved
in physical activity (Corbin,
Wallhead & Buckworth, 2004),
classes must be seen as a
foundation for physical activity
initiatives.
I believe that as physical
educators we must seize the
opportunity to work with
individuals and organizations
promoting physical activity. To
engage in turf wars or battles
over terminology will be
counterproductive to our efforts
to reach our shared goal of
healthy physically active
children and youth. If we work
with physical activity initiatives
and continue to advocate for
high quality physical education
for every child in this country,
this dream may some day
become a reality. I believe that
the current spodight on the
health issues facing inactive
children now and in the future,
and the development in many
provinces of population-based
physical activity strategies,
offers physical educators a once
in a lifetime opportunity to
lobby for quality physical
education programs. This,
coupled with the attention given
to physical education and sport
during the 2005 International
Year of Sport and Physical
Education, should inspire all of
us to seize this opportunity to
work with those advocating
physical activity so that we can
advance our physical education
programs. Physical activity
opportunities should NEVER
replace quality physical
education programs. I challenge
all of you to work to ensure that
this never happens. Do people
need to understand the
difference between physical
education and physical activity?
Absolutely! Let's take the
opportunities presented to us to
educate the physical activity
community of the integral role
that physical education plays in
the lives of children and then
work with them . . . not against
them.
It is essential that as we
advocate for quality physical
education programs, that we also
take time to critically reflect
upon our practice and ask, "Are
we as a profession ready to seize
the opportunities presented to
us?" In a thoughtful
commentary, Dr. Stu Robbins, a
CAHPERD Past-President poses
a critical question: " If
governments responded to our
cries for daily physical
education programs in all
schools are we ready or even
able to respond... Are we ready
to play the game?" (Robbins,
2005).
The integral role that physical
education can play in offering
children the knowledge, skills
and attitudes to be active for a
lifetime will only occur if we
teach quality physical education
programs.
29
The following letter was written
by a young woman in response
to an article in a national
magazine suggesting that daily
physical education was needed
to address the rising rates of
obesity among young people in
Canada (Demont, 2002):
As a student going into grade
10,1 know first hand that having
more physical education classes
will not solve the problem. All I
ever did was the same sports
over and over - basketball,
soccer and hockey, etc. Not all
kids enjoy being pushed around,
demeaned and shamed because
they are not good at competitive
sports, me included. Why not
create alternative phys-ed
classes that offer programs such
as outdoor education, hiking,
bike riding and jogging?
(Macdonald, 2002).
These are sobering words for
physical educators at all levels.
It would be easy to dismiss these
comments as isolated; however
numerous studies indicate that
students frequently report that
they are dissatisfied with several
aspects of their physical
education classes (Corbin, 2002;
Gibbons, Wharf Higgins, Gaul,
& Van Gyn, 1999; Humbert,
1995; Olafson, Reed &
Bertelsen, 2003; Tannehill,
Romar, & O'Sullivan, 1994).
In an excellent presentation
given at the recent
SPEA/CAHPERD conference,
Dr. Pierre Boudreau dared to
ask, "What if more physical
education is not the answer?" In
his presentation he challenged
the assumption that physical
education could positively affect
the health and well being of
children. He explained that if
students do not actively engage
in physical education and enjoy
their physical education
experience, then more physical
education will not enhance the
health of students. Dr. Charles
Corbin a world-renowned expert
in physical and health education
suggested that, "Public trust has
been eroded by poor programs
in many high schools" (Corbin,
2002). Comments such as these
cause me great concern and
leave me wondering: "Have we
really lost the trust of the
public?"
How could anyone suggest that
physical education is not a key
component of strategies
designed to increase the physical
activity of our young people? A
review of the goals of physical
education in every province in
Canada revealed that physical
education claims to give
students the knowledge, skills,
and attitudes they will need to
lead a healthy, active lifestyle
now and in the future. While the
words may differ in each
province, the intent appears to
be the same.
Of course we all know that the
intent of a curriculum may or
may not be enacted. As
curriculum theorist Ted Aoki
suggested, there is often a gap
between "curriculum as
planned" and "curriculum as
taught"(Aoki, 1991). This gap
causes me to wonder: What is
going on in physical education?
Are we teaching high quality
that can enhance the health and
well being of children and
youth? What would a great
physical education program look
like?
Eva, a grade 12 student who
stopped taking physical
education as soon as she could,
described her "dream" physical
education program to me:
I wish that everyone could go to
phys-ed, do the best they can
and have fun and feel
comfortable. I know that sounds
like a dream, but I think that
feeling comfortable is so
important. If you dont feel
comfortable, you can't be
yourself, you cant do as well.
In a paper discussing the
challenges of classroom teachers
delivering quality physical
education, Dr. Joannie Halas
(University of Manitoba) offered
a wonderful description of an
ideal physical education
program:
"Imagine an elementary school
gymnasium without winners
defeating losers, where children
excitedly run through doors to a
carefully constructed
wonderland of tasks and
challenges designed to enhance
their physical, social, emotional
and cognitive development.
Imagine groups of girh and boys
striving to negotiate their
growing bodies through
movement successes and
failures, imagine that these
children, despite their widely
variable physical and social
maturity levels, play well
together, cooperate fairly,
communicate respectfully, and
exit the gym with smiles on their
faces, happy to return to their
classrooms but ever so eager for
the next opportunity to have
"gym" class (Halos, 2004).
She concluded with a sobering
thought, "What if this did not
exist?"
I am concerned that all too
often, programs like the ones
described above, do not exist. I
would like to ask you two
questions, "What is your dream
for physical education?" and
"Are you achieving your
dream?" When I was an
undergraduate student at the
University of Calgary, a
30
professor I greatly respected
shared this thought:
A great teacher does not tell you
of their vision, they simply ask
you to stand beside them so that
you can see it for yourself.
If someone stood beside you,
could they see your vision? And
if they could, what would they
see? I believe a great deal of our
vision, and our day-to-day
actions are closely related to the
curricula we teach.
that the curriculum we teach in
physical education is a critical
factor in the development of
both positive and negative
attitudes to physical education
and physical activity in our
students. Our curriculum is truly
at the heart of what we do as
teachers and what we leave as
our legacy to the next generation
(Kovlik, 1994). What is your
relationship with the curriculum
you teach? Would you surrender
it easily? Would you defend it?
If yes, on what grounds?
When I was a graduate student
at the University of North
Carolina at Greensboro, I took a
course from the noted
curriculum theorist Dr. William
Pmar. I will always remember
our first class. After Dr. Pinar
read out the names on the class
list, he walked around and asked
several students if he could have
something that belonged to
them. With some students he
asked for a piece of clothing,
others a book, and still others a
piece of jewelry. Time after time
he asked, "Can I have that?" The
responses of the students were
varied. Some said yes and
offered a variety of conditions
for the transfer, "If you give me
an A", "If you pay me", "If you
let us go early every class", etc.
Others refused to surrender an
item (often jewelry), despite Dr.
Pinar's offers of almost anything
in return. After a few minutes,
Dr. Pinar looked at us and
asked, "Why won't these
students give me the item I
asked for?" We agreed that it
was because it was of great
value to them, so much so that
they would not part with it for
any price. He paused, and
suggested that this is the type of
relationship we should have
with the curriculum we teach.
When young children come to
our physical education classes,
they often bring with them a
love of movement. How can we
keep this love alive?
I have never forgotten this
lesson and to this day I believe
Several authors have discussed
the need to keep students
When my son was in grade one
he arrived home from school
one day eager to show me what
he learned in a dance lesson
taught in his physical education
class. He ran around our kitchen
telling me "Right now Mom, I
am the wind, see my hair fly
back, and now I am frozen and
now Mom I am big and strong".
I had tears in my eyes as I
watched him move his little
body with such confidence and
joy. That afternoon, I called his
classroom teacher and thanked
her for giving him the
opportunity to move like that! In
another year he spent a great
deal of time playing what he
called "Lion" Tag. One day he
told me, "I hate Lion Tag mom".
When I asked why, he explained
that if he ran off the line (he
thought this was 'Lion!') he had
to sit out, and to sit out and stop
moving, was more than he could
bare. His love of movement that
was celebrated through dance
and a variety of movement
experiences was replaced by a
series of elimination games.
actively engaged in physical
education classes (Graham,
Holt-Hale & Parker, 2004;
Williams 1992, 1994). Physical
education classes should not be
about students waiting for "my
turn to learn"; instead we must
design our classes so that
movement is inherent in almost
everything we do.
If we want to teach children and
youth to be active for a lifetime,
what should we be teaching
them? In Saskatchewan our
physical education curriculum is
centered on instruction in
fundamental motor patterns.
These movement patterns
underlie all of the movements
associated with the activities
offered in our curriculum. This
approach to instruction is known
by a variety of names, but the
fundamental belief does not
change. Children must be taught
fundamental movements drat
can later be modified into more
specialized patterns and more
complex movements. To teach
this way requires bodi
knowledge and experience, and
all too often elementary teachers
who are not physical education
specialists do not know how to
teach physical education like
this. They have not been
prepared in their university
experiences and often they are
not supported by curriculumbased consultants in their school
divisions. This often results in
an emphasis on game playing
during a time when children
should be developing these
fundamental movement skills.
A few years ago a group of
teachers, consultants and
professors set out to work
together to study and support the
implementation of a newly
developed elementary physical
education curriculum (Humbert,
et. al.2002). At the beginning of
the study, the teachers told us
31
that they did not understand the
language in the curriculum; they
felt the planning process was too
complicated, and if given a
chance, they would just shelve
the curriculum. Not the type of
relationship with a curriculum
that Dr. Pinar had in mind! We
spent a year working together
and the insights gained by all
involved were remarkable. Our
work showed us that if
elementary classroom teachers
(non-PE specialists) are
supported, they can teach a high
program. Many of the teachers
gained an increased
understanding of the benefits of
a fundamental movement
approach, this was particularly
evident as we worked together
to plan and teach gymnastics:
I used to think that gymnastics
had to be about the product, the
kids had to do the perfect front
roll and now I see it is learning
and practicing the skills and
concepts involved in the front
roll that is important. This is
what the big shift in the
curriculum is for me. I now see
that I am teaching the kids how
to move and I understand that
they do not have to read the
same goal, the same product. It
is the process that is important,
(p.21)
The knowledge and confidence
these teachers gained also
affected their interactions with
parents. A grade one teacher
explained:
Just knowing what I know now,
I mean the whole body
movement thing, I can now
rationalize physical education to
a parent, I can tell them that
phys-ed is important for their
child and that in Saskatchewan
our curriculum stressed learning
the skills needed to be active
now and for a lifetime, and if we
work together we can improve
the health of their child.
As children get older the
challenges we face as physical
educators often change. With
younger children we work to
nurture and maintain their love
of movement. With middle years
and high school students, we are
challenged to teach a curriculum
that is meaningful and
interesting so that the students
will want to participate. I
believe that one of our biggest
challenges is to connect on a
meaningful level with students
who are nothing at all like us.
Most high school students are
not the gifted athletes that their
physical education teachers are.
The majority of these students
do not view movement as an
integral part of their lives and
most often they do not have the
love of physical activity that
their teachers do. So many of
them are nothing like us! How
do we reach these students?
How can we share our passion
with them? One way may be to
try to understand their
experiences in our classes. For
example, a student in grade
eleven once told me, "I wish
phys-ed teachers knew what it
was like not to be good at the
stuff we do. Just once I wish
they could stand in my shoes. "
If we stood in their shoes, we
may view our programs and the
environment in our classes
differently.
An issue that is frequently raised
when students discuss their
physical education experiences
is the content of their physical
education curriculum. A few
years ago I spoke with a group
of students in grade ten about
their experiences in physical
education. Time and time again
I heard that they were bored
with the same activities over and
over again. One student asked,
"I have been bouncing balls
since grade three, don't they
understand that I get it already?"
Another told me, "It is always
the same sports year after year, I
am not good at volleyball and
basketball, but they make me do
it over and over again. " When I
asked this group why they felt
their phys-ed teachers did this,
there was silence in the room,
then a student suggested,
"Maybe they don't have
anything eke to teach us."
Of course we know this is
incorrect. We know that there is
a world of movement
opportunities waiting to be
explored, yet in many situations
junior high and high school
follow a team sport model.
Many physical educators were
successful in team sports and it
is a challenge for them to move
out of their comfort zone. But if
we are going to encourage our
youth to be active, we must
respond to their changing needs
and interests. Time and time
again I hear that high school
students want more choice in
their physical education
programs. In a project designed
to let young women "negotiate"
the grade 10 physical education
curriculum, the opportunity to
have a choice emerged as a key
factor in their enjoyment of
physical education,
This year we got to have choices
and I like it way better because
when you get to decide what
you are going to do, you are
going to be happier about it and
you are going to want to do it
more. You feel like you have
done something for yourself
instead of having someone tell
you to do something. (Humbert,
Avery, 0-Girolami, 1998).
When I hear students talk about
physical education or physical
32
activity, the concept of fun
emerges early and frequently!
Students want to have fun in our
classes and in physical activity
in general. The first time I heard
students discuss having fun in
physical education I was very
concerned. I had just spent a
year on a committee writing a
foundational document for
physical education in
Saskatchewan and I knew that
the importance of students
having fun in physical education
was not discussed. At that time,
I was afraid to use the word fun
and physical education in the
same sentence. I worried that by
discussing fun, we risked
trivializing physical education
and in doing so, we could put its
place in the curriculum at risk. I
was worried that fun meant
rolling out the ball in physical
education classes with little or
no instruction. I think I feared
the term fun, the way some
people today fear the term
physical activity.
However, from listening to
students over the years, I have
come to realize that fun is not
the meaningless, trivial concept
I feared. For many students
having fun in physical education
classes and physical activity
settings involves feeling
confident and competent to
participate. Students repeatedly
tell me, "It is fun if I can do it"
and "/ would only try something
new if I thought I could do it. "
It is exciting to know that
students who perceive
themselves as more competent
in physical education classes
participate in more out of school
physical activity (Carrol &
Loumidis 2001).
It is clear that as physical
educators, we have a role to play
in offering students the
knowledge and skills they need
to participate. I believe that this
is where physical educators can
excel! We know how to teach
the skills, and we know that if a
student does not feel skilled they
will not be physically active.
These feelings are evident in the
comments of a grade nine
student,
Kids are worried what other
people are going to think, so
they need encouragement to get
involved. We need to know how
to do things, I don't know if I
would go and do activities if I
knew there were really good
people there and someone might
make fun of me. I might go if I
had a place just for beginners,
then it would be OK to be just
learning.
It is OK to be learning, and what
better place to learn than in a
physical education class!
Because of the importance
students place on feeling
confident in their abilities,
physical education teachers
should work diligently to create
opportunities for all of their
students to experience success.
One of my students calls this
approach, "leaving as few
behind as possible!" If we can
engage all of our students and
understand what it is like to be
in their shoes, we may indeed
leave very few behind! How can
we create an environment in our
classes that promotes a
physically active lifestyle for
everyone regardless of their
experiences or abilities? I
believe that such an
environment is an integral
component of a successful
physical education program.
When junior high and high
school students were asked what
they would do to get more kids
their age active, they told us that
kids their age need to feel
comfortable in physical activity
settings. They emphasized that
they and their friends needed to
feel like they belonged, "I want
to go to a place where I feel
comfortable, I do not want to be
intimidated" (Humbert et. al in
press). Feelings of intimidation
and inadequacy are often present
in physical education settings.
Young women frequently tell
me that they feel "exposed" in
physical education settings, and
because of their lack of skill
they don't feel like they belong.
If we think about comments like
these and critically reflect on our
programs we may see our world,
the one we are so comfortable
in, a little differently. If we work
to teach all of our students the
skills they need to be active and
if we make success for everyone
a priority, we will go a long way
to helping our students feel like
they belong.
A grade eight classroom teacher
involved in a study (Humbert et.
al. 2002) designed to increase
her understanding of teaching
fundamental movement patterns
in physical education shared the
following story:
I had this new girl in my class
who did not know how to skip
and I could just see the panic in
her face the day we did
skipping. You know I am sure
she has had a lot of discouraging
times because she seemed to
have trouble moving. And you
know, I rushed to her side cause
I thought 'no, you are not going
to fail, you are not going to die
here. And I am thinking, 'what
have I learned, how can I help
her, what can I show her about
skipping, how can I break it
down?' I went to her and I
showed her how to start and she
had some success right off the
bat. She looked at me and
smiled. I think that was a first
for her, she had some success. If
33
she had not had a good
experience that day, I think I
would have lost her.
Lost and left behind. Let's make
it our goal to share our
knowledge and skills with all of
our students in an environment
where all students feel welcome,
safe and included ... a place
where no student is lost, and no
one is left behind.
In 2005, the light is shining
brightly on physical educators
and our physical education
classes. Are we up to the
challenge? Can we seize this
opportunity to give our students
the best physical education
experience they have ever had?
Can we work with other groups
and agencies so that the health
of Canadian youth can be
enhanced?
Years from now your students
will gather to look back and
dream about the future. What
will their hopes and dreams be?
What will they remember? I
believe they will remember you.
When they pause to look at your
picture in a yearbook or on a
wall or in a trophy case, will
they remember that you inspired
them to be the best they could
be? Will they recall the way you
taught them how to move and
shared your love of movement
with them? Will they be leading
healthy physically active
lifestyles? Will they be role
models for those around them?
What a challenge . . . what an
opportunity. Carpe Diem!
Title: Keeping kids fit is worth it;
Author:
Source: The Gazette, Montreal, Page A.22
Date: February 17, 2002
Our children could be smarter,
fitter, better adjusted socially
and calmer - for the rest of their
lives - if only they got more
exercise in school and after
classes. It's such a simple
proposition. The obstacles to
making sure children get the
exercise they need are not
insurmountable.
