The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health's recent report on Ontario obesity rates sends an important message to us all: Keeping our children healthy and active is more important than ever. "Obesity among children ages 7-13 tripled between 1981 and 1996. This is alarming, but we have the knowledge and tools to stop it," says Claudia von Zweck, Executive Director of the Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists. "We can help the next generation of adults to be healthier than the one of today, where half of people are overweight." First and foremost, we should encourage activity among children every day. Kids love to move! "We sometimes think of gym and recess time as privileges, and teachers may threaten to take them away when children misbehave," says von Zweck. "But activity is a right and a responsibility - not a privilege." Exercise not only helps kids stay healthy, but also helps develop motor skills, coordination and self-esteem. Teachers need to change the way they look at gym and recess, emphasizes von Zweck. If a school class is playing hockey and a child acts up, he or she should be removed from the game. However, instead of sitting idly, the child should keep moving with jumping jacks or another activity until ready to rejoin the group. When a child misbehaves in math, we don't cancel the next math class, but we might give additional homework. It follows that if a child misbehaves in gym, we could prescribe more movement time. For example, teachers could send a note home assigning the child an extra 20 minutes of high-energy activity like skipping, jumping jacks or jogging on the spot. If parents have time, they could walk outside with their children or join them in a fun activity like tobogganing, kicking a soccer ball, or playing catch. It's our duty to do everything we can to keep our kids active and to promote the next generation of healthy, fit adults. The Canadian Association of Occupational Therapists believes that encouraging activity in our kids will allow them to develop good habits to last them a lifetime. The Association is also working on a strategy for broader legislative and policy changes to advance opportunities and resources for children and youth.
