EYE ON THE PROFESSION

A CLOSER LOOK AT TRENDS AND ISSUES IN THE PARK AND RECREATION PROFESSION

William J. M. Wald IPRA Chief Executive Officer

Food for Thought

The roving photographer at April's IAPD Legislative Conference who stopped to take a photo of Renie Schreiber sipping a soft drink must have been taken aback when she abruptly ducked the camera.

Schreiber, Park Ridge Recreation and Park District's manager of public relations, is hardly shy and she's not in the Witness Protection Program. Her reticence stemmed from the fact that a week earlier she had written a position paper on behalf of her board that drew a line in the sand on the issue of sugary snack foods. Capturing an image of Renie with a soft drink can in hand was the last thing the PR pro wanted to see published.

If your board is as worried as you and your staff about the health and social implications awaiting an increasing number of obese children, taking a formal position on the subject of snacking just might save lives.

Taking a position on something as seemingly innocuous as whether kids should be given snack foods after organized sporting events may seem trivial. But, in reality, the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District Board of Park Commissioners felt it had no choice but to advocate on behalf of children participating in leagues run by the agency's affiliates. They aren't alone.

Worried government officials and concerned health care industry professionals are making monumental communications efforts to stem a growing obesity problem among American youth. According to such authorities as the Surgeon General of the United States, the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, unless something is done - and done fast - the number of children in our society labeled obese is likely to escalate.

You don't need to be reminded that overweight children are pandemic because you see it every day. Kids who can't run without getting winded and children who expect to be rewarded with a cookie for participating in a sport populate our programs. And often, it is these kids who end up warming benches because of parental pressure or insensitive coaches who don't want to take a chance on an out-of-condition child being responsible for losing a match.

Schools are cutting physical activity and extracurricular activities due to budget cuts. Who but us is left to carry the issue forward?

"Kids are walking away from a game having consumed more calories than they've burned," said Park Ridge Commissioner Bob Trizna when a Chicago Tribune reporter asked him about the agency's attention-getting stand. What Trizna, Schreiber and other personnel have concluded is that the situation has turned from a ripple into a tidal wave, spurred on by a culture that rewards kids for tasks and accomplishments for which our parents dispensed kudos rather than Kudos candy bars for a job well done.

Consequently, if your board is as worried as you and your staff about the health and social implications awaiting an increasing number of obese children, taking a formal position on the subject of snacking just might save lives. To prepare you for resistance and questions that could come your way, arm yourself with these statistics from the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association:

-Currently, one child in five is overweight.

-Scientific evidence shows a rise in adult

8 - Illinois Porks and Recreation

Park Ridge Recreation and Park District Position Paper on the Elimination of Snacks (Abridged) The Park Ridge Recreation and Park District is taking a leadership role in combating obesity among children by asking our four major sports affiliates - the Park Ridge Youth Baseball and Softball Association, the Park Ridge Soccer Association, Park Ridge Youth Football and Northern Express Hockey - to eliminate the practice of snacks. This strong position is in response to renewed efforts by the federal government and many public and private health organizations to motivate Americans to take action to improve their health. The percentage of children ages six through 19 who are overweight has tripled in the past two decades. Obesity not only adversely affects children's lives in the present, studies also show that most overweight children become overweight adults. Doctors have seen an extreme increase in diabetes, high blood pressure, several forms of cancer, congestive heart disease, sleep disorders and even depression. Eliminating treats is a dramatic step; the park district staff believes it is a necessary one if we hope to change the mindset and habits of children. By teaming up with our affiliates in this groundbreaking move, the park district believes that our children can develop a life-long love of sports and fitness that is enhanced by healthy eating habits rather than undermined by the unhealthy habit that "treats" symbolize.

diseases among obese children.

-Type 2 Diabetes, once relegated to the adult population, has increased dramatically in children and can be directly tied to lack of activity and obesity.

-Social discrimination runs rampant when kids are overweight. Mental health professionals are seeing an increasing number of overweight children who are experiencing low self-esteem and depression.

-Nearly half of children aged eight to 16 watch three to five hours of television a day, getting up only to raid the refrigerator for quick snacks loaded with fat and sugar.

-Despite the American Heart Association's admonition to exercise at least 60 minutes a day to help offset unhealthy diets, kids rarely get that much activity.

-Particularly at risk are white females between the ages of six and 11, non-Hispanic African-American girls and Mexican-American boys in the same age group.

What can you and your colleagues do to help reverse the 10 percent increase in childhood obesity tracked since 1965? I recommend finding out how your colleagues feel about cutting back on snacking associated with leagues and events at your agency. If you reach consensus and deem the issue serious enough to pursue, have your communications professional compose a cohesive and persuasive position paper with plenty of documentation to present to your board, understanding that this new way of thinking may incite dissension.

To help you out, we've received permission from the Park Ridge Recreation and Park District to excerpt their policy.

Many feel that we are the last bastions of advocacy on this matter, so IPRA members have an important job to do in the years ahead. Schools are cutting physical activity and extracurricular activities due to budget cuts. Who but us is left to carry the issue forward?

We have a duty to protect the whole child. That means that our influence must extend beyond the realm of advocating physical activity. By formulating and implementing policies that hold the line on snacking associated with our agency programs, we can make a contribution that's long lasting and meaningful.

Where will your agency make its stand?

July/August 2004 - 9