But Canadian children don't get
enough exercise. And as a result,
obesity is climbing. Type 2
diabetes is now being seen in
patients 9 or 10 years old, a
condition rarely seen before at
such a young age. Elementaryschool pupils don't have the
muscle tone that children should
have. Teachers report that some
youngsters are winded after
running for less than a minute.
At the same time that Canadians
from one coast to the next are
worried about the cost of a
publicly funded health-care
system, the one thing that could
cut costs by an estimated one-
third is being ignored. If
youngsters were trained from an
early age to make exercise a part
of their daily routine and carried
that habit into adulthood, healthcare costs in Quebec would drop
by as much as 30 per cent.
So much good would flow from
a physically active childhood
that it seems impossible that the
time devoted to physical
education in schools in Quebec
and elsewhere in Canada is
getting shorter every year. But
that's true, too.
Quebec now requires only 60
minutes of physical education a
week. An hour. A generation
ago, schoolchildren had an hour
a day of physical education.
They also had school teams,
coached by their teachers after
classes. They walked to school
and played outdoors much more
than children today do. Eighty
per cent of children walked to
school in 1971. Twenty years
later, that figure had fallen to 9
per cent.
When provinces decide to bring
education costs under control,
or decide that academics need
more emphasis, physical
education, sports and afterschool activities are the first
things to be cut. Teachers take
the same attitude. In
Saskatchewan, British
Columbia and Quebec, teachers
embroiled in labour negotiations
stopped coaching sports and
canceled extracurricular
activities.
In Quebec, students have 231/2
hours of class time a week. The
Quebec federation of physical
education teachers recommends
21/2 hours a week be devoted to
physical-education classes for
students to reap the mental and
physical benefits of physical
activity. Increasing the school
day by an hour would cost the
government $70 million a year.
Is it worth it?
34
Here are some facts to take into
account:
-A Montreal health-board study
of 24 city public elementary
schools found a third of the
children were overweight. The
study also found an
"astounding" one-percentage
point increase in obesity per
year. Excess weight is
associated with cardiovascular
disease, osteoporosis and Type 2
diabetes.
- The Canadian Fitness and
found schools devoting one hour
or more a day to quality physical
education led to students playing
better with each other, showing
less aggression and experiencing
fewer discipline problems.
- Kino Quebec, the government
agency that encourages
Quebecers to get fit, found by
the age of 12, most children
have at least one of the risk
factors for developing heart
disease - obesity, high blood
pressure, smoking, a sedentary
lifestyle or high cholesterol.
- The National Longitudinal
Survey of Children and Youth,
based on 23,000 Canadian
children, found youngsters age
12 to 15 who rarely or never
participated in organized sports
were more likely to report
having lower self-esteem and
difficulties with friends.
Improved mental health, social
skills, physical well-being and
hundreds of millions of dollars
in savings as this generation
moves into adulthood. Is it
worth it to pay for a longer
school day? Absolutely.
Title: Long-term commitment to education: `Many teachers are engaged in a constant, draining struggle to
overcome barriers that threaten to impede their students' learning.'
Author: Shirleen Vollet
Source: Regina Leader Post, Page A.8
Over the past 10 to 15 years,
there has been a relentless and
sustained reduction in provincial
funding for Saskatchewan's K12 education system. Often, the
generalized picture of education
given by statistical tables
obscures rather than clarifies
what actually happens in
classrooms when budgets are
cut. Teachers struggle with
growing workloads and
dwindling resources. School
boards wrestle with school
closures, staff reductions and the
elimination of programs. The
full impact of underfunding is
not readily visible to
governments or the general
public, largely because of the
huge effort of educators to
cushion students as much as
possible from its effects and
maintain our society's faith in
the benefits of publicly funded
education. One cannot place a
young child, who is being
denied equity of opportunity
because of a large class size or
lacks a special placement
because of inadequate resources,
on the government's table like a
lump of road asphalt.
Many teachers are engaged in a
constant, draining struggle to
overcome barriers that threaten
to impede their students'
learning. These barriers often
stem from poverty, family
break-up, racism, physical and
mental disabilities and other
factors outside the control of
schools, but they are enhanced
in the schools by a lack of time,
resources, supports,
understanding and/or
commitment to meet the
educational needs of every child.
They are also exaggerated by the
escalating expectations that
schools can, and should, provide
an ever-higher level and range
of services to children and
communities.
In numerous instances, teachers'
efforts to assist their students
have been heroic. They spend
their own money on learning
materials and experiences for
their students; they put in hours
of their own time to research
special needs and develop new
teaching strategies. They act as
coaches, nurses, advocates and
counsellors; they have fed,
comforted, and clothed needy
students, and they have worked
with parents, elders, consultants,
businesses and many others in
an innovative effort to provide
students with extra supports and
opportunities.
While teachers must be
recognized and commended for
their dedication and creativity in
extremely difficult
circumstances, the provision of
high-quality public education
must not depend on the selfsacrifice of teachers. When the
educational enterprise runs for
35
long periods on the backs of
teachers, there is a real danger of
undermining the morale of those
on whom the system most
depends for its effectiveness.
This demoralizing effect is
clearly evident within the
teaching body today. Teachers
have been left feeling that their
concerns about working
conditions are not being met
and, even worse, there is no
willingness to recognize the
problems they are facing and to
recompense them fairly for the
highly varied and demanding
work they perform as teachers.
Fewer young people are
choosing teaching as a
profession and those who do
train here are travelling
elsewhere for higher salaries and
better working conditions.
Teachers are uneasily aware that
they work within a system under
pressure. Publicly funded
education has received an
unprecedented amount of
attention in recent years from
the federal government, the
corporate sector, the media and
special interest groups, and most
of it is critical. In the
background, parents and
students continue to express
satisfaction with their schools,
when their opinions are
canvassed directly through polls
and meetings, but their quiet
voices are generally lost in the
strident claims of the critics that
public education is not working.
While teachers are continually
seeking ways to improve the
education of their students, they
are concerned that wave after
wave of reform, restructuring,
harmonization and integration is
washing over the schools
without any noticeable positive
effect on teaching and learning.
In fact, many so-called
improvements to education
appear to be having an adverse
effect on the basic process of
education, in which teachers
teach and students learn within
the framework provided by our
province's carefully developed
and accepted goals of education.
the highest bidder. Teachers are
proud and glad that in this
province, there continues to be a
strong, stated commitment to
fund public education from the
public purse. However, it should
be noted that it was, and is, the
issue of chronic underfunding
that led many jurisdictions down
the business path: when kids
need programs and there is
money: sometimes the siren call
of big business is just too
seductive.
It should be noted that the vast
majority of teachers in our
school systems bring courage,
humour, integrity, passion and
skill to their students and
classrooms. They love what they
do, they care passionately about
kids and they worry that each
child in each school does not
have everything that child will
need to be successful. For this is
their chance: there is no other
chance! Who will look those
children in the eyes and tell
them that there is no money for
the program they need or the
resources they require or the
special needs program which
will allow them to overcome
their particular hurdle? Teachers
look into the eyes of those
children every day!
It is not all gloom and doom . . .
we have well-established
partnerships that have long
worked together to find
solutions. The economic climate
in Saskatchewan is gleaming a
little brighter and perhaps will
allow for some progress. But the
final statement must be: without
a serious attempt by the
provincial government to
adequately fund public
education, including an
equitable distribution of
resources, our education system
will rapidly deteriorate.
Sustained change takes time.
Politics is about short term:
education is about long term. In
the end, an adequately funded
education system has a
significant economic and social
impact upon all aspects of our
lives. If we truly care about our
children and grandchildren we
must make a commitment to
them and their future.
We are well aware of the
pressures on the government to
keep costs down. The "tax
revolt" rhetoric is very loud in
our ears: we are taxpayers, too.
But we are also aware that, in
many parts of the world, public
education has become a
commodity and has been sold to
Vollet Is President of the Regina
Public School Teachers
Association.
36
Title: Don't neglect phys-ed
Author: Bruce Yockey
Source: Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, page A.13
Date: July 7, 2006
Following is the viewpoint of
the writer, a concerned parent in
North Battleford and president
of the Saskatchewan Physical
Education Association.
I applaud the comments made
by Dr. Vino Padayachee,
president of the Saskatchewan
Medical Association, in Sask.
Doctors urge kids to get active
(SP June 16). He stated that
children must get active and
change their diets from junk
food to healthy alternatives.
Research shows that we are in
the midst of a physical inactivity
and obesity epidemic. This
epidemic will only get far worse
if things are not done to reverse
the trend.
As the obesity rate of our
children continues to rise, so
will the diseases (diabetes, heart
disease, back problems) that are
associated with obesity. As these
obese children reach adulthood,
the burden they will place on
our health-care system will be
immense, to say the least.
Dr. Padayachee is correct that
must invest in preventive
measures as well as treat
diseases. Quality daily physical
education is vital to developing
children who value physical
activity but also have the
knowledge and skills to
participate in regular physical
activity. In Saskatchewan, our
school curriculum states that
Grades 1-5 students should
receive 150 minutes per week of
physical education. The Grades
6-9 curriculum is worded
different, but when the time
allotment percentages are
converted to minutes, it also
equals 150 minutes a week.
Parents need to find out if this is
taking place in the schools their
children attend. School
administrators must ensure that
these time requirements are
being accomplished much the
same as they would language
arts or mathematics.
We have long talked about
educating the whole child,
which includes the intellectual,
social, spiritual and physical. It
is the physical piece of
educating our children that is
often neglected.
As stated in the Grades 6-9
physical education curriculum,
"The mission of physical
education in Saskatchewan
schools is the development of
autonomous, lifelong learners
who readily participate in
meaningful physical activity on
a regular basis."
Physical education for all K-12
students should be compulsory
and it would be ideal if physical
education specialists were
teaching the classes.
It is important to note that
physical education will not solve
the obesity epidemic alone.
Children need to engage in daily
physical activity, something that
cannot be accomplished
completely during physical
education class. There are times
when children are not active, for
example during instruction,
when working on assignments,
and testing. Physical education
is a key component that works
well in combination with health
education and school-based
physical activity initiatives such
as "Saskatchewan In Motion."
I thank the SMA and Dr.
Padayachee for offering
proposals surrounding physical
education, active transportation
and school food policies. I agree
with his statement that, "Parents,
physicians, government and
schools all have roles to play in
changing our children's lifestyle
choices and enhancing their
fitness and health."
The research has been done and
it does not paint a pretty picture.
We must make changes now in
order to stop the obesity
epidemic. It will take the
collective effort of all
stakeholders to accomplish this
task.
37
Title: Schools take new approach to fitness
Author: Darren Bernhardt
Source: Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, Page C.1
As obesity rates reach crisis
proportions in this country,
schools in Saskatoon have
adopted a more holistic
approach to physical education.
It's no longer good enough to
simply turn students loose on a
ball field or gymnasium floor to
run until their heart rates are
cruising in that target zone.
What is essential is a total
approach - - movement and
instructional theory -- that keeps
kids active but also teaches how
and why their bodies work so
they value such lifestyles.
"We've changed our
philosophical approach to our
phys-ed curriculum. Where once
you would have played sports
for the whole class we've now
introduced a slew of skills and
the reasoning behind them," said
Armand Martin, social sciences
director with Saskatchewan
Learning. "We teach movement
patterns and then apply them to
various activities. This way we
develop the skills and no one is
left behind. At one time, the
only people who really liked
phys-ed were the athletes while
those who dreaded it were the
ones last picked for a team.
"If you weren't an athlete, it
could have been hell for you."
The modern gym class
indoctrinates basic motor skills
and movement patterns used in
everyday life so students are
cognizant of them in that sense
and can be applied whether they
dance, do gymnastics, walk,
bike or perform any sport.
"If you are aware of the benefits
of being physically active, being
conscious of the things that you
eat, how to minimize stress, etc.,
your whole quality of life will
be enhanced," said Martin.
"That's the strong message we're
trying to get across -- that it's a
lifelong thing. We don't want
kids to quit after they leave high
school. We want it to be part of
their daily routine."
A relatively new class called
Wellness 10, a hybrid of health
and physical education for
Grade 10 students, is also part of
the curriculum. Some schools
make it compulsory, although
the province doesn't demand
that. The class has been revised
over the past 18 months and is
into the last draft, said Martin.
"In today's world with so many
sedentary recreation options -computers, video games,
television with 1,000 channels -the role the school plays is
vital," said Dave Derksen, an
instructional consultant with
Saskatoon's public school
division. "There's been a
tremendous amount of research
that suggests, aside from the
health benefits, students learn
better academically when they
are physically active."
A recent national study found
the rate of obesity among boys
aged seven to 13 nearly tripled
over the 15-year period between
1981 and 1996 and more than
doubled for girls of the same
age. Nearly 30 per cent of boys
and 24 per cent of girls were
considered overweight in 1996
(the most recent data available)
compared with 15 per cent for
both in 1981.
Researcher Mark Tremblay,
who conducted the study, called
it a "staggering rate of change"
directly attributable to a lack of
physical activity.
Margaret Schwartz, co-ordinator
of the Ever Active Schools
Program in Alberta (a
government-funded program to
promote physical activity and
good nutrition), says almost 75
per cent of overweight
adolescents end up as
overweight adults. Forty-six per
cent of Canadian adults are
considered overweight.
While you can make kids
brilliant in math, social studies
and language arts "when they
reach 48 and have had three
heart attacks and are no longer
able to work, all that intellect is
going to be lost in our society . .
. . That's where we're at," she
said.
In 2000, Alberta Learning
brought in a new physical
education curriculum that
stresses active living. This fall,
the health curriculum will
include a section on body image.
Despite the renewed emphasis
on phys-ed, Saskatchewan and
Alberta students are not required
to take it in Grades 11 and 12.
The reason is simply a matter of
time, said Martin.
"The length of the day has not
been lengthened in the past 15 to
20 years ago but there is
certainly many more pressures
to deliver programs that weren't
38
part of the curriculum before,"
he said. "There's been much
more added to the mix."
Schools are being asked to
increase the focus on computer
literacy as well as math and
sciences so students compete at
an international level. At the
same time, senior students are
preparing for post-secondary
education and filling their
schedules with necessary credit
courses for university entrance.
"When we undertook our credit
review in the mid-1990s, one of
the messages from students that
was very clear was that they
wanted choice," said Martin.
"They didn't want to be pigeonholed into a number of classes.
They wanted a variety of
choices."
It's a fine balance to fit
everything in but Schwartz
believes there is no rational
reason for not mandating daily
physical activity for all students
from K-Grade 12.
"If physical activity and healthy
attitudes aren't part of the school
environment every day, we'll
have a very difficult time
changing any behaviours," she
said. "We're at the crisis point
now where we absolutely have
to intervene. We can no longer
just deliver information, we
must intervene at the school
level, the family level and the
community level.
"Are schools the only answer?
No, but they are a big piece in
the puzzle. We have a huge
opportunity there to address the
problem."
Alberta Learning has stipulated
10 per cent of total instruction
time for elementary students -two and a half hours a week -go to health and physical
education but daily phys-ed
classes are not compulsory. Red
Deer public is the only school
district in either Alberta or
Saskatchewan that requires its
elementary students to undergo
daily physical activity.
In Saskatchewan, phys-ed is
compulsory from kindergarten
to Grade 9 with a minimum
weekly requirement of 150
minutes of phys-ed. School
divisions are free to increase that
amount but not dip below.
A handful of the province's
schools -- 150 of a total 765 -are also officially recognized as
Quality Daily Physical
Education schools. The QDPE is
a national program which
stresses the importance of physed and requires member schools
to have a minimum 120 minutes
of scheduled instructional time
each week. That's in addition to
the 150 specified in the
Saskatchewan curriculum.
QDPE schools must also have
an active intramural program.
Saskatoon schools have also
embraced Saskatoon District
Health's (SDH) 'In Motion'
strategy, which has a mandate
like Alberta's Ever Active
Schools, to ingrain the value of
physical activity.
TIPS FOR FAMILY FITNESS:
- Make activity part of your
family schedule. Set a regular
time throughout the week for
your active family time.
- Designate indoor and outdoor
play spaces where running,
climbing, rolling and jumping
are allowed.
- Buy some low-cost toys that
encourage activity, such as
beach balls and Frisbees.
- Limit the time your child
spends doing sedentary activities
such as watching TV or playing
computer games.
- Take a "long cut" -- park
farther away, take the stairs,
walk to a friend's house.
- Explore free or low-cost
physical activity areas near your
home -- trail systems, tennis
courts, swimming pool, playing
fields.
- Have your child volunteer to
help a senior in the
neighbourhood with chores such
as gardening or mowing the
grass.
- Go kite flying with your kids.
- Go camping, where you can
pitch a tent, gather firewood and
water, hike and move all day
long.
- Visit a "U-pick" vegetable or
fruit farm and get your children
to help you make preserves with
the fruits of your labour.
- Build an obstacle course in the
basement or garage on a rainy
day.
Source: Adapted by Margaret
Schwartz from 99 Tips for
Family Fitness Fun published by
the National Association for
Sport and Physical Education.
39
Title: Figures no fun Canadian math students so bad some unfit for remedial class
Author: John Cruickshank
Source: Toronto Globe and Mail, Page P.1
Date: January 30, 1982
Why can't Canadian university
students add?
It's a problem confounding
mathematics professors across
the country.
Less than half the students who
have entered math courses at the
University of Alberta for the
past four years have passed a
quiz based on high school
material. The average mark on
the 25-question, multiple-choice
test has hovered around 38 per
cent each year.
Between 15 per cent and 20 per
cent of the first-year students
taking math courses at Acadia
University in Wolfeville, N.S.,
can't add fractions or solve basic
algebraic problems, Professor
Fred Chipman said. "And if they
can't add fractions by first year,
they're doomed," he said.
York University in Toronto for
several years has run a remedial
math class for adult learners and
students who haven't completed
high school math programs.
