Where did recess go? (Childhood Obesity)

 

In the United States,more and more children as well as adults are obese, due to bad choices of food and lack of exercise.

 Childhood Obesity
- Over the past three decades the childhood obesity rate has more than doubled for preschool children aged 2-5 years and adolescents aged 12-19 years, and it has more than tripled for children aged 6-11 years

Reference:

 http://ezinearticles.com/?Shocking-Obesity-Statistics&id=2005400

 

 The reason why I am concern about this issue is that I have witness personally that some schools rule out recess all together. Physical Education is provided for the students at school, but sometimes the students only go twice a week due to other activities scheduled.  Allowing students to go to recess everyday for 20 to 30 minutes is not only good for their health, but also their mentality. Students who have recess get to choose the activities that they would like to play, instead of being told what to do. They are allowed to run free, play kickball, and play on the playground.

 

How active are children during recess? Kraft (1989) found that elementary school children engaged in physical activity 59% of the time during recess, with vigorous physical activity occurring 21% of the time--slightly more time in vigorous activity than occurred during physical education (PE) classes (15%).

 

Reference: http://www.ericdigests.org/2003-2/recess.html

 

I believe as future teachers we should take a stand to allow our students to have recess everyday for at least 20 to 30 minutes. We should contribute in any way to help children become active and want to go out play. I remember when I was in elementary school our teacher would always take us out to play and at that time we had P.E. everyday. Our teacher at least twice a week would play with us kickball and the other days she would sit out to talk to the other teachers. I loved the game so much that I came home and explained it to my mom. The whole neighborhood would get together and play with us kickball on the street. It was a memorable moment for me as child, because not only did my teacher model to be active; it also made my mom to be active with us by playing kickball.

 

After witnessing and doing research on my own and realizing that more and more schools are leaving out recess, I find it to be absurd. I find it complicated to believe that children who attend high-minority, high-poverty, or urban schools are far more likely than other children to get no recess at all. No wonder more and more children are obese, right after they eat lunch they go back to the classroom and sit down…….:{

 

I truly believe that each one of us, are role models to our students. Remember it only takes one person to make a difference.

 

Wholesome exercise in the free air, under the wide blue sky, is the best medicine for body and spirit.   - Sarah Louise Arnold

 

Reference:

http://www.centerforpubliceducation.org/site/c.kjJXJ5MPIwE/b.4406649/k.D50A/Time_out_Is_recess_in_danger.htm#a2

http://blogs.chron.com/momhouston/2008/09/ever_heard_of_the_recess_gap.html

 

~yessenia perez-carrizal

Comments

[Rosa]

The food served in public school cafeterias in some places around the country is horrible! Maybe we should place a gluttony tax so that public schools won't run to the unhealthy food to serve our children. Interesting how this all falls around the time of the Health Care plan by Obama, recently he state, "If we can help somebody control obesity, they are less likely to get diabetes. And if they are less likely to get diabetes that means that we are going to be saving a whole lot of money on hospital costs." http://www.newsy.com/videos/the_obesity_epidemic Sorry, but I really don't want to pay fat peoples hospital bills with my tax money because they lived a life of gluttony.