![[108/365] Ill-advised](http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5003/5268559005_c6f09bdd10.jpg)
Childhood obesity is not just a problem in the United States anymore where presently about 1 in 3 children are either overweight or obese.
While not quite as severe, the accelerating rate of childhood obesity in Australia which currently stands at about 25% have some taking extreme measures to combat it.
People have become so worried about this problem Down Under that kiddie gyms are being set up at daycare centers and even the homes of children ages 3-5 years old.
Kiddie gyms come complete with treadmills, weight benches and even rowing machines.
Some daycare centers are even charging membership fees for children to use the equipment much like adult gyms and fitness centers.
Has this approach to reversing the increasing trend of childhood obesity gone too far?
It seems that children should really be playing outside in the fresh air and sunshine for their exercise, not doing the lab rat on a treadmill.
The boring, repetitive nature of treadmills, rowing machines and the like may actually backfire and teach children to hate exercise rather than embrace it as the fun, creative experience it is supposed to be.
It would be interesting to go through the pantries of the families who are installing these mini gyms in their homes. Â Are the pantries full of chips, crackers, cookies, fruit juice boxes, soda and other processed foods?
Are the children allowed to eat mindlessly in front of a constantly turned on TV?
Sadly, the answer to both of these questions is likely yes which means that such gyms would have little impact on the child’s overall health until the underlying reasons for the problem are addressed.
Since kiddie gyms require adult supervision anyway to prevent injury, it seems that the time would be better spent taking the child to the park or for a bike ride. Â At least then, fresh air and possibly some Vitamin D producing sunshine would be involved.
On a brighter note, one very effective use for the kiddie gyms has been discovered by hospitals. Â The gyms are being used to help children recover from car accidents.
Sarah, TheHealthyHomeEconomist.com
“You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.” So they’ll keep feeding the children poison, and then blame the children for being gluttonous and slothful.
Well said.
exactly.
Don’t forget that children today would rather play on the computer than play outside.
Grocery store food = life of malnutrition, misery & pain.
This is simply appalling… And what’s funny is I thought for the longest time Australia actually had a better grip on the reality of health than we did but I am being proven more and more wrong every day…
Amber, that is one reason my kindergarten teaching mother bangs her head on the desk when parents talk about “educational activities”. She can’t seem to get it through there heads that free play is essential to their intellectual development.
Getting a fitness routine is only a small part of the equation. How about steps to eliminate artificial sweeteners, corn syrup / sugar and GMO’s? That’s an issue that the medical field refuses to address.
Greatly reduce non-artificial sweeteners, too. Sugar is highly addictive and harmful — another issue the medical field sidesteps. 150 years ago, the average annual per capita consumption of sugar was 1 – 2 pounds, where now the average person consumes more than 170 pounds annually. To put it another way, our ancestors averaged about ONE TABLESPOON (60 calories) of honey per day, when they could find it, which is a mere smidgeon compared to today’s ONE CUP (774 calories) of refined sugar per day. And it’s not just about the calories. Sugar and refined flour provide negative nutrition because they pull nutrients from the body just to metabolize it. There’s a global addiction to sweeteners of all kinds. This has to be part of the equation as well.
Why not give kids good, REAL food and let them play outside, in the sunshine?
Pudgy Preschoolers Hit the Gym – The Healthy Home Economist http://t.co/NCixMCeC
I am a preschool teacher and I can tell you that, which is know surprise, children learn through play and exploration. The world is so new to them that everyday is full of new discoveries. I am a firm believer in outdoor time for children, my class goes outside everyday to play for a half hour and there is not one child that complains about going outside even in the rain. The creativity that I see from the children while outside I find so interesting and I cannot ever imagine it being the same cooped up in a gym where the children are required to do the same action over and over on a machine. How sad this is.
Excellent points, Amber.
My boys play outside every day the weather is nice. It is no surprise to me that my kids enjoy riding bikes, catching bugs and playing with friends in the warm sunshine. My kids are healthy and happy but not fat and happy.
That’s just crazy!!! And a little sad too. I’m so tired of people so busy looking for solutions to health problems and forgoing the most common sensible solutions right in front of us.
Remember when you were a kid and you were outside all day long playing? And wistfully remembering, as you have to say no to dessert, that when you were a kid you could eat anything you wanted and never get fat?