Now math professors are
discovering that a growing
number of first-year students are
not well enough prepared to
cope with the remedial program,
department chairman Gene
Denzel said. "We have a
growing number of students
coming in who do abysmally on
the math test we give them at the
beginning of the year," he said.
"And it's not even Grade 13
material." Professor Denzel said
his math department is now
confronted with an entirely new
type of student. In the past, math
classes were dominated by math
majors, science students and a
small group of commerce pupils.
Today, the business and
commerce departments are
exploding with students, many
of whom were not aware in high
school that they would have to
cope with math at a university
level. "Students in general are
not as well prepared for firstyear math as they were 10 or 15
years ago," said Charles
Edmunds of Mount Saint
Vincent University in Halifax.
"If you look at the Student
Achievement Test math scores
you'll see they peaked some
time in the late '60s and have
been declining ever since." Ivan
Baggs at the University of
Alberta said the provincial
Government has been told of the
problems in his department, but
the message hasn't reached high
school course planners. "It
appears that curriculum is going
downhill, too," he said. "The
province is expecting students to
do less and less. But the problem
with first-year students seems to
be practically universal all
across the country. I've been in
pretty close touch with people in
Saskatoon (University of
Saskatchewan) and at UBC
(University of British Columbia)
and their problems are the
same." One of the problems in
Alberta is that high school math
teachers are not required to have
specialist training in
mathematics, Prof. Baggs said.
"A person who has taught phys.
ed. and gets tired of that ends up
teaching math," he said. "They
often don't have the necessary
background." Students with a
poor grounding in mathematics
find their first year at university
very frustrating, Prof. Baggs
said. "During the last year, I've
had so many students in my
office in tears about this." But
that doesn't mean that all
students will do the necessary
remedial work to improve their
understanding. "We've run a
small remedial program for the
last three or four years and we
have proof that students who
attend do better in our courses.
But only one in six students will
go." The result is a dropout and
failure rate of between 32 per
cent and 45 per cent.
Prof. Baggs speculated that
because young students have
many more interests than they
did a generation ago, they are
not doing homework any more.
"Students are into a lot of things
these days," he said. "I wouldn't
be surprised if this problem goes
back all the way to Grade 1.
Some teachers have told me
they've stopped giving out
homework, because it just
doesn't get one."
40
Title: Teachers get creative when lacking space for phys-ed class;
Author: Carlye Malchuk
Source: Edmonton Journal, Page D.2
When the mercury plummets in
winter, Maureen King and her
students at Holmfield School in
southwestern Manitoba lose access
to their only phys-ed facility -- the
great outdoors.
King is one of two teachers at a
two-room school located on a
Hutterite colony near the town of
Killarney. There is no gymnasium.
When it's bitterly cold outside, King
and the 20 students at her school -ranging from kindergarten to Grade
12 -- stay in the classroom for health
education and indoor games.
"We'll do healthy living, eating,
stuff like that, and then we usually
take a few days to go skating or
tobogganing," she said in an
interview.
While King also tries to keep the
kids active indoors by playing little
games that get them up and moving,
Fatima Martins has the opposite
problem -- a shortage of outdoor
space.
Martins is the principal at St. Teresa
Catholic school in Toronto, an
elementary school of 225 students.
There is a double gymnasium for
indoor activity, but only a small
asphalt pad for outdoor play.
The fenced-in courtyard has a small
playground and almost no shade,
leaving the kids -- ranging from
junior kindergarten to Grade 8 -with little room to move.
Martins said teachers sometimes get
around the problem by taking the
students to a park that's a five- to
10-minute walk away.
"Some of our coaching happens
down there for soccer, crosscountry and things like that," she
said.
"(And) we've realigned our yard
with games lines and different play
areas for the different age groups,"
she said.
In 2001, the Canadian Fitness and
(CFLRI) conducted a physical
activity capacity study, which
looked at the availability of indoor
and outdoor facilities in schools.
Although 70 per cent of schools
were scored as being well- equipped
for phys-ed and extracurricular
programs, 12 per cent of elementary
schools were rated as being illequipped. In addition, only 58 per
cent of schools were ranked as
being well equipped for other
physical activity and play.
"Physical activity facilities at school
not only provide venues for kids to
be active, but I think also
demonstrate to kids the importance
within the whole education system
of that part of the school process,"
said Mark Tremblay, chair of Active
Healthy Kids Canada.
Tremblay said some facilities are
inadequate, and "that sends a
message to kids which I think is
counter to the whole promotion of
physical activity."
And according to Tremblay's
organization, the need has never
been greater. For the second year in
a row, the group's annual report card
gave the country a D in physical
activity.
"We're paying for this lack of
foresight in terms of keeping (kids)
healthy," Tremblay said. "We end
up investing in these kids at the
back end, once they become obese,
they've developed Type 2 diabetes
and so forth."
He said decision-makers need to
concede that the cost of building
facilities and keeping them
maintained is a steal compared to
the expense the health-care system
will be burdened with down the
road.
Aside from relying on their own
instincts, Tremblay said a variety of
resources are available to teachers
and administrators to help them get
kids active.
CAHPERD, the Canadian
Education, Recreation and Dance,
offers its roughly 2,000 members
access to teacher-specific online
resources. The association also runs
Excelway, an online bookstore that
offers books and other tools to help
with phys-ed in schools.
One book suggested is No Gym? No
Problem!, a book of physical
activities that teachers can use when
they lack a gymnasium or outdoor
space.
Author Charmain Sutherland, a
phys-ed teacher in Severn, Md., said
even without space, teachers can
involve kids in anything from lowintensity to high-intensity activities.
Throwing activities that use
crumpled paper instead of a ball, or
jumping and hopping instead of
running, can keep the kids engaged
and safe, even in a classroom full of
desks and science projects.
41
Title: Towards better health
Author: Viewpoints
Source: Regina Leader Post, Page B.7
In Brief: There is growing
recognition of the need for a
campaign that will encourage
young Canadians to become
more physically active.
There is something different in
the ubiquitous drink machines
that have infiltrated our schools
over the last few decades.
Carbonated, sugar-packed soft
drinks have been replaced in
Regina separate schools with
bottled water and bottled water
with the faintest hint of flavour
(and correspondingly low
calories).
The Regina Public School Board
has also set in a place a food and
beverages policy that will
restrict what can be sold in
schools beginning in
January, 2007. At least 50 per
cent of all beverages offered in
vending machines and school
canteens must be water, milk, or
100- per-cent fruit juices. Sports
drinks and fruit-based beverages
will make up the remainder.
Such bans may seem like a
small thing, but spread over all
the nation's schools they help
create an important front in what
will be the next big public health
"push".
The objective is better fitness
and health -- and fewer calories.
This is important. We are
approaching a crisis in our
national health, and removing
soft drinks from schools is just
one weapon in a war on obesity
and attendant weight-related
ailments such as heart disease,
back problems and diabetes.
There is near-universal
agreement that such a campaign
is a vital national necessity.
Signs of a new emphasis on
fitness are everywhere: the wife
of Saskatchewan's new
lieutenant-governor has
indicated she plans to push
fitness and walkers can be seen
everywhere in Wascana Centre.
Nationally, there is serious talk
of reviving the ParticipAction
campaign that ran from 19722001. There is also talk about
borrowing a page from the antitobacco playbook and adding
(through a "fat tax") a few dimes
to the price of, say, a bag of
chips in order to act as a
psychological barrier to its
purchase. Constant hikes in the
price of cigarettes are credited
with dampening demand,
particularly among young
people.
Perhaps the tax money collected
could be put into imaginative
educational and advertising
campaigns reminding Canadians
of the importance of eating less
and exercising more.
There is constant agitation for
more -- perhaps mandatory -physical education in Canadian
schools.
Sounds like a sensible long-term
investment, but the Vancouver
Province recently reported that
such proposals in B.C. have
foundered upon the opposition
of school administrators (who
complained, not without
justification, that their students'
days already had too many
special classes crammed into
them) and parents of nonathletic children (who feared
such classes would drag down
their kids' grade averages). Odd
that parents would put grades
ahead of health.
It's also odd that so many
students emerge from school
with close to an obsessive hatred
of phys ed and exercise.
Some parents wonder if this is
because the existing emphasis
on competitive sports in high
schools "disrespects" and
downplays the benefits of noncompetitive exercise. Former
Olympic rower Silken Lauman
recently offered a theory that
constant school cutbacks have
led to phys ed classes often
being taught by "generalist"
teachers who are unfamiliar, and
uncomfortable, with their roles.
All in all, there is no magic
formula. You just eat less, eat
better and move more. But
successfully planting this
concept into people's
subconscious is not easy.
Dr. Marc Tremblay, a professor
in the college of kinesiology at
the University of Saskatchewan
and chair of the national
advocacy group Active Healthy
Kids Canada, says that the profitness breakthrough -- if it
comes -- will be the result of
billions of individual decisions
to eat less and move more,
rather than grand schemes to
build "more tennis courts or
bicycle paths".
42
"Thirty minutes or more of
being immobile in a chair in
front of a screen should be a
biological prompt to move. And
I don't mean throw on your
running shorts and run five
kilometres; I mean move -- go
get a glass of water or move the
laundry from the washer to the
dryer."
obvious comparison to the
decades-old fight against
another health threat: smoking
and second-hand smoke. The
one direction that profitness
programs must not take is
mocking and stigmatizing the
overweight in the same way that
early anti-tobacco campaigns
targeted smokers.
In the scope and urgency of the
pro-fitness campaign, there is an
Important though it is, fitness
campaigns must not be
perverted into bashing of the
"non-fit", even if in a
supposedly humourous way.
However, the human and social
costs of not doing everything we
can to promote healthier living
will be enormous.
As a society, we must set to
work -- and quickly.
Title: Phys-ed needed throughout high school
Author: Laura Muldoon
Source: The Ottawa Citizen, Page A.11
Re: Time to get physical, July
31.
I so rarely find myself agreeing
wholeheartedly with one of the
Citizen's editorials that when I
do, I feel compelled to write.
I am a family physician and an
enthusiastic convert to
promoting the importance of
physical activity for the mental
and physical health of people of
all ages. (Why convert, you may
ask? I'll get to that later.) Like
everything else in life, though,
it's much easier to stay active
than it is to get active. Thus, the
notion that a 15- year-old has
received all the physical
education that he or she will
ever need is ludicrous. So here's
to making physical education
mandatory throughout the highschool years.
On the other hand (this is where
my "conversion" comes in),
physical education must be
taught like other school subjects.
The school system recognizes
that not everyone can get high
marks in mathematics, for
example, and offers different
levels of mathematics training
for students of different abilities
and interests. Why is the same
system not applied to physical
education? Speaking as someone
who was not at the gifted end of
the athletic spectrum, I couldn't
wait to drop phys-ed at the
earliest opportunity when I was
in high school.
I ended up hating and avoiding
physical activity for many years
because (among other reasons) I
was convinced it was no fun and
that I was bad at it. Clearly this
should not be how the system
works.
I hope that the decision-makers
in the Ministry of Education in
Toronto have received a copy of
your editorial because it's right
on!
Laura Muldoon, MD
43
Title: Mandatory phys-ed won't eliminate obesity
Author: Krista Beaudoin
Source: The Windsor Star, Page A.7
Having mandatory physical
education classes all four years
of high school is not the solution
to teen obesity. If anything, it
will cause even more stress on
students. Where would you fit in
the extra mandatory class?
Would you take out classes that
are required and recommended
for university? I don't think so.
With the four-year program,
there is no room for mandatory
gym classes, especially at
Catholic schools which have to
fit religion into their timetables
as well. If a student plans to
attend university for their postsecondary education, the only
way to fit phys-ed into their
timetable would be to stay an
extra year.
Creating mandatory gym classes
will not solve childhood obesity.
You can make the class
mandatory but you cannot make
a student be active. Being a high
school student myself, I have
seen students stand around in
gym class. It is like the old
saying, "you can lead a horse to
water but you can't make him
drink."
Phys-ed is mandatory in
elementary school but yet there
are still children under the age
of 13 who are obese. Obviously,
mandatory gym class doesn't
work.
Sports teams were mentioned as
well. They are an excellent way
to get active, but not everyone
can play. You must be skilled
enough to make the team. There
should be more intramural
programs introduced into our
schools and communities.
Maybe the solution to teen
obesity would be more healthy
food in our cafeterias. Just an
idea.
Krista Beaudoin
Title: Less than half of high school students taking phys. ed after grade 9: study
Author:
Source: Whitehorse Star, Page 22
Date: July 26, 2006
TORONTO (CP) -- Ontario
should consider changes to its
high school physical education
program, researchers said
Tuesday after finding that most
students are dropping gym
classes, raising fears of obesity
in teens.
Researchers from the University
of Toronto and the University of
Guelph have found that less than
half of Ontario high school
students are fitting basketball
and floor hockey into their
timetables after Grade 9.
Participation in physical
education dropped to 50 per cent
in Grade 10 from 98 per cent in
Grade 9, when it is mandatory.
In Grades 11 and 12, the
numbers fell even further to 43
and 36 per cent respectively.
"It should be a wake up call to
the government and also to
school boards and parents," said
Kenneth Allison, director of
physical activity research at the
U of T.
"The opportunities and
especially the participation by
secondary schools in physical
activity ... is lower than it should
be."
The study's co-author John
Dwyer, an associate professor at
Guelph's Department of Family
Relations and Applied Nutrition,
called the lack of student
participation in exercise at
school an alarming trend of
inactivity among Canadian
youth.
"Typically it's recommended
that adolescents should be
getting at least 60 minutes of
moderate to vigorous physical
activity daily," said Dwyer.
"If kids aren't getting it at
school, they are physically
inactive."
44
Over the past 25 years, obesity
rates have more than tripled for
Canadian children between the
ages of 12 and 17. Obesity
increases the risk of heart
disease, high blood pressure and
Type 2 diabetes.
Dwyer said youth who are
inactive at school are unlikely to
exercise elsewhere.
Both researchers suggested that
requiring students to take more
than one year of gym in high
school could help.
"If there were policies that
indicated that students would
need to take more than one
credit of physical education
during highschool...
participation would increase,"
said Allison.
The study also found that only
about 25 per cent of students
took part in inter-school sports,
although almost all of the 474
schools surveyed offered those
programs. Fifteen per cent of
students joined intramural
programs.
The new findings show a
dramatic drop compared to a
previous study on participation
in physical education conducted
in 1998. At that time, about 63
per cent of Grade 10 students
took gym classes and about 29
per cent took part in intramural
sports.
Researchers said students have
indicated there's no space for
gym classes in a high school
timetable geared towards
meeting the requirements for
entrance to post-secondary
schools.
"Youth are telling us that one of
the reasons they don't take
physical education is because
they and their parents feel that
physical education is not a
priority," said Dwyer.
"They need to get into
university, and they are better
off putting their time and effort
into academics," Dwyer added.
The research, published in the
July issue of the Journal of
Adolescent Health, is based on
mailed-in responses from health
and physical education teachers.
Title:
Author: Anonymous
Source: Winnipeg Free Press
Date: April 21, 2006
Students have many reasons,
some of them eminently
reasonable, for dropping out of
gym class, as they are permitted
in Manitoba after Grade 10.
Some hate sports, others have
better things to do with their
school time, including taking
additional courses in core
subjects to prepare for advanced
education.
The high-school schedule can be
busy and demanding, indeed,
but the provincial government
has pledged to add physical
education to the list of
compulsory subjects. It is now
soliciting suggestions of how to
fit it into student timetables.
Rather, the idea should be
scrapped. Healthy Living
Minister Theresa Oswald wants
to reverse the rising rates of
obesity among Manitobans.
Statistics Canada has
documented the trend,
comparing the numbers of obese
and overweight Canadians last
year to those in 1978/79.
It found the rates of obesity in
Canada tripled to nine per cent
among those aged 12 to 17,
while the rate of those
considered overweight doubled
to 29 per cent. This worrisome
trend holds profound
consequence for population
health and provincial budgets
and governments should be
warning citizens of that.
Manitoba's response was to
appoint a provincial all-party
task force, which held
community consultations across
the province. The task force last
year made 47 recommendations
to Ms. Oswald, who pledged to
implement them all.
Among them was extending
mandatory phys ed to the last
two high school years. The
Education Department now has
launched another round of
consultations to figure out how
to do that, because the number
of hours in a school day and
available gym time is limited.
45
Among the ideas is giving
students who participate in
sports or health education
outside of school credit for up to
20 of the 110 hours required
each year; another is to increase
the requisite number of credits
for graduation to 30 from 28.
It is speculative that forcing all
teenagers, particularly the
reluctant, will reduce obesity.
StatsCan's survey indicates
choices of activities and diet that
contribute to weight gain are
made long before a teen nears
adulthood. Such habits are laid
down early, usually in the home.
Canada would be a healthier
place if children played more
and schools can play a role in
that.
who control kids' free time and
diet. Manitobans should know
the health implications of
sedentary pastimes and diets
high in fat and sugar. Parents
need to be aware of the lasting
imprint that their lifestyle has on
their children. Forcing phys ed
on 17- and 18-year-olds is too
much too late.
Ms. Oswald should focus
educational efforts on parents,
Title: Liberals dish out cash for phys-ed programs
Author: Elaine O’Connor
Source: The Province, Vancouver, Page A.13
Date: March 22, 2006
Childhood fitness, healthy
lifestyles and sports promoted
How do a gym full of students
share five bean bags?
That's not an elaborate brain
teaser. It's a real problem for
Judy Kindrachuck, a physical
education teacher in Vancouver.
"Our gym is so bare . . . we
actually have five bean bags.
That's all we have left and it's
really quite pathetic," said the
Trafalgar Elementary teacher.
"Our hockey sticks are all
busted and broken, and our
soccer balls -- we're down to
two soccer balls."
The difficulty, said the veteran
of 18 years in the classroom, is
that "equipment is very
expensive."
"Once you start getting a class
set of anything, you're looking at
$300 to $400. And when you've
got 500 kids rotating through
this equipment, it doesn't last,
either.
