Moving Toward Health: Preventing and Overcoming Obesity in Children By Karen Sawyers, Assistant Director, Movement and Music Division,

Most of us are well acquainted with the saying “garbage in/garbage out”—especially inassociation with some type of business practice. A twist on this familiar saying has rele-vance to our children’s health. “Energy in/energy out, ” a term used by nutritionists, describes the balance between calories consumed and calories burned. If a person’s level of physical activity is not great enough to burn the amount of calories taken in, weight increases. If this imbalance continues, obesity may result. We know that many children do not get enough opportunities for the “energy out ” part of this equation. Children need time to move and explore the world around them. Not only does physical exercise help prevent weight problems, it also helps increase concentration and a sense of well-being. Therefore, as educators we have many reasons for finding ways to help increase the amount of physical activity that children experience each day. Consider the following:* ◗ Obese children and adolescents are at risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other risk factors for heart disease. ◗ Obese children are more prone to poor self-confidence and depression. ◗ There is an alarming increase in the incidence of type 2 diabetes in obese children and adolescents. ◗ One of the most severe problems for obese children is sleep apnea (interrupted breathing while sleeping), which can lead to problems with learning and memory. ◗ Obese children have a high incidence of orthopedic problems, liver disease, and asthma. ◗ Overweight adolescents have a 70 percent chance of becoming overweight or obese adults