5/30/06

childhood obesity or the epidemic of overuse and orthopaedic injuries

This question was posted in response to yesterdays blog: In your professional opinions, which is worse - the current epidemic of childhood obesity or the epidemic of overuse and orthopaedic injuries in our JH athletes?

The there is no simple answer to this because the two are so interrelated. Movement and exercise should precede athletics. We all know and acknowledge that. So let’s do it. We need to get PE back in the schools. I mean really PE. Not this interactive crap where kids learn how to use machines and log on to see how to exercise. All professional in the allied fields should lobby for a national TV blackout for two weeks two weeks across the country from 3:00 to 6:00 PM. Lets get those elementary school kids away from in front of the tube and out playing. School districts and/or recreation departments need to have the playgrounds open and supervised after school so kids can be encouraged to play. I know this is idealistic, but we must start somewhere. What not idealistic.

2 Comments:

At 5/30/06, 10:32 PM, Blogger Paul said...

Vern,

Thanks for the reply. It is a complicated question with no easy answer IMHO.

I think continued study and research is needed for both of these epedimics. We also need to greatly improve our youth sports programs through coaching education and possible certifications (soccer does this but soccer is one of the worse offenders of the overuse syndrome). We also need to improve our education of the parents.

 
At 5/31/06, 7:27 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

If you are a health insurance company who would you rather insure for the next 60 (maybe) years of their life. The highly motivated overused teenager athlete or the Mt. Dew/potato chip loving couch potato teenager that gets tendinitis from too many video games?

Mark Day D.C., CSCS, DACBSP

 

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