"Any bit of money helps."
Yesterday, Minister of
Education Shirley Bond
announced that the province
would provide $1.3 million to
help schools like Trafalgar
rebuild equipment inventories.
"One of the things I've heard as
I've been visiting schools is the
need to add equipment," Bond
said yesterday before joining
Trafalgar students in skipping
and stretching. "We're going to
send grants directly to schools to
allow them to buy that muchneeded equipment."
Elementary, middle and junior
schools will each receive $850;
secondaries will get $1,000.
Kindrachuck plans to purchase
balance boards, agility ladders,
medicine balls, exercise balls
and skipping ropes with the
funds.
Bond pledged another $1.5
million for the existing Action
Schools! B.C. program for
teacher training, classroom-
activity bins and healthy-eating
learning materials. The program,
first piloted in 2003 and
currently in about 750 schools,
gets kids moving with in- class
physical-activity breaks and
education on healthy choices.
"We know that children who are
physically active actually do
better academically as well,"
Bond said.
"We've seen some great results
in the early pilots that we've
had, so we're looking forward to
expanding this project."
The province will spend
$950,000 to develop a healthyschools network, offering grants
to schools that commit to
improving student health and
meeting benchmarks, and
$50,000 to B.C. School Sports
to help co-ordinate provincial
championships for 400 schools.
The announcement formed a
part of the government's
ActNow B.C. healthy-living
promotion.
46
Title: Mennonite kids fitter than kids with contemporary lifestyle
Author: Sheryl Ubelacker
Source: Whitehorse Star, Page 29
Date: July 8, 2005
TORONTO (CP) -- They may do
without modern conveniences such
as TV, computers and even
telephones, but Old Order
Mennonite children have one
distinct advantage over kids with a
more contemporary lifestyle -they're fitter, stronger and leaner.
Old Order Mennonites provide a
glimpse into the lives of earlier
generations of Canadians whose
daily existence incorporated
physical activity as a matter of
course, suggests the study by the
Canadian Institute for Health
Information (CIHI).
The research, released Tuesday,
found a strong link between the
sedentary, technology-rich
lifestyles of most Canadian
children and reduced physical
activity and fitness -- key
components leading to obesity.
Between 25 and 30 per cent of
Canadian children are considered
overweight or obese, said lead
author Mark Tremblay, a professor
of kinesiology at the University of
Saskatchewan in Saskatoon.
"Several generations ago, there was
no obesity epidemic," Tremblay
said Tuesday. "The lifestyle of
times gone by is one that has
physical activity embedded within
the way of living as opposed to
(being) orchestrated or engineered,
the way we seem to do it now.
"The Old Order Mennonite kids are
more active and they achieve that
activity more consistently
throughout the day. They have
chores in the morning, they have
chores in the evening. They walk to
school, they walk from school.
They play hard at recess."
to more than 40 pounds of fat per
person, per decade, the researchers
say.
The conservative sect found in
communities across the country is
known for plain dress and rejection
of unnecessary technology.
The Mennonite youngsters also had
leaner triceps than urban
Saskatchewan children (a measure
of more muscle and less fat); a
greater aerobic fitness score than
rural Saskatchewan children; and
greater grip strength than both rural
and urban Saskatchewan children.
The findings applied to both girls
and boys.
Tremblay and his team of
researchers in Saskatoon and at the
University of Lethbridge in Alberta
compared the activity and fitness
levels of 124 Old Order Mennonite
children living near Mount Forest,
Ont., with those of 110 urban and
165 rural children in Saskatchewan.
During the fall 2002 study, the
three groups of eight- to 13- yearolds were measured for the amount
of moderate to vigorous activity
they engaged in daily, their strength
and the ratio of fat to muscle.
Overall, the Mennonite youngsters
left their more modern counterparts
in the dust.
"We found that the Old Order
Mennonite kids -- despite the fact
that they have no physical
education in their school program,
that they have no municipal
recreation sport in their
communities and that they have
very low socioeconomic status -were leaner, fitter stronger and
more active than contemporaryliving kids," Tremblay said.
On average, the Mennonite
children spent up to 18 minutes
more in moderate or vigorous
physical activity a day than kids in
the other two groups. All else being
equal, that extra activity translates
into a caloric difference equivalent
"We measured strength by grip
strength ... and boys and girls in the
Old Order Mennonite groups were
much, much stronger," Tremblay
stressed.
Researchers attribute the
Mennonite children's strength and
fitness to the amount of physical
activity they get through everyday
walking, farming activities and
household chores.
"I think a point that's shown really
well from this particular study is
just the difference in the actual
amount of physical activity being
done in the Mennonites versus the
traditional children," said Ian
Janssen, an assistant professor of
physical and health education at
Queen's University, commenting on
the research.
"The physical activity that these
Mennonites are doing, it's work,"
Janssen said from Kingston, Ont.
"If we can get our children to do
more chores and do more work,
that can contribute to increasing
their overall physical activity
levels.
47
Title: How do we answer the $400 million question?
Author: Garth Turtle
Source: Physical & Health Education Journal, Volumne 71, Issue 3, Page 2
Date: Autumn 2005
Web site: http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=936132511\
As the summer fades and we
immerse ourselves into another
academic year, it becomes more
and more evident that schools,
in particular elementary schools,
are being charged with a huge
burden. Everywhere you look,
everything you hear, every
presentation you go to, and
everything you read, indicates
that our children are continuing
to lead unhealthy lifestyles and
it is the "education system that
has to fix the children."
People in the education system
cannot fix the children... at least
not alone (read the CAHPERD
Scholar Address on page 4 for
further explanation about this).
Now having said that, I do
believe that as physical
educators, we certainly can and
must play a key role in creating
a healthy, active and physically
literate society. Our role in
teaching children the "why",
"how", "when" and "where" of
physical literacy is imperative.
Schools and universities are the
places where these messages can
be put into practice. But... do the
schools and the universities have
the capacity to deliver these
messages? That is the $400
million question.
Across the country, you are
probably witnessing
Government-supported 'active
school programs' popping up.
These programs are designed to
create "physical activity"
opportunities for youth before,
during, and after school. While
this is great news - as we all
know that our children require
more time to be physically
active every day - it is critical
that we remember that these
programs are not/should not be
designed to replace physical
education, but rather to
compliment physical education.
These active school programs
will not teach the children the
"how" in becoming physically
active. That is the central and
fundamental role of Quality
Physical Education programs those programs that are taught
by trained physical education
specialists, provide the
opportunity for students to
develop a variety of physical
activity skills, and that are
offered as a core part of a child's
education.
Sport Canada recently released
"Canadian Sport for Life" - a
resource that launches its Long
Term Athlete Development
Model (LTAD). This is an
excellent resource that all of you
should read. It makes an
excellent connection to the
integral role of physical
education to reach individuals at
a grassroots level to teach
fundamental skills that will lead
to a variety of positive
outcomes, among them a more
physically active society, elite
athletes, etc. This in itself is
wonderful news since, for far
too long, physical education and
its role in the development of
athletes at all levels has been
completely under-stated. In
addition, the resource clearly
defines the expectations of
physical education. In fact, and I
quote from the resource, "Long
Term Athlete Development will
ensure physical literacy". The
resource is a little short on how
this model will ensure physical
literacy, but does define it as the
"mastery of fundamental motor
skills and fundamental sport
skills". What is critical now is
for Sport Canada to ensure that
the education link continues to
be developed.
Children need to know "why"
they need to be active, and they
need to have the opportunity to
learn movement skills in a
sequential way that will allow
them to develop the skills to be
physically active outside of
physical education class. It is
not enough to tell them they
have to be active or roll the ball
out and let them play - good...
but not enough.
And here is where the $400
million question comes in
again... If there are no physical
education specialists in the
elementary school system, who
is going to teach the
fundamental movement and
sport skills necessary to begin
the long term development of
Canada's athletes? If schools are
not establishing curricula and
schedules to allow for Quality
Physical Education programs
how will children graduate with
physical literacy? If teachers in
the university setting are not
being trained to have the
capacity to put these goals and
outcomes in place, then how
will Canada have success in
these long term health and sport
objectives?
So what exactly do we have in
place now? A health system
pushing schools to produce
healthy and active students; a
48
sport system pushing schools to
produce students with
fundamental movement and
sport skills; and an education
system unable or unwilling to
put in place the physical
education specialists and
programs needed to meet the
challenge.
If Sport Canada and Health
Canada and their provincial
affiliates really endorse these
fundamental physical literacy
beliefs, then show us - help us to
respond to the $400 million
question. Support us with
resources and adequate funding
to allow us to properly educate
future professionals, hire them,
and nurture them as they reach
out to every single child in this
country. Provide appropriate
opportunities for these experts in
the physical education field to
establish and offer Quality
Physical Education programs to
our children - a program that is
their right to receive, a program
that is fundamental to teaching
physical literacy.
The Path to Success is to take
massive, determined action.
Title: The 'physically illiterate' generation: Series: Happy, Healthy & Fat
Author: Doug Fischer
Source: The Ottawa Citizen, Page A.15
Happy, Healthy and Fat - Part 7
of a 10-Part Series. Ran with fact
boxes "Child's Play" and "About
this series",
Only 18 per cent of Ontario's
grade schools have a full-time
phys- ed specialist, but a growing
number are trying to make room
for fitness in the daily
curriculum. Doug Fischer
reports.
'The reality is that fit kids learn
more and fit kids achieve more.
Why we aren't acting on that as a
society is beyond me.'
-- Orleans physical education
teacher Allen Emond
--Allen Emond's Grade 5 gym
class at Forest Valley Elementary
School in Orleans is a study in
organized confusion.
Nearly three decades of urging
kids around cinder tracks, over
boxhorses and up and down the
gym floor have taught him how
to get the most out of a couple of
dozen multi-tasking youngsters
without any help.
He's divided them into three
groups, and from his strategic
post beside the boxhorse he can
ensure the vaulters don't crash to
the floor and still keep watch
over the kids walking the balance
beam and the children tumbling
on the mats.
As always, the genial 52-year-old
has reminded his boisterous
charges to play safe. But along
with the message of caution
comes some cheerful
encouragement to approach their
tasks with a spirit of adventure
and camaraderie.
"Have fun and look out for your
neighbours," he says. "A good
word goes a long way."
As recently as 20 years ago,
scenes like this played out daily
in elementary schools across the
province and the country. Today,
they are a rarity.
Even after a decade of
increasingly alarming statistics
on childhood obesity, Ontario's
public schools are rapidly losing
experts like Mr. Emond who can
help teach children how to make
fitness a regular part of their
lives.
According to a 2002 survey
conducted by a province-wide
parents' group, the number of
fully trained physical education
teachers in the province's
elementary schools has dropped
26 per cent since 1998.
That's the year Ontario's new
school funding formula stopped
providing money for such
specialists -- and, ironically, the
year the province introduced a
tougher curriculum for health and
physical education.
The education ministry's own
figures suggest that roughly twothirds of the province's grade
schools have no physical
education teacher at all, and that
only 18 per cent have a full-time
specialist like Mr. Emond.
If anything, the situation is more
pronounced in high school,
where the province requires
students to complete only one
49
physical education credit before
graduation.
The majority of students get that
credit in Grade 9 -- in some
schools, it's even possible to get
the credit by taking a health or
leadership course that requires no
physical activity -- and by Grade
12 so few students sign up it is
often difficult to organize a physed class.
Some experts believe physical
education should be compulsory
throughout high school, but the
idea has met strong opposition
from those who worry averages
will be reduced for kids who do
not do well in the subject. A 70per-cent grade in phys-ed when
other marks are in the 80s or 90s
can mean the difference between
acceptance and rejection by a
university.
"The negative social and health
implications of this trend are
only beginning to show
themselves," says Toronto
medical health officer Dr. Sheila
Basrur, who's been collecting
data for her campaign to
convince Ontario's education
ministry and Toronto city council
to focus on fitness.
"I think we can expect an
epidemic of problems. In fact,
think we've started to see it
already."
Studies show that poor fitness in
youth dramatically increases the
risk of diabetes, obesity,
osteoporosis and heart disease.
The studies also suggest that less
active teens are more likely to get
pregnant, face psychological
problems, engage in drug use and
have run-ins with the law.
"The simple fact is we are raising
a generation of physically
illiterate children," says former
Olympian Bruce Kidd, now dean
of physical education and health
at the University of Toronto.
And, significantly, research
indicates habits developed during
youth tend to persist into
adulthood -- if you don't exercise
as a kid you're not likely to start
when you grow up.
That view is supported by some
powerful statistics:
But no matter how alarming the
results of poor fitness, the
statistics haven't been enough to
shift public attitudes in any major
way.
- Fewer than 10 per cent of
Canadian children aged 10 to 19
are active enough to be
considered physically fit;
- Two-thirds of children are so
inactive their lifestyle poses a
health risk;
- Canadian children expend about
one-quarter of the energy they
did in 1962;
- Only 12 per cent of Canadian
grade-school kids get the amount
of daily phys-ed time
recommended by Health Canada;
- One in four Canadian children
is considered overweight.
"When it comes to a choice
between $100,00 for new
computers or $100,000 for physed teachers, guess which one
always wins?" asks Chris
Johnson, an outspoken British
Columbia phys-ed proponent.
Like other experts, Mr. Johnson
believes parents, students and
educators have become too
concerned with academic
achievement and in the process
have been blinded to the fact that
fitness actually helps improve
marks.
As a result, many experts are
now focusing their fitness
crusade on preaching the benefits
of an active lifestyle rather than
the hazards of poor health.
"We know that kids who are
physically fit get better grades,
are more involved socially, feel
less stress, sleep better, set higher
goals for themselves and have
better overall mental health,"
says Margaret Schwartz, an
Alberta teacher who taken a
national lead in the debate.
Of course, no one expects
schools to do this alone -- parents
and communities have
responsibilities -- but schools
have to play a leading role in
getting across the message,
experts say.
The fact is kids don't spend
nearly as much time playing
outdoors anymore. Many parents
prefer to keep their children off
the streets and playgrounds after
school hours for safety reasons.
That has cut severely into socalled random play -- pick-up
sports games, tag, bike riding,
frisbee tossing -- that once
accounted for the bulk of
children's physical activity.
Stuck inside, kids turn to TV,
Nintendo and computers,
spending more time, according to
one study, staring into electronic
screens than on any other activity
except sleep.
Moreover, only about one in five
Ontario children walk or bike to
school, and a growing number of
kids are arriving from school to
empty homes -- their parents still
at work -- and the temptations of
video games.
In many families, both parents
work or even hold second jobs
and don't have much time to
spend on active family outings,
50
like skiing or biking or even
walking.
Many children get most of their
exercise in organized sports -- to
which they are frequently driven
by their parents -- where they are
supervised but where their
activities are often heavily
structured and the competitive
levels are often emphasized too
much for less-skilled kids.
Of course, poor families are not
able to afford most organized
activities -- especially costly
sports like hockey -- nor can they
provide their kids with private
lessons, sports camps or summer
camps. For many children from
low-income families, school is
the only outlet for organized
activity.
City of Ottawa statistics suggest
roughly 30 per cent of young
children get involved in
organized city-sponsored
activities, a figure that drops to
about 15 per cent by the time
they reach their teens.
"Research tells us the majority of
kids drop out of sports by 13 and
the main reason is they cease to
be fun," Mr. Johnson says. "I
think we've done children a
tremendous disservice."
Still, the story is far from
gloomy.
Increasingly, elementary schools
across the country are finding
creative ways to deal with the
reality they're not likely to get
much more money for phys-ed,
or any full-time specialists.
In 1998, for instance, the Thames
Valley School Board in London,
Ont., began a pilot program that
made daily physical activity
mandatory in 19 schools, many
of them without gyms and none
with full-time phys-ed
instructors.
The activities were led by regular
teachers, often in the classroom
itself. The activities stressed
steady movement over
competitive skills and utilized
items like bean bags and large,
soft balls over traditional sports
equipment.
Even in the gym, the emphasis
was on taking the competitive
pressure away from kids,
especially those who were not
athletically inclined or
overweight.
"Kids don't need one more
situation where everyone can see
they are not very skilled," says
program co-ordinator Jane
McCullough.
The program has since spread to
the rest of the board's 156
elementary schools -- where all
teachers are given basic phys-ed
training -- and is being tried
across the province, including a
half- dozen Ottawa-Carleton
District School Board schools.
back in the 1960s and '70s.
"They haven't invented anything
better to gauge cardiovascular
fitness and stamina," he says.
Sadly, he reports, kids don't have
nearly the stamina they did in
1977 when he first began
teaching.
"That's the biggest thing I notice.
We know why it's happening -kids are watching too much TV,
playing video games, being
driven or bused everywhere,"
Mr. Emond says.
Then his face brightens.
"But I'll keep at it. I'm making
progress."
Child's Play
Some ideas and tips for
increasing physical activity in
children compiled by the
Canadian Society of Exercise
Physiology and Health Canada.
"Our No. 1 message is
inclusiveness," says Tom
Macartney, the Ottawa board's
fitness co-ordinator. "We want
kids to know they can participate
in a dignified manner no matter
what their athletic ability."
- Daily quota: Aim to increase
time now spent on physical
activity by 30 minutes a day.
This should be phased in and
include a mix of moderate
activities like brisk walking,
skating, biking, swimming, or
playing outdoors, and vigorous
activities like running and soccer.
At Forest Valley, one of the test
schools, Mr. Emond echoes the
sentiment but says the fun has to
be mixed with the message that
fitness is serious business.
- Tune out. Work to decrease by
30 minutes a day the time spent
on TV, video games and surfing
the Internet.
To keep up interest, he's invented
a few hybrid games -- one of
them a combination of soccer,
basketball and European
handball -- that he offers as
intramural lunch-time activity for
Grade 4 and 5 students. It's
attracted 100 participants.
- More than sports. Let your
children know sports is not the
only way to stay active and fit.
