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"What A Cool Job!"
As a college professor, I have the wonderful opportunity to work
with students just a few short semesters away from becoming professional
colleagues as K-12 physical and health education teachers. Recently,
while discussing the value and merits of a profession that guides
youngsters toward a lifetime of physical activity and healthy living,
an excited student blurted out; "what a cool job!"
"Absolutely!"I responded to a class full of laughter.
And, of course, that student was exactly right.
As most of us continue to get our school year off to a roaring
start we must never forget that we really do have a cool job.
Working with secondary students in physical and health education,
we have the opportunity to teach youngsters about the six lifestyle
behaviors (identified by the Centers for Disease Control) that serve
to protect all of us from premature death and disability. The six
include; (1) eating a healthy diet, (2) avoiding tobacco and drugs,
(3) using alcohol wisely, (4) protecting oneself from disease, (5)
protecting oneself from injury, and (6) leading a physically active
lifestyle. I have chosen to present each of these six in this issue
and provide some limited information and web links for further information.
I hope you will find some teachable information that leads one of
your students to blurt out about you, "what a cool job!"
Jon Poole
Secondary Section Editor
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Of course, just what is a healthy diet? Many folks are questioning
the food guide pyramid as we know it. Some folks, like Dr. Walter
Willett of the Harvard School for Public Health, are pretty darn
reputable folks, too. In his best-selling book, Eat, Drink
and Be Healthy, Dr. Willett proposes a revised pyramid with
greater emphasis on healthy fat choices and staying away from
refined carbohydrates such as white bread and white rice and instead,
choose healthier whole grain carbohydrates.
Dr. Willett advises for those trying to lose weight, "Focus
on the quality of your diet and make sure you feel satisfied at
the end of the day. You can eat good food in reasonable quantities
and still lose weight. Stay away from refined carbohydrates and
sugars and keep an eye on the calories, whether from fat or carbohydrates.
Also, exercise is very important. You should develop a plan that
you can maintain permanently." (Harvard Public Health Now)
Empowered kids claims that “ Healthy eaters are Empowered
Kidz, free of fears and misconceptions about food and eating.
Kids who know how to eat healthfully know what they need and how
to get it. They are effective problem solvers. Healthy eating
habits established in childhood are a precious legacy to be brought
with the child into the adult years” (quoted from their
website below).
The following links provide information for healthy
eating:
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| If you have ideas, comments,
letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please
email one of the following Secondary Section Editors: |
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| Avoiding Tobacco and Drugs |
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The best advice I've heard about tobacco use came from a health
educator who noted, "tobacco is a product that even if used correctly
will still kill you."
That pretty much puts the bottom line in place.
Clearly, youngsters and adolescents now understand the negative
health impact of using tobacco. Which is why so many of us are horrified
by what we see on college campuses. A marked rise in smoking behavior,
especially with young women. And, unlike a high school where smoking
is not allowed on-campus, college campuses rarely prohibit smoking.
Unfortunately, it is also clear that these young college students
did not decide to start smoking the moment their mothers and fathers
dropped them off at the dorm. The young people are already experienced
smokers by the time they begin college. Thus, clearly as a society
(including teachers and parents) we need to work even harder to
curb smoking behavior.
The following links provide information concerning tobacco and
drug use:
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| Protecting Oneself from Diseases |
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This
has been a tough spring/summer as fears of West Nile Virus and
SARS spread throughout the country with people rescheduling vacation
plans out-of-the-country and pictures of baseball fans in Canada
wearing masks. Protecting
oneself from disease is similar to protecting oneself from injury
in that young people need to be educated about the health risks
associated with their choices. Most notably for young people,
inappropriate sexual activity is a major concern for illnesses
and disease.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) notes, "'Chronic diseases'
such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes are the leading causes
of death and disability in the United States. These diseases account
for 7 of every 10 deaths and affect the quality of life of 90
million Americans. Although chronic diseases are among the most
common and costly health problems, they are also among the most
preventable. Adopting healthy behaviors such as eating nutritious
foods, being physically active, and avoiding tobacco use can prevent
or control the devastating effects of these diseases" (quoted
from CDC website below)
The
following links provide information of tobacco and drug use:
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Much has been written suggesting the beneficial health impacts
of moderate alcohol consumption of course, over consumption and
alcohol-related traffic accidents are major health problems with
adolescents. The bottom line, that alcohol consumption
is inappropriate for young people is clear but also not
heeded. Instead we need
to help young people understand the negative health consequences
too often associated with over consumption. Later in this issue
I discuss (a) protecting oneself from disease and (b) protecting
oneself from injury both of which can be compromised by
unhealthy choices with alcohol.
The following links provide information about using alcohol
wisely:
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| Protecting Oneself from Injury |
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While many people are aware that coronary heart disease (heart
attack, stroke, etc.) is the leading cause of premature death for
American adults, many forget that accidents (especially traffic
fatalities) are the leading cause of premature death for adolescents.
The World Health
Organization (WHO) notes, "Injuries constitute a major public
health problem, killing more than 5 million people per year, and
harming many millions more. Yet events which result in injury are
not random or unpredictable. The causes of injuries can be studied
and acted upon; injuries can be prevented" (quote from World
Health Organization website below).
The following links provide information for injury prevention:
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| Leading a Physically Active Lifestyle |
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As
physical educators, we place an incredibly high value on leading
a physically active lifestyle of our own. Almost every teacher I know is involved with some form
of physical activity which brings joy to life. Of course, that joy is one reason why so many of us were
drawn to physical education to begin with.
Unfortunately, (& you know where I am going with this) many
young people lose that sense of joy both before and during their
middle and high school years. The Surgeon General's Report almost
a decade old now was clear - adolescents (both male and females)
are at risk (but especially females) for increasingly sedentary
living as they near high school graduation. The irony, of course,
is many states like my home here in Virginia, require physical
education for only part of the high school years. Further, many
college and universities no longer require students to enroll
in physical activity classes as a graduation requirement. What
this all means is that somehow we need to foster a passion and
joy for physically active living before computer games, electronic
media, and peer pressure (among other factors) lead our young
people to choose sedentary lifestyles.
The
following links provide information for physically active lifestyles:
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