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It's no secret that poor nutrition and inactivity are putting today's youth at risk of developing life-threatening diseases as they age. According to the American Obesity Association, approximately 30.3% of children (ages 6-11) are overweight (at or above the 85th percentile of Body Mass Index) and 15.3% are obese (at or above the 95th percentile of Body Mass Index). For adolescents (ages 12-19), 30.4% are overweight and 15.5% are obese. The prevalence of obesity has quadrupled over the past 25 years.
Children should be learning about the extreme dangers of being overweight and obese as well as engaging in daily fitness-based activities. What better way to do this than to integrate it into the daily curriculum. The American Council on Exercise® is serious about its initiative to reach out to today's youth. One way is by providing a simple, online tool for you, the classroom educator.
This seven-lesson Operation FitKids™ module was written for the 3rd to 5th grade classroom level. Read the Ways to Use the Lessons section to understand the flexibility and versatility of this program. Although the lessons and their activities are presented in an independent fashion, you can integrate the lesson concepts into your existing curricula. For example, integrate some math problems into the appropriate areas of the fitness games section. Or instead of having children count seconds while engaging in jumping jack activities, why not have them recite their spelling words for the week? Your creativity for integration of this program is endless!
Thank you for your support and dedication in the battle against childhood obesity.
Sincerely,
Cedric X. Bryant, Ph.D.
Chief Exercise Physiologist/V.P. of Educational Services
American Council on Exercise
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