Children who don't enjoy
competition should be
encouraged to try alternatives
like hiking, cycling, walking,
even more strenuous household
chores.
But he also still uses the old
Canada Fitness tests that were
used to measure fitness levels
- Work together. Involve your
children in the process. They are
51
more likely to be motivated if
they play a part in selecting
activities.
- Targets. Setting goals helps
children check their own
progress and gives them
something to strive for. Goalsetting also allows you to find
out what's working and what's
not, and to revise the plan
accordingly. Post an activity
chart on the refrigerator to help
keep kids focused.
- Talk to them. Be sure to give
feedback and praise. If you talk
about what the child has done to
be active, you can help them stay
on course.
- Setting an example. Whenever
possible, involve yourself in the
activities. Being a good role
model is always helpful. And you
get to spend more time with your
kids. This can include household
chores like snow clearing,
carrying in the groceries, or
walking the dog.
- Sorry, not this time. When your
child asks for a ride somewhere
nearby, suggest that they walk or
bike instead.
-Don't say no. When your child
suggests an activity together,
think for a moment about ways to
accommodate the request rather
than offer an automatic response
that you are too busy.
Title: Globesity' blamed on fast food, TV: Worldwide phenomenon: Fewer Canadian schools offering physical
education
Author: Brad Evenson
Source: National Post, Page A.12
Date: June 13, 2002
Why are so many Canadian
children so fat? It is not as though
Twinkies and television were
invented in the past decade. And
some children have always shunned
games on the playground.
Experts say what is new is the
rising incidence of poor eating and
exercise habits around the world,
which is tipping the scale toward
what the World Health
Organization calls "globesity."
A few examples:
- "We've seen a 200% rise in fastfood restaurant visits between 1977
and 1995," says Dr. Claire
LeBlanc, an Ottawa pediatrician
and sports medicine specialist.
"And we know that some of the
grams of fat in these fast-food
industry-type meals are much
higher than they should be, and we
also know that they are pushing
'mega-meals,' so bigger and bigger
size portions when the child -- or
even the adult -- doesn't need that."
Thanks to this "super-sizing" of
portions, the total caloric content of
a typical fast-food meal of
cheeseburger, fries and Coke has
been hoisted to 1,340 calories from
680 calories. That is more than half
a normal adult's recommended
daily caloric consumption.
- Growing numbers of Canadian
children grow up in double- income
families. In 1976, about 32% of
mothers and fathers both worked.
That number rose to 44% in 2001.
The result, says Dr. LeBlanc, is
more parents who arrive home too
exhausted to play with their
children. According to a 2000
survey by the Canadian Fitness and
(CFLRI), only 43% of parents
regularly play active games or
sports with their children. (People
with lower education and income
were least likely to play with their
kids).
Owing to safety concerns, fewer
adults now let their children walk
to school or to activities, opting to
drive them to destinations. Indeed,
some school boards now force
students living as little as 500
metres from the schoolyard to take
the bus.
- Fewer schools now offer physical
education as part of their curricula.
Beset by budget crunches, many
schools drop their phys- ed
programs to concentrate on
academics. In the CFLRI survey,
one in five adolescents aged 13 to
17 reported having no physical
education at all in school. About
half of children aged 5 to 12
received phys- ed classes once or
twice a week.
"Our school playgrounds and gyms
are increasingly unavailable to
children after school because of
insurance concerns," notes Dr. Bob
Issenman, a Canadian Pediatric
Society official.
"I would argue the detriment to
public health is a much greater
threat than the problems caused by
the occasional accident or injury."
52
- That perennial scapegoat,
television, has been around since
the 1960s. But TV now boasts an
endless array of channels and
shows for children including,
ironically, episodes of Teletubbies
aimed at getting toddlers to
exercise. Surveys suggest 76% of
children do sedentary activities
after school such as reading,
watching TV and playing video and
computer games.
"Nintendo and computer games are
extremely popular and they are
addictive," Dr. LeBlanc says. "And
the kids can sit there for hours and
hours on end without having to
interact with anyone or anything,
and certainly without having to
move their butts."
- Fat acceptance. Some activists
believe being fat is a response to
social inequality. In her 1978
bestseller, Fat in a Feminist Issue,
author Susie Orbach argued that
excessive eating has its roots in our
patriarchal culture. Many parents
and doctors, reluctant to burden
kids with feelings of personal
inadequacy, do not push them to
diet or exercise. Dr. LeBlanc says
this is wrong.
"These are kids who already have a
poor sense of self-esteem," she
says. "They are already getting
picked on by their peers. As
physicians, we don't have to tell
them that they are overweight.
They already know."
Title: THE HEALTH HUSTLE Fitness for every child the new direction for 'phys ed'
Author: Beverley Smith
Source: The Globe and Mail, Page T.2
Date: June 7, 1979 (YES, 1979 – see what they were saying 30 years ago!)
THERE WAS A TIME when many
elementary school principals said
confidently that their schools had
good physical education programs.
They must; they could hear the
noise blasting from the gym, and
after all, the girls' volleyball team
had just won the championship.
In the past few years, however,
teachers, principals and physical
education experts have been
looking more closely at the average
child, the one who isn't an elite
athlete, skilled and fit, the one who
doesn't make the volleyball team,
or who, afraid of failure, doesn't
try.
Brows furrowed when Dr. Robert
Goode, a former physical education
teacher, now a physiologist
working at the University of
Toronto, said that the fitness level
of the average child had already
begun to slide downhill after the
age of 7, because of an excess of
desk-sitting and televisionwatching. And he also produced
studies that showed a 30-year-old
Swede could run circles around his
Canadian peer, and, alas, could also
probably keep up to an 11-year-old
Canadian.
Other schools, taking up the fitness
cry, found surprising results linked
to academic achievement.
Therefore, physical education
programs have begun to swing
toward fitness, rather than skill,
and, because fitness cannot be
developed through sporadic effort,
an increased allotment of time.
You won't find perfection, said
Ross Waters, consultant for the
North York Board of Education,
which started an experiment, called
PEP (Physical Education Program)
in the early 1970s. But you will see
a learning process.
One of the first experiments in
Canada on increasing the time
devoted to physical education
occurred in a Regina school called
Sherwood. Spearheaded by Jack
MacKenzie, (now vice-principal of
another Saskatchewan school), the
concept was patterned after an
experimental French school which
allotted one-third of its schedule to
physical fitness. The school
claimed its students did not suffer
because the time for other subjects
was cut.
Sherwood claimed similar benefits,
that students, invigorated by
exercise, tackled their academic
subjects with more zest.
Teachers found that after one year
of a daily program of fitness,
students improved their concept of
themselves (the key thrust of the
program), developed listening skills
to a greater extent, co-operated
better with others, concentrated
more on given challenges, created
their own sequences of movements
(thereby showing more
imagination), and their attentionspan increased. They also found a
satisfactory increase in the ability
to solve mathematical problems.
The PEP children struggle through
stride jumps, leap over boxes on a
mat, swing haphazardly on the
monkey bars. They even hop up
53
numbered lines, presumably
learning to count while working
out.
A room full of primary-level boys
and girls are doing their own thing.
What does it feel like to be a bear,
move like a dizzy spider, pop like a
popcorn, walk like a crab, inch like
a worm? The child is supposed to
learn how best to make the
movements, called free-form, his
own way. The North York Board
stresses movement over skill.
The North York Board tries to get
the children to think about what
they're doing and then perhaps talk
about it, or illustrate it. They also
keep a diary of what they are doing
and learning in these classes.
We can't just drop it at physical
involvement, Mr. Waters said. We
give the child an opportunity to talk
about it. How does it feel to be on
top of the climber? How did I get to
the top? Can we write about the
thing? Can we draw a picture of the
thing? What kind of a self-image
does the child have? What do I
think I look like on top of the
thing? We've got to put it all
together if it's to be a total
experience for the child.
Barbara Johnston, co-ordinator of
physical and health eduction for the
Peel Region Board of Education,
points a warning finger to the
connection between academic
achievement and physical activity.
I'm not sure we can give these kind
of results, she said. Some are
looking for more results in
cognition than they should. There
are basic skills to be learned in
physical education, just as in
mathematics. When you combine
skills (such as hopping and
bouncing a ball at the same time, or
by solving a mathematical problem
by a combination of methods)
without sufficient practice, you
always lose quality. Does that child
know when he can't make the hop
(on the number line) if he doesn't
have a good basis of mathematical
skills? Janet Walsh, a homeroom
teacher for 6- and 7-year-olds at
Rolph Road School in East York,
says that a teacher can try to relate
anything in the academic realm to
the physical - like setting up a
social studies gym, or a space gym,
in which the children can pretend
their bodies are orbiting. She agrees
that daily physical education should
become a priority.
Often most of the kids are running
around in the gym period, but
there's the odd one who just doesn't
play hard, she said. And if you
think about some of these kids at 6years-old, their fitness can go
down, because they have to spend a
lot of time listening and sitting.
They can be physically unfit by 8,9
years of age.
Lefty Bagg, co-ordinator of
physical education for the East
York Board of Education, said that
all Grade 4 students in the
borough's 16 elementary schools
(involving 1,200 students) take one
period a week of swimming in
pools at the junior high schools and
community pools.
I've been told over and over again,
that as a result of this one period a
week, the kids' self-confidence, and
their self-image has improved and
that there is a definite carry-over
into the academic, said Lefty, who
is also a scout for the New York
Mets baseball team. We have two
aims with our program; to develop
movement and cardiovascular and
respiratory fitness.
The Health Hustle was designed to
increase the cardiorespiratory
fitness of children in schools.
I think we're doing much the same
thing now that we ever did teaching throwing skills, and
running skills, but we're trying to
teach the skills along with a high
degree of activity. And I do it with
them.
Born 2 1/2 years ago in the minds
of Maureen Bird, consultant for the
Scarborough Board of Education,
and Joe Strobel, acting coordinator, the Health Hustle is not
part of a regular physical education
program.
Her aim is to increase the heartrate
up to at least 150 beats per minute
for six minutes. The kids are taught
to take their own pulse (at least 25
beats per 10 seconds).
Starting at 9 a.m., disco music and
instruction blaring across the public
address systems in schools, the
kids, the principals, and the janitors
drop everything to do the Health
Hustle. Sometimes the secretaries
even take the phones off the hooks
for 10 minutes and join in.
Some cheat, she laughed.
In the hall, Mrs. Walsh has set up a
fitness station, which the children
can use in their own time. It's not
fancy or expensive. It consists of a
mat and a set of six different
instructions, (50 bent-leg push-ups,
30 sit-ups, 15 skips, 50 hops on
each leg, 90 step up steps, several
front rolls,) which vary from week
to week. I don't know if it helps
their academic work, she said. I just
know that a tired, unfit child
doesn't perform as well as an alert
one.
The Hustle is a program designed
to take place in the classroom,
since many schools don't have the
gymnasium facilities.
You see the regular exercises to
music on the television, but they
don't seem very appealing, said
Miss Bird. They don't have pizzazz.
We needed some sort of gimmick,
so we use the disco music, and get
the kids to sing along with it. They
just love it. The moves we worked
out ourselves by trial and error and
54
the kids add to it. They're the
experts in all the newer
movements! Miss Bird estimates
that about 80 per cent of the
schools in Scarborough take part in
the program, but that the program
has pushed itself with little effort.
The Scarborough board started a
fitness station two years ago where
adults and children can use hand
dynamometers (to measure
strength), spirometers (to measure
lung capacity), or stationary
bicycles.
Now we're getting letters from all
over the province, and even from
New Zealand. We average 200
letters a month, she said.
The board has also set up a Vita
Parcours course (a Swedish
concept).
The regular physical education
program in most Scarborough
schools involves team sports, dance
and rhythmics.
It's a little fitness trial, said Miss
Bird. You have a station where you
might have to do 10 sit-ups, run
toward the next station where you
might do something else, and so on.
A lot of schools have set them up
around the school yards and
adjacent parks in the community.
A regular-size course is 1 1/2 miles
with 20 stations.
Some of the schools also run
jogging clubs from 9 to 9:30 a.m.
during the week, and invite the
parents to join the children.
Many of the teachers bucked the
new programs. After all, they
would have to be devoting more of
their time to a subject in which they
were never proficient. But Mr.
Strobel recounts the story of one
65-year-old teacher who
exclaimed: Why didn't we do this
before?
Title: Exercising an old campaign
Author: Laura Payton and Bruce Deachman
Source: Regina Leader Post, Page G.1
Officials hope to revive
ParticiPACTION, a national
program designed to get
Canadians off the couch
that a 30- minute walk is more
beneficial than watching a rerun of Buffy, the Vampire
Slayer?
OTTAWA -- Just over three
decades ago, a 60-year-old
Swede tried shaming Canadians
into hauling themselves up off
their couches and getting a little
exercise. Then, in the late 1980s
and early '90s, the chirpy
husband-and-wife fitness duo of
Joanne McLeod and Hal
Johnson beamed ear-to-ear
smiles from our TV screens and
urged us to"keep fit and have
fun!"
"When it comes to
communication and media, the
world today is vastly different
than it was in the '90s, '80s and
so on," says Russ Kisby, who
helped develop the original
ParticipACTION program and
served as the organization's
president for 20 years.
Now, as plans move forward to
resuscitate the ParticipACTION
program founded in the early
1970s and bring it into the 21st
century, the question is this:
What will the face of our
national fitness program look
like, and how will it convince us
He adds that the group's current
board -- little more than a ghost
organization since government
funding was cut for the program
in 2001 -- has presented a
budget and proposal to the
federal government, including
Health Minister Tony Clement
and Minister of Sport Michael
Chong.
ParticipACTION vice-chair
Charlie Pielsticker says he hopes
that if the government decides to
revive the fitness awareness
program, it would begin this
year.
"We have a chance to do
something that, rather than be
cut in 2001, probably should
have been started in 2001," he
says. "In other words, if you
look around at the situation in
terms of children and adults and
obesity and Type-2 diabetes and
everything else, it's been
growing enormously.
Pielsticker points to a March
2005 New England Journal of
Medicine article as evidence for
the need to revive
ParticipACTION. The article
outlined a study showing that
the recent increase in obesity in
children may lead to a drop in
55
life expectancy, by as much as
five years.
vast majority of adult Canadians
borders on irresponsible.
"That has nothing to do with
kids, but the type of
environment we're bringing
them up in," Pielsticker says.
"So to bring it back and use that
identity as leverage for
increased resources and
increased attention to the issue
just makes eminent sense. It's
long overdue."
Silken Laumann agrees. The
former world champion rower
and Olympic bronze-medallist
says we need to reconsider how
we're encouraging our children
to keep fit.
"Activity at that age should be
about fun and joy and running
and jumping and playing and
being a bit silly," she adds. "We
haven't been paying attention to
how important that really is.
Physical activity, from the
perspective of play time, has all
but been eliminated."
One of the driving forces behind
ParticipACTION's resurrection
is the immense brand
recognition it generated, and the
favourable light in which it is
still held by most Canadians.
According to Pielsticker, an
Ipsos-Reid poll conducted in
May 2005 showed that 80 per
cent of adult Canadians had a
positive reaction to the program.
"When you have a brand with
that kind of resonance five years
after it was cancelled, that's
phenomenal," Pielsticker says.
Dr. Mark Tremblay, chair of the
Toronto-based, non-profit,
national Active Healthy Kids
Canada organization, calls
ParticipACTION's brand
recognition"extraordinary," and
is blunt in his assessment for the
need to revive the program:
"The physical inactivity crisis is
clearly one of the leading public
health issues of recent time," he
says,"and to not capitalize on a
brand recognition that is very
positive and identifiable to the
The original ParticipACTION
campaign captured the
imagination of Canadians by a
variety of means, whether it was
through the national guilt
associated with a 60-year-old
Swede keeping pace with our
30- year-olds, the feel-good
inclusivity of McLeod and
Johnson's Body Break tips, or
simply by the good-natured,
somewhat offbeat campaigns,
such as the public transit ads
that resembled a one-way traffic
sign and read "JOG TO THE
REAR OF THE BUS. If you're
like most Canadians, it'll be the
only real exercise you'll get
today."
"Why (the campaign) was good
was because it was quirky,"
explains Ontario's Health
Promotion Minister Jim Watson,
an avid supporter of
ParticipACTION's return.
"They had the 60-year-old
Swede running with the 30-yearold Canadian. They had kids
skipping and a senior citizen
jumping in and skipping with
them. That kind of quirkiness
tends to work from a marketing
perspective."
There's no question that, from a
marketing perspective,
ParticipACTION increased
Canadians' awareness of the
need to exercise and keep fit.
But did that heightened
awareness actually result in a
leaner, fitter nation?
"It's very difficult to assess,"
Tremblay says. "One of the
criticisms of ParticipACTION is
that during its existence, the
problem arguably got worse -certainly in terms of obesity.
Laumann believes that getting
people talking about the subject
is helpful, and that government
has a role to play. But she adds
that a PR campaign on its own
isn't the solution.
"If we want to get kids more
interested in playing in sports,
we have to be willing to invest
in good quality physical
education and innovation in our
school systems," she says,
pointing out that in many
schools, day cares and afterschools, those responsible for
physical education instruction
aren't specifically qualified.
"It's like any other topic," she
says, "when you have a fabulous
science teacher, most of the
class gets turned on to science.
What has happened in our
elementary school system is we
have generalist teachers teaching
physical education, often with
little or no training."
Laumann that, in terms of youth
fitness, parents -- not
government -- have to take the
lead role.
"When we get home, rather than
driving Johnny to swimming,
what if we just put our running
shoes on and met some other
kids at the park? How different
would our families feel, and
how different would we feel
about parenting if we shifted our
role from chauffeur to playmate
to community-builder?"
"But there are opportunities,"
she says of the movement to
refit ParticipACTION.
