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Personal Trainers Fighting Childhood Obesity – A Call to Action

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Personal Trainers Fighting Childhood Obesity – A Call to Action

As a personal trainer, you have the expertise and the chance to change lives by helping to reduce the childhood obesity rate. Too many children suffer the consequences of being overweight, from being teased in school to being less physically fit. It doesn’t have to be this way. If several trainers in each community would give just one day each week to this cause, it could have a significant impact on this generation and the children in their own futures.

In this article, you’ll learn about some of the facts of childhood obesity and why you might want to take action, how to organize fitness events, work with parents, and motivate kids to sign up for fitness programs. This kind of involvement will always come full circle as you become better known in the community.

The Facts

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 2% of all high schools “required daily PE or its equivalent for students in all grades…for the entire year.” With statistics like these, it’s no wonder that there is an obesity epidemic in this country. Also, over half of these schools made fried foods available as a choice for the school lunch program. With the lack of exercise that children are receiving, combined with unhealthy food choices due to peer pressure or economic factors, kids just don’t have a fighting chance.

Taking Action

What was your reason for becoming a personal trainer? Do you have a love of fitness? Did you feel that it would be fun and rewarding? Are you trying to make a difference in people’s lives? What if you now have the opportunity to take your knowledge and donate a few hours each week toward helping those who need it the most: children who are 20 to 200 pounds overweight, as early as 8 years old. Kids need role models and information mixed up with enough imagination to hold their interest; you can show them the way. Your guidance can play a vital part in reversing this heartbreaking epidemic.

School Events

A good way to get started is by holding an event at a local school. If you’re worried about the logistics, then don’t be. Any school would be thrilled to help you organize an event that promoted children’s health, and parents will be happy to jump in as well.

When it comes to planning activities, make sure that they are geared towards children. “Games” are fun, whereas “exercise programs” will make any kid want to run the other direction. You could design a simple obstacle course or hold track and field events, like the 100-meter dash. Be sure to include events for physically challenged kids as well. Boot camps for kids not only sound exciting but also promote healthy competition as well as group involvement.

Working with Parents

Whether you’ve never worked with children before or have years of experience, you’ll have to sell yourself and your qualifications to their parents. Make some postcards or flyers spelling out your credentials, certifications, continuing education requirements and experience. Parents are the key to your success and if they believe you are sincere and committed, they will take your cause “to the mattresses.”

Also, be sure to let them know that you are trained in CPR and first aid and are insurable (the school or PTA or event organizer may want to take out insurance, which is a win-win for you both). Anything that you can do to prove to parents that you’re qualified, dependable, and trustworthy will help to get them on your side.

More than a One-Time Event

Holding special fitness events for children is a great thing on its own, but you should strive to get kids signed up for ongoing classes. In fact, those classes could be held by you! Not only will you benefit financially, but you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that you’re getting kids to lead healthier lifestyles.

You can make a huge difference in children’s lives by using your knowledge and skills to help them make lifestyle changes. Tell others about your plans, and you’ll be surprised to see how many people will be supportive and help to make your idea a reality.

About the Author

Anthony Jefferies is fitness instructor who also works with parents’ groups and contributes content for playground equipment companies providing imaginative structures for kids, so they can spend more time outdoors in active play.

*Image: Go Play, Get Fit Youth Day by Port of San Diego/flickr*
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The Causes and Concerns of Childhood Obesity

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Childhood Obesity

By Sally Romero

Childhood obesity is caused by gaining too much weight as the result of consuming more calories than is burned from the body. Calories that is not used becomes body fat. Obesity in children is quickly becoming a major epidemic problem. There is increasing concern regarding the growing trend of children who are overweight. Childhood obesity is becoming a huge concern in public health because of the rise in health insurance, due to the many medical conditions which occur from being overweight.

Causes of childhood obesity

Today, many kids have mothers who work outside of the home. Left unsupervised, many children are overeating and making unhealthy dietary choices when consuming food. They drinks tons of sodas and juices which is loaded with too much sugar. They eat an over-abundance of junk food which is high in fat and calories. Physical activity is minimal, because children are not allowed to go outside unsupervised, after school. Once their school day is finish, children spend the majority of their time playing video games, watching television and socializing on the computer and the phone. All these activities make up a very sedentary lifestyle, which does not speed up the metabolism and burn calories.

The Body Mass Index (BMI) is used to calculate obesity in children. According to the Center for Disease Control, a child with a BMI which is over the 95th percentile is defined as obese. BMI is measured by calculating the ratio of height divided by weight to determine acceptable amounts of body fat. Obesity in children can be contributed to family genetics, but most often, obesity is the result of overeating and lack of physical activity. In some cases, obesity can be cause by a chemical or a hormonal imbalance in the body. In rare cases, the inability of the brain appetite control centre to function correctly in controlling the appetite is the cause of obesity.

The effects of childhood obesity

In today’s society, being slim is a valuable asset and being overweight is frowned upon by many people. Children who are overweight may suffer from ridicule and teasing from their peers, leading them to have a low self -esteem and suffer from depression. Having to deal with social discrimination, isolation, and loneliness can help contribute to overeating. Children who are obese are more at risk for developing cardio-vascular disease, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol. In recent years, Type 2 diabetes has become a major concern in the health care field, because of the increase in adolescents who developed this disease. In certain minority groups, there has been a significant increase in Type 2 diabetes due to obesity in children. Studies have shown that 25% of overweight adults were obese in their childhood. Obesity in children has a negative impact on their life expectancy.

Preventing childhood obesity

Parents should implement tools early on in a child’s life to prevent them from being overweight, especially if there is a family history of obesity. Behavior that caused children to be overweight should be targeted and changed. Children should consume nutritional and healthy foods, while increasing their physical activities. Parents should spend more time with their children and educate them about adopting a healthier lifestyle. They should be a role model and set a positive example by consuming healthy food and being more active. Changing to a healthier lifestyle can make a tremendous impact on childhood obesity, and prevent children from becoming overweight adults.

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