Schools weigh up obesity challenge
Wednesday, 1 November 2006
Reporter: John Leach (News) Jonathan Atkins (Online)
Rates of obesity are rising and it's not only restricted to adults.
Rates of obesity are rising and it's not only restricted to adults. In Australia, obesity in children has increased across all age groups for both boys and girls over the past few decades.
In the 1995, in the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) National Nutrition Survey, an estimated 4.7% of boys and 5.5% of girls aged 7-15 years were obese, and a further 15.3% of boys and 16.0% of girls were overweight but not obese.
Statistics tell one story but what is happening on the ground, are there more obese children in our schools today?
In Cooma NSW, Monaro High School Principal, Ray Downey explains, "Anecdotally it's hard to prove anything. The figures tell us that there are greater levels of obesity but in terms of just looking, there have always been overweight children."
"I think there are a few contradictory surveys out there as well, some are concerned by the obesity and low fitness levels of young people but the participation rates in junior sports are apparently increasing."
But Downey understands that, "With the increase of diabetes type two in children and adults, there's a definite problems arising from obesity."
In terms of just looking, there have always been overweight children.
Mr Downey, who has been involved in the education department for many years, believes his school has a good mix of healthy lifestyle education programs.
"In our Personal Development, Health and Physical Education (PDHPE) courses, there is an emphasis on healthy living, wellbeing and it looks at a whole range of issues such as diet and obesity and the problems it causes."
"Like all schools in NSW we've been implementing the healthy foods healthy canteen policy where we've made significant changes to what we sell in the canteen. It was interesting because initially there was a slight negative impact where our sales at the canteen declined but are now picking up again."
Almost 5500 school-aged students in NSW participated in the 2004 NSW Schools Physical Activity and Nutrition Survey in schools in New South Wales (SPANS). SPANS was conducted to determine the prevalence of overweight and obesity in young people as well as fitness, physical activity, sedentary behaviours, food habits, and risk factors for chronic disease. The survey showed children under 16 years who are overweight or obese continues to rise.
Between 1997 and 2004, the percentage of boys in school years 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 (aged up to approximately 16 years) who were obese increased from 5.0 to 7.7%. For girls, the increase was from 4.4 to 6.3%. Results for the overweight but not obese over the same period show an increase from 15.2 to 18.4% for boys, and from 16.1 to 17.4% for girls.
At school or at home, where should children learn about a keeping a healthy lifestyle?
Neil Simpson, Principal of Batemans Bay High School on the Far South Coast of NSW says, "I do believe these good habits start at home, schools end up having to address some of the imbalances from the home. We do accept that as a role and we don't complain about that because a students welfare is our prime concern."
"If a students health is drifting down then we're keen to do something about it, similar to drug, sex and driver education, these issues should be covered at home as well but the school accepts to contribute to changing attitudes."
Childhood Obesity in New South Wales 
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