"Just putting in the program
alone is certainly not going to do
enough. On the other hand,
56
anything that gets us thinking
about physical activity and
movement is valuable."
In 1973, ParticipACTION had
few marketing outlets beyond
newspapers, television, radio
and magazines at its disposal.
Today, there are myriad
marketing avenues to consider,
including the Internet,
cellphones and podcasting.
Joanne McLeod and Hal
Johnson, whose convivial 90second Body Break ads
provided Canadians with simple
exercises that could be carried
out in the office, on airplanes or
with children, say that while a
new ParticipACTION campaign
has greater marketing
possibilities, the core message of
the program remains the same.
"What they were promoting 30
years ago is exactly what we
need now," says Mcleod. "We
don't need to reinvent the wheel.
We just have to make the
awareness different and market
it in a way that is more 21stcentury."
"The message is get out and get
active and have fun," says
Johnson, echoing the advice he
and McLeod gave from 1989 to
1991.
Society, Tremblay contends, has
been conditioned to view
physical education as
institutionalized and structured.
Instead of complaining that we
need more tennis courts or
bicycle paths, he says, we need
to examine more closely how we
live in our workplaces, homes
and schools.
He talks about being more aware
of things such as screen-time
and chair-time.
"Thirty minutes or more of
being immobile in a chair in
front of a screen should be a
biological prompt to move. And
I don't mean throw on your
running shorts and run five
kilometres; I mean move -- go
get a glass of water or move the
laundry from the washer to the
dryer.
Title: Thirty years of convincing Canadians to move
Author:
Source: Regina Leader Post, Page G.1
1971
Sport Participation Canada (later
renamed ParticipACTION), a
not- for-profit private company
is formed on July 12.
Former prime minister Lester B.
Pearson is chairman and
Philippe de Gaspe Beaubien is
president.
1972
"ParticipACTION" is selected as
the bilingual brand name and a
logo is designed.
ParticipACTION Saskatoon
begins as the first pilot
community.
1973
The 60-year-old Swede
television ad shakes up the
country.
1974
* ParticipACTION launches
daily and weekly PSA messages
in newspapers.
1976
Sun Life Assurance Company
and the Kinsmen Clubs of
Canada work with
ParticipACTION to build
activity trails
called"ParticiParks" in over 100
communities across Canada.
1979
ParticipACTION and the
Health, Physical Education and
Recreation (CAHPER) publish
What's the Matter With Kids
Today, an engaging booklet
about children's lack of fitness
and growing weight problems.
1980-81
ParticipACTION reaches
100,000 employees and their
families with Fitness: The Facts,
a comprehensive information
campaign on employee fitness.
1982
ParticipACTION Saskatoon
conducts"Great Canadian
ParticipACTION Challenge,"
involving 50 communities
across Canada.
1983
57
The CrownLife
ParticipACTION Challenge
begins and continues annually
for 11 years.
1984
ParticipACTION, Fitness
Ontario and the Ontario Milk
Marketing Board create APEX
(Action Program on Eating and
Exercise) for use in Ontario
elementary schools. 1984-86
1985
ParticipACTION begins work
with the Department of National
Defence to develop training and
exercise prescription for military
staff and physical education
instructors.
1988
Through the Olympic Torch
Relay and Celebration 88,
ParticipACTION mobilizes
1,730 communities in
partnership with Petro- Canada
and the Canadian government.
ParticipACTION publishes
Expres: The Exercise
Prescription, an adaptation for
the public of the exercise
program developed for the
Department of National
Defence.
1989
ParticipACTION designs and
implements the Vitality
awareness campaign in
partnership with Health Canada
and Fitness Canada, in response
to the healthy weights initiative.
ParticipACTION hosts the
TRIM and Fitness International
Sport for All conference
(TAFISA) with 48 participating
countries.
The Crown Life
ParticipACTION Challenge
program is adopted
internationally by TAFISA
as"Challenge Day," eventually
attracting 25 million participants
yearly.
The television campaign"Body
Break With ParticipACTION" is
launched and Canadians meet
Hal and Joanne.
1990
Fitness Ontario supports the
development
of"InformACTION," a
computer-based health
communication resource for
workplaces.
1991
The Canadian Public Health
Association presents
ParticipACTION with the Ortho
Award for"outstanding
contribution to health in
Canada."
* Media support for ongoing
campaigns and Vitality
calculated to be $15 million.
1994
Nielsen media report shows that
between February 1993 and
January 1994, ParticipACTION
gained a median monthly media
exposure valued at $230,000
(ranging from $167,000 to
$538,000).
1998
ParticipACTION builds and
launches an ambitious
interactive website in both
official languages.
ParticipACTION promotes
Physical Activity Guide to
Healthy Active Livingdeveloped
by Health Canada.
1999
ParticipACTION is one of the
founding members of the
Coalition for Active Living. It is
made up of hundreds of groups,
organizations and individuals
committed to"making sure that
the environments where we live,
learn, work and play support
regular physical activity."
ParticipACTION stops
producing new national public
service announcement campaign
material.
2000
ParticipACTION mobilizes over
800 communities to support
Canada's largest millennium
project,"The Trans Canada Trail
Relay 2000."
ParticipACTION works with the
Department of National Defence
to produce training resources for
Land Force Command and
special programs for DND
firefighters, special forces and
pregnant soldiers.
The ParticipACTION Board
decides to cease operations.
2001
ParticipACTION officially
closes.
58
Title: You need to do more than just walk
Author: Jodie Sinnema.
EDMONTON -- The 10,000steps-a-day program,
popularized by free pedometers
given out in Special K cereal
boxes, isn't enough daily
exercise to create significant
health benefits, a University of
Alberta study shows.
The researchers compared about
43 people walking 10,000 steps
each day over six months with a
similar-sized group doing a
traditional aerobic fitness
program on treadmills or
stationary bikes between two to
four times a week.
"To suggest to people that
walking 10,000 steps is all that
anyone needs is not telling the
whole truth," said Vicki Harber,
a physical education professor
at the U of A.
While the people doing the
traditional Jane-Fonda type
workout increased their bodies'
oxygen intake by 10 per cent,
the stepercizers, who used
pedometers to count their steps,
saw an increase of four per cent.
"We firmly believe the intensity
or the effort people put into
activity is important. Intensity
matters.
"Maybe people don't need to do
10,000 steps. Maybe they should
do 8,000 steps with a lot more
vigour."
Harber and her colleagues
decided to put the 10,000 step
walking program to the test. The
program encourages people to
build up their daily walking to
include 10,000 steps, but doesn't
always instruct people on how
fast they should walk or how
hard their heart should be
pumping.
The traditional exercisers saw a
decrease in their systolic blood
pressure -- the high number
calculated during a blood
pressure test - - by 10 per cent.
The step walker's blood pressure
lowered by only four per cent.
"People may think that going
out and gardening or simply
strolling is sufficient exercise,"
said Harber, who presented her
research at the American
College of Sports Medicine
earlier this year.
"Parking farther away from
work and walking or taking the
stairs in lieu of the elevator,
those are good starting points,
but is that accumulation of
tidbits throughout the day
enough? It's doubtful."
Campaigns to get more people
active encourage people to get
up from the sofa to change the
channel instead of using the
remote control. Shoppers are
told to park far from the grocery
store.
Harber's new study suggests the
10,000 step program, if done at
a leisurely pace, may do little to
combat rising rates of Type 2
diabetes or widening waistlines.
"That is a good starting point,
but to actually put them into
better heart condition, they need
to put more huff and puff into
their activities," Harber said.
She said she thinks it's
wonderful the Kellogg Company
began giving pedometers away
to encourage people to get
walking.
"If it gets people motivated and
out their door, it's a great step,"
Harber said.
"But step up the pace a little."
59
Title: SMA on right track with fitness proposal
Author: Chantelle Ernst
Source: Regina Leader Post, Page B. 8
Date: June 27, 2006
The Saskatchewan Physical
Activity Council would like to
express its support for the
Saskatchewan Medical
Association (SMA) in its recent
proposal to the province's school
boards.
The Leader-Post article entitled,
"Students would have daily
physical activity", published on
June 16, indicated the proposal
urged a mandatory minimum of
150 minutes of daily active
physical education instruction
per week for children from
kindergarten to Grade 8.
For the first time in 100 years,
the lifespan of children is now
shorter than their parents.
According to the U.S. surgeon
general, lack of physical activity
and poor dietary habits are to
blame. The SPAC believes that
a quality daily physical
education program is essential
to successfully reverse the
inactivity crisis plaguing
Saskatchewan children and
youth. Schools have an equal
responsibility to act upon the
development of environments
that are supportive of healthy
lifestyle choices.
Saskatchewan schools are one of
the most important
environments in our youths'
lives, as it is where they spend
much of their every day time.
The specific climates and
cultures that are developed
within a school setting influence
the health and well-being of
those within it. With a
mandatory quality, and daily,
physical education program in
place, students will receive the
knowledge, guidance, and
support necessary in making
healthy lifestyle decisions,
avoiding health risks and
overcoming health problems.
Physical inactivity costs the
health-care system between $2.1
billion and $5.3 billion, fully
five per cent of health-care
spending; so, in fact, this is
everyone's responsibility.
Communities, schools,
workplaces, individuals,
government departments,
municipalities, etc., all have a
role in building environments
lifestyle choices and in
combating the physical
inactivity rates in Saskatchewan.
Action must be taken by taken
by everyone, as an advocate, as
physical activity and healthy
environments are their "rights"
as a Saskatchewan citizen.
Chantelle Ernst
Ernst is executive director,
Saskatchewan Physical Activity
Council.
Title: Physical activity essential to keeping kids healthy
Author: Norm Campbell
Date: June 24, 2006
In response to the article
entitled, "Students would have
daily physical activity",
published in the June 16 edition
of the Leader- Post, the
Saskatchewan Parks and
Recreation Association (SPRA)
would like to express its support
for the Saskatchewan Medical
Association (SMA) in its
proposal to the province's school
boards. The proposal suggested
a mandatory minimum of 150
minutes of daily active physical
education instruction per week
for children from Kindergarten
to Grade 8.
In the article, Bill Wells,
executive director of the
Saskatchewan School Boards
Association, commented "most
schools already have programs
in place aimed at enhancing the
diet and fitness of their
students".
Recent studies conducted by
Saskatchewan In Motion show
that 71 per cent of Saskatchewan children aged five to 12 are
considered insufficiently active
60
for optimal health benefits
according to federal guidelines.
The current programs and
policies in place within the
school system are beneficial,
however, the above statistic
shows that children still need to
be educated on the benefits
associated with physical activity
and how to make healthy
lifestyle choices.
Although many policies may be
in place such as quality daily
physical education and healthy
eating options, accountability
continues to be a challenge. By
introducing a mandatory
(minimum of 150 minutes)
quality daily physical education
policy, the school system can
make a huge contribution to
future health of our children in
Saskatchewan.
The academic benefits of quality
daily physical education
include improved skill in math
and reading, better memory,
better concentration and
improved peer relations, not to
mention the other health,
mental, social and lifestyle
behaviors that will have a
positive impact on the child.
Physical inactivity costs the
health- care system between
$2.1B and $5.3B, fully five per
cent of health- care spending. If
leaders can implement policies
lifestyles, such as the 150
minutes of quality daily
physical education, not only
will it have significant economic
and health gains, it will also
ensure the creation and
sustainability of healthy
communities.
SPRA believes the physical
inactivity and poor nutrition
epidemic is everyone's
responsibility! Parents,
communities, schools,
workplaces, physicians,
governments, individuals, etc.,
need to take steps to ensure the
environment in which we live,
learn, work and play is
supportive of healthy lifestyle
choices. So in fact, physical
inactivity continues to have a
profound impact on health of
children and youth in
Saskatchewan.
All groups, organizations, and
individuals need to continue to
enforce healthy lifestyle choices
through policy development,
promotion, role modeling,
infrastructure developments,
community planning and other
possible avenues. Keeping kids
active is vital to the future health
of our children and our
province.
Norm Campbell
Campbell is CEO,
Saskatchewan Parks and
Recreation Association.
Title: Children need activity
Author: Karen Brownlee
Date: May 26, 2006
If more is not done to get kids
active, Saskatchewan could see
children as young as 12 dying of
heart attacks, said an associate
professor of kinesiology at the
University of Regina.
"We should be afraid," June
LeDrew said after reading a
national report card on the
activity levels of Canada's kids.
Saskatchewan children as young
as eight are being diagnosed
with Type 2 diabetes, said
LeDrew. Until recently, it was
considered an adult disease.
LeDrew said people are
spending too much time with
TVs, computers and video
games rather than exercising.
She is currently receiving data
from Regina families who took
part in a study in which they
monitored their TV habits as
well as what they did during a
week with the TV off.
associate professor of
kinesiology.
Getting Saskatchewan's kids and
parents off the couch will likely
take more than a D+ on a
national physical activity report
card, said Louise Humbert, a
University of Saskatchewan
- 29 per cent of kids are
overweight/obese;
Saskatchewan slid into the
middle of the 10 provinces in a
physical activity report card
published in Today's Parent
magazine. Each province was
graded on six indicators. In
Saskatchewan, that report card
says:
61
- 35.5 per cent of kids watch TV
or play video games more than
two hours a day;
- 150 minutes of physical
education per week is suggested
by Saskatchewan Learning for
students in Grades 1 to 9;
- 11.4 per cent of kids between
the ages of six and 11 are
participating in fewer than seven
hours per week of physical
activity;
- 48 per cent of kids inactively
commute to school; and,
- 40 per cent of parents play
active games or sports with their
children often or very often.
While everyone can relate to a
report card, telling people they
need to move more doesn't seem
to be enough to get them
exercising.
"So here's another report card
and is anyone listening? How do
we know if anyone is listening?"
said Humbert, who gave a
speech in Ottawa on that very
topic.
Saskatchewan parents play
active games or sports with their
children, society needs to figure
out how to get the other 60 per
cent moving with their kids, said
Humbert.
What motivates people to
become active is not yet well
understood, said Humbert.
LeDrew noted that some parents
do not know the health
consequences of childhood
obesity and inactivity, so they
may not understand the need to
get their family living healthier.
"Is it because they're not skilled?
Is it not safe? Do they not have
friends to be active with?" she
asked.
Schools can play an "incredible
role" in getting kids to be more
active, said Humbert.
"What (students) are doing and
for how long" in Saskatchewan's
schools is unknown, she added.
Parents also play an important
role. While "it's absolutely
fantastic" 40 per cent of
Many parents are bringing their
children to sports events and
watching. It doesn't occur to
many they could find ways to
get involved in the game or be
doing physical activities
alongside their children.
Encouraging kids to play outside
of structured activities is also
overlooked, said Humbert.
Title: Survey says pop machines in school aren't making kids fat
Author: Sharon Kirkey
Selling soft drinks in elementary
schools does not make kids
fatter, new Canadian research
suggests. But school lunches do.
Researchers who surveyed
nearly 4,300 Grade 5 students in
Nova Scotia, found kids in
schools that sell pop drank an
average of four cans of soda per
week, versus 3.6 cans drunk by
children in schools that don't sell
soft drinks.
Overall, kids from schools with
and without soft drink sales
consumed an average of 33.5
and 32.5 grams of sucrose per
day, respectively, a difference
that was not associated "with
significantly increased risks of
overweight."
The study is published in today's
issue of the Canadian Medical
Association Journal.
School pop machines have
become a target in the war
against obesity. Ontario Premier
Dalton McGuinty wants them
banned. So does the American
Academy of Pediatrics.
However, the lead author of
today's study says more needs to
be done to get children to drink
less pop than just halting soda
sales in schools, because they
will just get it somewhere else.
"Yes, it's a very good first step
to remove pop (machines) from
schools. But don't sit back after
and say, `we've solved the
problem,' because there's more
that needs to be done," says Paul
Veugelers, associate professor at
the University of Alberta in
Edmonton.
In earlier research he showed
"doing everything at the same
time - - more physical
education, no pop sales, a big
emphasis on health and nutrition
education" -- reduces excess
62
weight in children by 60 per
cent.
Overall, 33 per cent of the Grade
5 students in the new study were
overweight, and 10 per cent
were obese -- rates Veugelers
called "unacceptable." The
obesity rate was twice as high in
low- income neighborhoods
compared to high-income areas.
Children who bought lunch at
school were 47 per cent more
likely to be overweight. "It's just
terrible what we feed our
children," Veugelers said.
Being overweight is now the
No. 1 medical problem in
childhood, according to the
American Academy of
Pediatrics.
Title: Kids get 'D' for physical activity
Author:
Date: May 27, 2005
Canada gets an overall D on a
new report card that assesses
physical activity among children
and youth.
In fact, the report card, released
Thursday, says that less than
half of Canadian kids are active
enough for basic healthy
development.
"Canada gets a failing grade
when it comes to ensuring that
our kids get enough activity
every day for optimal growth
and development," Dr. Mark
Tremblay, chairman of Active
Healthy Kids Canada, said at a
news conference.
"When it comes to keeping kids
physically active, Canada is
dropping the ball."
While there have been other
studies looking at activity levels
in children, this appears to be
the first comprehensive look at
the influences of family, school,
government policies and
community.
Shaniece Thomas, a Grade 7
student at Market Lane Public
School in Toronto, said that a
report card with a D on it would
not go over very well in her
house.
"My parents would not accept a
D from me on my report card -they expect more from me," said
Thomas, who was one of a
handful of students at the
recreation centre where the
report was released. "All kids
should have a chance to be
active so we should expect more
too."
When parents look at a child's
poor report card, they
immediately try to figure out
where the problem is and then
come up with a solution in the
hope that a better report card
will soon show up, said
Tremblay. He said he thinks the
Active Kids report will show
Canadians where parents,
schools and governments need
to concentrate efforts.
While the overall grade was a D,
Canada received an F for daily
physical education because in
2000, only 14 per cent of
elementary schools and four per
cent of secondary schools
provided daily physical
education -- despite a 1998
Gallup poll that found 74 per
cent of Canadians favour
instituting 30 minutes of daily
physical education in schools.
Canada also received an F for
obesity as its prevalence in
children has increased from two
per cent in 1981 to 10 per cent
in 2001.
"We are very concerned about
our young people," said Sally
Brown, CEO of the Heart and
Stroke Foundation of Canada,
one of the financial supporters
of the 2005 Active Healthy Kids
Canada Report Card on Physical
Activity for Children and Youth.
"Obesity is a risk factor for heart
disease and stroke ... and we are
seeing Type 2 diabetes at an age
where this was never seen
before."
Caring for people with chronic
diseases, such as heart disease
and diabetes, ends up costing
money and if these diseases
aren't prevented, there will be
huge, long-term costs to the
health-care system, said Brown.
Tremblay said it isn't as
complicated as making sure
children's timetables are filled
with organized sports and fitness
classes.
"We're not talking about
physical activity involved in
training for a particular sport or
63
a high level of fitness but
activity that will optimize
growth and development and
prevent disease," said Tremblay,
who is an adviser on health
measurement at Statistics
Canada as well as a professor of
exercise physiology and
pediatric exercise science at the
University of Saskatchewan.
"In fact it is unorganized sport -pick up games in the
neighbourhood, unstructured
activity, games like tag, an
activity that is part of day to day
living, such as walking to school
or to the store, or doing chores
around the house -- that have
been shown to have a health
benefit and a protective effect on
overweight and obesity
prevalence among children and
youth."
The best mark on the report card
went to sports participation,
which received a C+ grade.
While 70 to 80 per cent of
medium to higher income
families participate in sports,
only 55 to 60 per cent of
children from low-income
families participate.
Boys were found to be more
physically active than girls.
Also, the report found a gradient
from east to west -- with those in
eastern Canada least active and
those in western Canada more
active. There are also ethnic
differences, with the aboriginal
population at a higher risk of
being obese while southeast
Asians were at a lower risk.
"We have to not only increase
the level of activity, but we need
to level the playing field across
ethnicities, sexes, socioeconomic statuses and different
regions of the country,"
Tremblay said.
Federal strategies and
investments received a C- on the
report card because funding for
the Physical Activity Unit of
Health Canada has decreased
substantially since the early '90s.
A mark of C- was given to
screen time as half of Canadian
kids are spending two or more
hours a day watching TV and
they rank among the highest in
the world for computer time.
Children who watch TV more
than two hours per day are more
likely to be overweight, the
report said.
"Clearly physical activity cannot
compete with these
(entertaining, sedentary)
activities ...The report card is
not advocating the banning of
multimedia opportunities in the
home," Tremblay said. "You
need to do things in moderation.
You need a variety."
The information used to develop
the report card was based on
analyses of the National
Longitudinal Survey on
Children and Youth, the Health
Behaviour of School Children
Survey and Canadian
Community Health Survey, data
from the Canadian Fitness and
Lifestyle Research Institute and
other studies. In addition to the
Heart and Stroke Foundation,
financial supporters include
Kellogg Canada and the
Canadian Institute of Health
Research.
Marks were assigned by Active
Healthy Kids Canada after
consultation with leading
physical activity researchers in
North America.
Title: Create Physical Activity-Friendly Communities
Author:
Source:
Date:
Web site: http://www.activeliving.ca/English/index.cfm?fa=WhatWeDo.Communities
The physical activity demands
of daily life have decreased due
to technological progress and
the development of urban sprawl
favoring the automobile.
Overwhelmingly, Canadian
adults are aware of the health
benefits of physical activity and,
over the last twenty years,
Canadians have become more
active in their leisure time. Yet,
the choice to be active is not
always easy. Active modes of
transportation are rarely
considered let alone given
priority within municipal
transportation plans. Safety
concerns keep one in five
Canadians from walking,
wheeling and bicycling more.
For many, walking to shop or do
errands is a thing of the past.
Choosing the stairs may take
concerted effort to even locate
the stairs in public buildings.
Over half of children have
physical education classes two
days a week or less. Two thirds
of children have access to
school-based opportunities, but
four in ten parents believe that
these programs are not adequate
64
to meet their child's needs.
Playing outside after school is
no longer the norm. Indeed, bylaws or regulations may
preclude playing in the street.
Community infrastructure is
aging. There is increasing
pressure on road systems in
cities due to increased
automobile ownership and
travel. Recreational facilities
may no longer be located where
convenient for the majority of
citizens and may no longer meet
the needs of most citizens. The
active choice is often the
difficult choice.
•
•
•
Negotiate bi-lateral and trilateral agreements to implement
the actions recommended by the
Active Transportation
Roundtable, Active and Healthy
Schools Roundtable, the
Roundtable on Children in
Living Poverty and the
Blueprints for Action (like
Moving to Inclusion).
Engage policy makers in
recreation and other sectors to
create barrier-free communities
for physical activity (land use,
urban design, and transportation,
schools, community-based
organizations and workplaces).
Physical activity must be reengineered back into daily life
through the creation of
barrier-free communities.
Barrier-free communities are
inclusive. They must be
designed for all population
groups, respecting cultural
differences within
communities and across the
nation, and recognizing the
needs of Canadians with
various abilities and personal
circumstances. To improve
health, a comprehensive
approach to development and
redevelopment of community
infrastructure is urgently
needed to create more livable
communities and improve the
physical environment. A
comprehensive plan is to make
communities, schools, parks
and local facilities safe and
supportive of physical activity
for our children
•
Revise urban planning
regulations to focus on safe,
complete (i.e. mixed use)
communities.
•
Ensure barrier-free design is
universally adopted in order to
support active living
opportunities for the broadest
range of citizens. Identify
population groups requiring
customized approaches due to :
1. Healthy Public Policy
Create a paradigm shift
among policy makers in various
sectors that supportive social
and physical environments are
essential to sustain a basic level
of physical activity among
children and adults.
o
Systemic barriers (e.g.
Aboriginals, women, persons
with disabilities, children in
poverty, etc.)
o
Cultural differences (e.g.
residents of Quebec, Northern
Canadians, new immigrants,
etc.)
o
Increased risk of obesity (e.g.
children, middle-aged men,
genetics, those overweight)
o
Differential trends in longterm, leisure-time participation
(e.g. older adults, low income
earners, rural).
•
Explicitly recognize active
transportation and physical
recreation in the greenways,
transportation, land use, urban
designs and facility development
within Official Community
Plans Tie funding of new
facilities to the existence of an
Official Community Master
Plan.
•
Broaden federal and
provincial/territorial
infrastructure programs to
include retrofitting of aging
facilities in addition to the
construction of new
infrastructure.
•
Enact legislation at the
Provincial/Territorial level to
enable joint community and
school infrastructure
development, the use of
community resources in physical
education programs and the
incorporation of physical
activity into early childhood
care and education programs.
•
Implement a Physical Activity
Impact Assessment similar to
the requirements for
environmental assessments.
•
Fund an Active
Transportation Coordinator in
every province and territory to
promote walking, wheeling and
bicycling as an alternative to
motor vehicle transportation.
•
Mandate daily physical
education from Kindergarten
through secondary school
graduation.
•
Reinstate health and physical
education consultants at every
school board and provincial
department of education.
•
Develop guidelines and tools
for physical activity in childcare
settings.
•
Explore the feasibility of
designating an amount
equivalent to a portion of the
Child Tax Credit benefit to be
used to physical activity
strategies for children.
65
accessible to all regardless of
income level. This includes
greenway corridors, bike lanes
and paths, safe sidewalks,
support facilities to
transportation corridors,
neighbourhood connectivity,
traffic calming, and major park
loops.
2. Community Physical
Environments
•
Develop model guidelines for
building codes, development bylaws, and transportation plans
(e.g. bike facilities, safe, lit
stairwells, shower, lockers etc).
•
Develop and promote urban
and rural planning regulations to
encourage physical activity.
•
•
•
•
•
•
Develop, review and revise
municipal master plans to ensure
that opportunities for physical
activity are explicitly included
in all facets of the plan and
barriers to an active lifestyle
eliminated.
Develop a community master
plan for transportation that
explicitly places higher priority
on active transportation
(walking, wheeling and
bicycling) than on motorized
vehicle transportation.
Ensure trails and pathways are
safe, accessible, conveniently
located and linked to a variety of
destinations.
•
Develop active transportation
facilities at major workplaces,
schools, community-based
organizations and business areas
and provide inter-modal
supports e.g. (transit bike racks,
etc).
•
Renew aging community
assets like waterways, parkland,
transportation systems and
facilities to support active
choices.
•
Require the development of
appropriate facilities for
physical activities within
retirement communities for
older adults.
•
Create a
federal/provincial/territorial
infrastructure program to fund
community projects that support
physical activity, such as trails,
indoor facilities, and creative
urban design.
Ensure dedicated funding for
the development and
maintenance of physical activity
infrastructure, paying particular
attention to the needs of rural
areas where community
facilities often serve as a social
hub of community life, but
where the ability to fund
facilities have been lost by many
communities.
Ensure that infrastructure that
supports physical activity is
Ensure that the specific needs
of children and youth are
addressed in adopting physical
activity-friendly policies and
practices for land use, urban and
school design, and
transportation (e.g. safe routes to
schools).
•
Provide incentives for
workplaces that support physical
activity (improvements might
include better lighting and
safety, installation of showers,
providing daycare for employees
taking part in physical activity,
etc.).
•
Implement interventions to
create workplaces, schools,
community-based organizations
and neighbourhoods, which are
more supportive of physical
activity. Include outreach
initiatives within these venues to
engage less active populations.
•
Develop evidence-based
interventions based on best
practice, e.g., signage, prompts
and incentives.
•
Ensure that local
environments are safe from
crime and traffic threats.
•
Provide community programs
that provide social support to
participants (e.g. walking
programs).
•
Examine the feasibility of tax
incentives to encourage physical
activity participation.
•
Review the broad base of
health promotion models and
interventions to identify best
practices and approaches that
have been found to be
unsuccessful (to avoid pitfalls)
as well as those that are
successful.
•
Design health behaviour
change programs that are
adapted for individual needs of
targeted populations (children
and youth, older adults, persons
with disabilities, Aboriginals,
and so on).
•
Employ culturally sensitive
approaches to reach specific
inactive populations and to
3. Supportive Social
Environments
•
Encourage and support
integrated community coalitions
across sectors.
•
Recognize model
communities and document
successful approaches.
•
Use the federal, provincial,
territorial health agreements to
include physical activity
counselling as a reimbursable
expense by physicians.
66
recognize the particular needs of
Quebec within federalprovincial/territorial plans.
•
Examine barriers in current
programs and services faced by
population groups such as
scheduling priorities, facility
design, program offerings,
corporate culture, etc.
•
Review and ensure that any
user-fee policies foster inclusion
and eliminate the possibility of
marginalizing underserved
groups.
•
•
•
•
Where absent, create
reciprocal shared-use
agreements covering the joint
use of school and municipal
facilities so that schools may use
municipal facilities and the
municipal sport and recreation
departments may use the school
facilities after school hours.
Using a community
development approach,
determine a model for early
physical activity interventions
for children and youth that are
community-based, collaborative,
sustainable, and build on
existing programs. Examples of
innovative practices include
Saskatchewan's "In Motion"
project, participation in YMCA
programs (camping, recreation,
child care, health and fitness),
Quebec After School Initiative,
and Nova Scotia's Active
Kids/Healthy Kids Strategy.
Continue collaborative
approaches between schools,
community-based organizations,
municipalities and sport and
recreation facilities to jointly
promote and support physical
activity among children and
youth.
Strengthen existing linkages
between schools and the
community and integrate
community Recreation and
Parks programming with school
physical activity programming.
•
Foster participation-based
'everyone plays' approach to
physical education, intramural
and sport and recreation
programs.
•
Ensure that daily physical
activity is re-engineered into
school life (curriculum design,
opportunities before and after
school, during lunch and recess
and physical education).
•
•
Target social marketing
efforts including mass media to
engage and validate the needs of
various population groups
within the overall social
marketing campaigns. Campaign
messages would aim to reduce
barriers faced by low-income
people and families, Canadians
with a disability, new
Canadians, Aboriginals, older
adults, and girls and women.
•
Employ social marketing
efforts to create a broad-based
understanding that the physical
development of children and
youth is an essential component
contributing to quality of life
now and in the future. A sense
of ownership is required by
decision-makers responsible for
education, land use,
transportation and health
promotion.
•
Identify and engage role
models who are relevant to
various population segments to
help disseminate key messages.
•
Develop leadership training
programs to enhance the skills
and understanding of the
barriers and needs of various
population groups.
•
Increase understanding that
the physical activity level of
children and youth is a
crosscutting issue that is the
responsibility of all, not one
group, one sector, or certain
jurisdictional levels.
•
Review and improve curricula
for teacher training (including
early childhood educators,
health professionals, urban
planners, transportation
engineers, etc) to emphasize the
importance of physical
development of children to longterm health and quality of life.
Recognize model schools.
Identify and promote success
factors for realizing their
achievements.
4. Public Education
•
Use the messages of the social
marketing campaigns to support
local action (e.g. community
campaigns to increase walking,
active commuting, stair
climbing, etc)
•
Use public education efforts
to provide information, generate
discussion, and influence
attitudes and values about
physical activity and physical
activity behaviours.
•
Use the awareness generated
by social marketing campaigns
to create social change at the
local level (in communities,
workplaces, schools and
community-based organizations)
that is necessary to facilitate
individual behavioural change.
•
Use social marketing
techniques to increase awareness
and understanding of the role of
community assets (waterways,
park land, transportation
systems and facilities) in
enhancing the quality of
community life and their role in
supporting an active lifestyle.
67
•
•
Recommend guidelines for
physical education specialists
and provide ongoing
professional development for
teachers responsible for physical
education and physical activity
programming.
Support efforts to increase
physical activity at school
through social marketing efforts
targeted to parent's, school
trustees' and principal's
associations.
o
to develop healthy social and
physical environments, and
o
to initiate community-based
prevention programs.
•
Develop more comprehensive
research and surveillance
systems in order to implement
knowledge about effective
strategies and current trends in
policies, plans, and practices to
reduce physical inactivity.
•
5. Research and Knowledge
Exchange
•
•
o
Provide research funds from
national and provincial granting
agencies to assess and evaluate
programs and services as per the
recommendation of the 2003
Roundtable on Physical Activity
Research.
Uncover and communicate the
critical elements of effective,
comprehensive, communitybased interventions
to change physical activity
policies (including developing
healthy public policy)
•
Build on existing surveillance
and monitoring systems to track
progress among various
population groups and monitor
the removal of barriers and
attainment of basic minimum
requirements for physical
activity-friendly communities.
Negotiate bi-lateral
agreements between
governments across levels and
with research granting agencies
to implement the
recommendations of the 2003
Roundtable on Physical Activity
Research. The areas identified as
requiring research were: cost
benefit analyses; interventions;
increasing participation among
children and youth; barriers; and
increasing community capacity.
This research needs to be
conducted within a framework
that facilitates knowledge
exchange.
•
Require 15% of all program
funding be directed to
evaluation (including formative,
process and impact) to help
build the best-practice base for
interventions. Include
population groups in research
designed to build the case;
understand barriers; formulate
appropriate strategies and
programs; build capacity and
improve measurement methods.
•
Develop valid and reliable
measures for assessing the
physical activity level of
children and youth.
•
Monitor participation in
sedentary activities among
children and youth.
•
Commission a national study
to make a compelling business
case for mandatory physical
education in our school system.
Title: Fat Kids, Failing Health
Author: Claudia Cornwall
Source: Readers’ Digest
Date:
Web site: http://www.readersdigest.ca/mag/2002/09/fat_kids.html
Leta Totten had never seen
anything like it. In September 2001
the physical-education teacher
asked her Grade 8s at Central
Kings Rural High School in
Cambridge, N.S., to go for a threeminute jog. Her jaw dropped when
only a handful out of the 40 could
do it. The rest had to slow to a
walk, or stop. “Five years ago,”
Totten recalls, “65 percent of the
class could do it.”
When it came to sit-ups, Totten
expected they’d complete 15
without any trouble. They struggled
to do more than five or six.
These kids are the Game Boy
generation, she says. “When they
go home, they sit down to donothing activities. They surf the
Internet or watch TV. If they were
to fall and had to grab something or
pull themselves out of something,
I’m not sure they could do it.”
When Keith Comitz asked his class
of Grade 4s and 5s in Oromocto,
N.B., to jog while he played a song,
three quarters had to stop before the
end. Most could not do ten pushups; few could do 20 sit-ups.
Comitz also teaches gym to the
kindergarten to Grade 2 pupils 30
68
minutes a week—a total of just 20
hours a year. From Grades 3 to 5,
they get 30 minutes twice weekly.
“To improve, they’d need more
time,” says Comitz. “I’m supposed
to spend 25 percent of the year on
gymnastics. With the younger
students, that’s five hours. What
can you do in five hours?”
It’s the same story for Art Uhl,
head of phys ed at Alpha
Secondary in Burnaby, B.C. Using
portable heart-rate monitors to
gauge students’ fitness last
September, he confirmed what he’d
long suspected: The top athletes
were as able as those of the past,
but the fitness of average students
had dropped. After simple warmups, one Grade 8 boy’s heart rate
was 160 beats a minute. “This kid
was near the high end of his
aerobic-training zone yet hadn’t
even started a run. It was
frightening.”
Alarm Bells. In 1998 the Canadian
Medical Association (CMA) called
for 30 minutes of compul-sory,
quality physical education daily for
students across the country. “But
nothing has changed,” says CMA
president Dr. Henry Haddad.
“We’ve got to wake people up.
Reversing our children’s poor
eating habits and inactive lifestyles
is one of the major health-care
challenges of the decade.”
Dr. Bill Mackie, a physician and
B.C. Medical Association board
member, is so concerned by the
rapid decline in fitness among
young people that in August 2001
he asked for the establishment of a
new federal ministry to deal with
the problem.
The Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute in Ottawa
reported that in 2000 more than
half of Canadians aged five to 17
were not active enough for optimal
growth and development. A child
who played soccer for half an hour
daily and walked for an hour
throughout the day would be
getting enough exercise. But most
do not do even this much.
A 1994 study of the Greater
Vancouver area showed that almost
half of kids from kindergarten to
Grade 12 were driven to school
instead of biking or walking; ten
years earlier, less than a third got a
ride. Kids are watching 15 hours of
television a week and have added a
host of other sedentary pastimes.
Forty-one percent of 13-year-old
boys play more than four hours of
computer games a week.
Jane Vallentyne, an associate
professor of physical education and
recreation at the University of
Alberta, says that even during
recess there’s less active play than
in the past. “Children don’t know
games like hopscotch or kick the
can.”
From 1970 until 1992, phys-ed
teachers used the Canada Fitness
Award program to test fitness
levels and reward kids. Says Randy
Adams, a Health Canada manager,
“The program was dropped because
it wasn’t encouraging those who
needed encouragement most.”
Terry McKinty, a division director
with the Canadian Association for
Recreation and Dance
(CAHPERD), agrees that after 22
years, the program had to change.
“But a fitness-appraisal test that
assesses aerobic capacity, muscle
strength and flexibility is still
needed,” he says. “Parents and
teachers request it all the time. For
three years we’ve been submitting
proposals to Health Canada for
support in developing a new test,
but so far it hasn’t been funded.”
Putting Kids at Risk. Children are
packing on the pounds in several
western countries, including
Australia, the United States and
Canada. Mark Tremblay, dean of
the University of Saskatchewan’s
College of Kinesiology, was the
lead researcher of a study published
in April 2002. It found that from
1981 to 1996, the number of
overweight seven- to 13-year-old
boys tripled, from 11 to 33 percent.
The percentage of overweight girls
in that age group more than
doubled, from 13 to 27 percent.
Even more disturbing, the
incidence of obesity quintupled —
soaring from two percent of
children to ten percent of boys and
nine percent of girls.
Obese children are at risk for
diseases such as type II diabetes.
Says Dr. Daniel Metzger, a
pediatric endocrinologist at British
Columbia’s Children’s Hospital in
Vancouver, “Young people are
developing type II diabetes earlier
and earlier because they are less
active and have diets too high in
calories.”
As well, research shows that obese
children have markedly less bone
mass per unit of body weight than
leaner children, says Heather
McKay, a University of British
Columbia human kinetics professor
and an expert on bone density in
children. As a result, they are in
danger of broken bones from minor
falls. Yet just 15 minutes of
skipping and jumping three times a
week is enough to increase
significantly the bone mass of
children of normal weight. “If we
don’t do something now,” warns
McKay, “this problem will come
back to haunt the health-care
system.”
Obese and inactive children are
likely to become obese and inactive
adults with a host of health
problems. Inactivity doubles the
risk of coronary heart disease and
colon cancer, and increases breast
cancer risk. In 1995, 21,000
Canadians died prematurely
69
because they didn’t get enough
exercise.
The Canadian Medical Association
Journal reports that $2.1 billion of
Canada’s 1999 health-care costs
were attributable to diseases
resulting from physical inactivity.
That’s close to the cost associated
with smoking—$2.5 billion. Dr.
Mackie cautions: “When the
health-care crisis hits and people in
their 30s and early 40s are having
strokes and heart attacks, people
will ask ‘Couldn’t something have
been done about this?’”
Programs Slashed. During the
past ten years, many provinces
have cut spending on education,
despite rising enrollments. In 199899, Ontario spent $900 million less
than in 1994-95 and Quebec
reduced its annual spending by
$800 million. School boards
everywhere scrambled to balance
their books, and physical-education
programs, like music and art, were
deemed dispensable frills.
Ten years ago Louise Stekli spent
most of her teaching day on
physical education at Alexandra
Community School in Owen
Sound, Ont., where children had 30
minutes of phys ed every day.
She’s still at Alexandra, but as a
regular teacher; now, most kids get
just 30 minutes every second day—
taught by their classroom teacher.
Generalist teachers lack physicaleducation training; many
elementary-schoolteacher training
programs require only one
physical-education course. The
downside? Most teachers don’t
have the knowledge or the time to
deliver quality programs.
Lunchtime games and interschool
competitions may then be
casualties.
Until Grade 6, Michelinne Gagné
went to a small school in St. Pierre
Jolys, Man., where her classroom
teacher taught physical education.
“We had free time in the gym, but
we weren’t taught techniques or
how to organize a game,” says
Michelinne. “There were almost no
interschool competitions.”
She transferred to St. Germain
school in Winnipeg in 2000, where
she has a phys-ed teacher. “Here,
I’ve had lots of help in improving
my running,” Michelinne says.
“The teacher runs beside me and
analyzes what I am doing wrong.”
When Michelinne arrived at St.
Germain, she could do 28 laps
around the gym in 12 minutes; this
year she hit 38.
In Nova Scotia, elementary
students are usually still taught by
specialists, but for these teachers,
time may be spread thin. Beverley
Johnstone travels to two schools in
Halifax and is responsible for more
than 600 students. They have only
two 25-minute phys-ed periods a
week, and Johnstone has no time to
organize games at lunch or after
school.
Halifax parents Mark MacDonald
and Craig Moore are trying to
change that. As cochairmen of the
Parents Association for Physical
Education, they are lobbying for
more physical education in the
Halifax area. MacDonald
remembers how, 30 years ago, he
had phys ed as well as daily games
during lunch or after school. “My
son Drew loves gym,” he says, “but
it’s only a blink of his day.”
Both MacDonald and Moore get
their own children active outside of
school, and each volunteers several
days a week coaching sports. “But
not all parents have the time or
inclination to do the same,” says
Moore. “If kids don’t get phys ed at
school, many may miss out on
developing an active lifestyle.”
Some physical education is
required for all children in Canada
until Grade 9 or 10. (Only in
Quebec is it mandatory until
graduation.) CAHPERD awards
schools providing 90 to 150
minutes of quality phys-ed
instruction a week, but in 2001 less
than five percent of Canada’s
16,000 schools got an award. New
Brunswick children average 56
minutes of physical education a
week. In Ontario phys ed is
mandatory until Grade 9, but
there’s no minimum time
allotment. British Columbia
recommends 142 minutes weekly,
but a recent Education Ministry
report shows 74 percent of
elementary classes are not meeting
this.
To make things worse, when
physical education becomes
optional, few students choose it.
Earl Haig Secondary School in
Toronto is typical. In the 2001-02
school year, there were nine physed classes for Grade 9s, but in
Grade 12, voluntary or elective
enrollment lowered the number to
four. Jessica Ahn, a Grade 11 Earl
Haig student who opted out says: “I
wanted to take three sciences
because I thought this would help
me get into university. I couldn’t
take gym, too.” Aiming to study
medicine, she’s aware of the
importance of physical activity and
regrets she can’t fit it in.
Parental Concerns. If parents
worry their child’s academic
performance will suffer
if they spend time on physical
education, they shouldn’t. Roy
Shepherd, professor emeritus in
physical education and health at the
University of Toronto, followed
546 youngsters through elementary
school in the 1970s in Quebec. The
control group had one period of
phys ed a week, taught by their
classroom teacher. The others had
60 minutes a day taught by a
specialist. The math and English
results of the active group were
slightly better than the control
70
group—despite spending 14
percent less time on academics. A
follow-up found that in their 30s,
women in the experimental group
were more active than the control
group and men in the experimental
group were less likely to smoke.
There are extra benefits. When
Marilyn Harris came to Mount
Pleasant Elementary in Vancouver
14 years ago, she was shocked to
find Grade 7s fighting and
vandalizing school property. They
had cut up sports equipment with
switchblades and stolen all the air
pumps. “It was a disaster,” recalls
Harris, a physi-cal-education
specialist. She’d been hired as a
kindergarten teacher, but during her
second year she persuaded the
principal to let her teach phys ed
and to organize more
extracurricular activities. Today 65
percent of
the school’s kids participate in her
morning running club. And Mount
Pleasant kids no longer vandalize
the gym equipment. In fact, they
love their school. Last Halloween,
when Harris asked for volunteers to
decorate the gym, 75 helped.
A 1997 survey by the Alberta
Schools’ Athletic Association
found that kids who played school
sports had higher marks than those
who did not, and they were less
likely to smoke, take drugs or get
into trouble with the law. Denis
Coderre, then federal secretary of
state of Amateur Sport, said that
investing one dollar in child fitness
saves areas like health and justice
between $7 and $10.
A Model School. When Will
Spisso came to Vernon Secondary
in Vernon, B.C., he was a pudgy
Grade 9 student. His previous
school had not emphasized physical
education. But Vernon Secondary
had been given a CAHPERD award
for the daily physical-education
program it had created. Will began
weight training and joined several
teams. He grew stronger and lost
weight. Now in Grade 12, at six
feet two inches and 212 pounds,
Will plays for the football team
while maintaining an A average.
He credits the school with his
increased fitness. “There’s plenty
to do here,” he says.
While over half of Canadian
children are not active enough,
many are close. That’s why a
quality phys-ed program can be
enough to boost them into the
healthy zone. Weekend and afterschool sports programs can’t reach
all children; school does.
Parent Mark MacDonald is
convinced that more phys ed will
solve several thorny problems:
“How can we stop kids smoking?
How can we reduce teenage
pregnancies and obesity? It’s not
rocket science. Phys ed is a good
place to start.”
Title: Minister, parents criticise calls for compulsory PE classes
Author:
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Date: June 14, 2004
Web site: http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200406/s1131268.htm
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy
Barnett has renewed his calls for
compulsory physical education
(PE) in schools and annual
fitness checks for students in an
effort to combat childhood
obesity.
Senator Barnett says a recent
parliamentary report in the
United Kingdom recommended
an absolute minimum of 180
minutes each week of PE in
schools.
He says Education Minister
Paula Wreidt seems content with
a minimum of 30 minutes.
Senator Barnett says the Prime
Minister told Parliament last
week that 40 per cent of
Australian children are not
involved in any physical
activity.
"We don't want children just to
be focused on the academic
[aspect of school]," he said.
"Of course academic is very
important and that's why we
have numeracy and literacy
benchmarking but if we have
physical education and indeed
fitness audits of our children, so
that the parents are aware of
how how the kids are going, I
think schools can play a role in
that regard."
Ms Wriedt says obesity rates
will not improve with more
testing in schools and says
Senator Barnett's proposals are
simplistic.
"There is the old adage that for
every complex problem there is
usually a simple solution and it
usually is wrong," she said.
"It's not as easy as testing, that
won't do anything to improve
the outcome and the physical
activity levels of children, but a
71
complex range of initiatives will
and that's what we're in the
process of developing."
The body representing the
parents of state school students
says it doubts whether
compulsory PE classes would
help lower obesity rates among
children.
States Schools Parents and
Friends Association spokesman
Richard Pickup concedes there
is a role for schools in
improving obesity rates but says
it is a community problem.
"We notice that in some areas
that where there is compulsory
sport at school or sport at school
that the absenteeism goes up,"
he said.
"So I think we've actually got to
be a bit smarter, make activity
attractive and it really comes
down to educating the
community."
Title: QUALITY SCHOOL HEALTH: School exercise may not tackle childhood obesity
Author: Dr. Peter Nieman
Source: Calgary Herald, Page C4
Web site: http://www.cahperd.ca/eng/story_detail.cfm?id=230
Q: I have noticed that Alberta
schools are mandated by the
provincial government to
provide 30 minutes of daily
physical activity for kids from
kindergarten through Grade 9.
Do all children in this age group
get the required amount of
physical activity, and does it
matter how hard they exercise?
A: In discussing the benefits of
regular physical activity, two
issues are very important: the
amount of the activity and its
intensity.
Currently, the Canadian
Pediatric Society recommends
90 minutes of physical activity
every 24 hours. Although
examples of various physical
activities are given, there is no
mention of the level of intensity.
Some parents feel that families
are simply too busy to find 90
minutes each day to help their
children become more active.
Focusing only on the total time
of 90 minutes each day may lead
to confusion, especially when
some experts tell us that any
activity is better than nothing.
More information is needed
regarding the intensity of
physical activity.
Nationally, a number of schools
have used the guidelines set out
by the Canadian Association for
Recreation and Dance (see
www.cahperd.ca).
So far in Alberta the ideal of
getting children to be physically
active for 30 minutes each day
of the school week has had
mixed results. Some schools
find it hard to be consistent. Not
all schools follow the ideal
intentions of this mandatory
change. Most importantly, the
quality and intensity of the
physical activity have varied
greatly, which leads to a fair
question:
If the one of the motives for
mandating physical activity for
30 minutes every day was to
reduce or prevent the incidence
of childhood obesity, are we
making any difference?
The answer may be no,
according to a study published
in the August issue of the
American Journal of Clinical
Nutrition.
The study, conducted from the
respected Karolinska Institute in
Sweden, looked at the outcome
of various intensities of physical
activities.
Researchers were able to show
that more intense workouts are
better than lower-intensity
workouts at keeping kids slim.
Children who engaged in
vigorous activity for more than
40 minutes daily had less body
fat and higher cardiovascular
fitness than those who were
active for just 10 to 18 minutes
per day.
What does this new study mean
to parents and schools?
For schools, unless the intensity
of the 30 minutes of exercise is
increased, there may be little
impact on the incidence of
childhood obesity.
Secondly, for parents who were
told that just taking the dog for a
walk would be enough exercise,
it may be true -- if a child is not
yet overweight.
72
But once a child is obese, the
intensity of physical activity
matters a great deal. Depending
on the 30 minutes of daily
activity at schools may be
insufficient for an overweight
kid.
Parents are often busy and some
delegate daily physical activity
to the schools. The Swedish data
should not discourage parents
from doing activity with their
children.
Rather, it should be a reminder
that some increase in the
intensity of exercise is required
to keep children slim.
The Swedish study may well
provide the explanation to
families confused by the fact
their overweight child is active
but not yet losing weight.
Even though science informs us
that high-intensity exercise
makes the biggest difference,
there are still benefits to doing
some exercise.
A little exercise done every day
in schools may have benefits
such as:
• Better self-esteem in
students;
• Better overall mood;
• Fewer discipline problems;
• Improved attitudes;
• Improved grades;
• Better reading scores;
• Fewer attention problems;
and
•
Overall better health.
Mandating 30 minutes of
physical activity daily
should not be seen as
downright incorrect; it
should be seen as only a
start.
Unless the intensity of
activities is increased,
recent research tells us that
these efforts may do little to
keep children slim.
Two resources, both very
useful for teachers
interested in harnessing the
benefits of various levels of
exercise, can be found at
www.PE4life.org and
www.johnratey.com.
Further Links
www.in-motion.ca
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/admin/1994/sys_goals4.html
http://www.activeliving.ca/English/index.cfm?fa=WhatWeDo.Communities
http://www.reginainmotion.org
http://www.coach.ca/getmoving/front.htm
http://www.obesitymyths.com/myth6.2.htm
http://www.cahperd.ca Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (CAHPERD)
http://www.speakwell.com/well/2000_summer/articles/where_do_the_children_play.html
http://www.futureofchildren.org/information2827/information_show.htm?doc_id=79280
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/physed/physed1-5/ep_planning.html
http://www.cd.gov.ab.ca/building_communities/sport_recreation/resources_links/recfacts/general_index/recfacts140
/index.asp
http://saskschoolboards.ca/research/students/04-01.htm - nutrition guidelines
http://www.spiked-online.com/index.php?/site/article/371/ - mashing the “couch potato” myth:
http://www.phac-aspc.gc.ca/dca-dea/publications/hbsc-2004/hbsc_summary_e.html - youth and their health
http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/031106/d031106b.htm - youth and activity statistics
http://www.td.com/economics/budgets/sk06.jsp 2006 Saskatchewan budget
http://www.saskndp.com/cw/66.2/2006budgetbalanced.html
http://www.cbc.ca/sask/features/SASKbudget2005/images/pies2005.gif
http://graphic.pepperdine.edu/perspectives/2003/2003-01-16-pe.htm - at the university level
http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=1074767491 - MacDonalds sponsors school fitness in Saskatoon
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hppb/paguide/youth.html
http://www.healthyeating.net/he_6.htm#nutrition2
http://www.dietitians.ca/english/faqs/faq_20.html
http://216.185.112.5/presenter.jhtml?identifier=4499
http://www.keepkidshealthy.com/adolescent/adolescentproblems/weightmanagement.html
73
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1998/06jun/kids.htm
http://www.canadian-health-network.ca/html/newnotable/may1_2001e.html
http://kidshealth.org/parent/nutrition_fit/fitness/hate_sports.html
http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/exercise/exercise.html
Guarded support for budget; [Final Edition]
J. F. Conway. Leader Post. Regina, Sask.: May 13, 2006. pg. B.8
Schools crisis was avoidable; [Final Edition]
J. F. Conway. Leader Post. Regina, Sask.: Dec 2, 2005. pg. B.8
More, not fewer, local classrooms; [Final Edition]
J. F. Conway. Leader Post. Regina, Sask.: Nov 2, 2005. pg. B.8
74

2006_07 Research Covers.pmd

Transcription

Similar documents

Help the Silly Bus kids get to school!

Crosswinds Church Kids Camp - Dublin Unified School District

the Flyer (Adobe Reader Format)

Drop off the kids...JUST FUN! GUESS WHO? Your Host Beetlejuice

Solar System I Spy Game Solar System I Spy Game

Read - Outset Media

Motivate Unmotivated Kids - Nysmith School for the Gifted

School`s Out for

Do Groundbreaking Research!

Walk Safely Trick or Treat With an Adult Keep Costumes Both