Healthy Bodies, Healthy Minds: How the No Child Left Behind Act May Be Affecting Your Child’s Health

Move ‘N Groove Kids may be the fun, dance and exercise product it sounds like it is, but the clamor for it brings up a number of serious issues.  Among them, is the connection between the No Child Left Behind Act and the growing problem of childhood obesity.  “Unbeknownst to many policymakers, the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) of 2001 is threatening the amount of time available for physical education,” said Charlene R. Burgeson, the Executive Director of the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.  Given that NCLB defines the failure or success of schools and students by their performance on standardized tests, subjects like physical education have been pushed aside or simply cancelled. 

This comes at a time when childhood obesity rates have skyrocketed.  The Center for Disease Control reports that in the last 20 years the number of overweight children has tripled.  This concerns M. Cass Wheeler, the CEO of the American Heart Association; “Children are more overweight that ever before and they’re at a great risk of developing cardiovascular disease as they reach adulthood.  Now is not the time for schools to cut physical education, and deprive children the chance to adopt healthy lifestyles.”  Parents who worry that their child’s school is failing in this capacity are now searching for solutions they can use at home—like Move ‘n Groove Kids, a creative movement and exercise program on DVD. 

Apart from the physical benefits, a recent study also shows that active kids get better grades.  The American College of Sports Medicine found that children that had done vigorous physical activity for 20 minutes at least three times a week performed better in school.  The No Child Left Behind Act then, with the unintended consequence of limiting physical activity, may be working against itself. 

While groups like the National Association for Sport and Physical Education are pushing for federal policy change, it may come too late for many kids.  The Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health (1996) has shown that Americans become increasingly less active with each year of age.  This means that kids that have inactive lifestyles now will be even more sedentary as adults.  In the end, this combination of inactivity and poor diet causes more deaths each year in the U.S. than infectious disease, firearms, motor vehicles and illicit drug use, combined.

In light of these serious consequences, the question then is how can parents pick up the slack of the public school system and introduce their children to good habits at an early age?  One answer: turn the enemy into a friend by making television active.  As more and more people come to this conclusion, it will become increasingly important for parents to know which programs are best.  We ask you to evaluate Move ‘N Groove Kids (in the ages 2-7 category) for that purpose. 

Please feel free to contact me with further questions, or if you’d like to schedule an interview with Deb and Manny, the creators of Move ‘N Groove Kids. 

Fighting the rising obesity epidemic helpful hints for parents and educators!!!

Fun Activities are key: Play to your childs strengths, If she enoys getting wet, sign her up for swimming classes where she can make friends and build strong muscles. Don't want to spend a lot of money? Then simply play a game of catch or even tag. You'll be surprised how long and often they'll want to play if they're having fun.For the winter or spring months when it's too wet, dreary or cold to go outside get an exercise dvd or dance video your child will love. The key is to find something that's simple enough that he can understand, and fun enough to keep him watching and playing over and over again. My pick for a creative movement program for kids ages 2-7 is a dance & exercise video called Move 'N Groove Kids,( Move 'N Groove Kids or www.mngk.com)

Variety keeps them jumping, the Move ‘N Groove Kids dvd's are a series with 3 titles so far. The first move 'n groove is an introduction to the creative movement style whereas the other two branch out. One is an adventure at the zoo while the other is a day at the park. Your kids will have lots of fun jumping, stretching and twisting. An animated character munki who keeps getting lost adds an element of fantasy to the kids who immediately take a liking to him.

Volume 1, the Move ‘N Groove Kids learn how to work together. After throwing Frisbees, playing on swings and jumping like frogs, help them row across the lake to rescue Munki! View a sneak peek here.

At the Zoo, the Move ‘N Groove Kids learn their animal A, B, C's and make some new friends at the zoo. There's something for everyone, Kangaroo's, Lions, Penguins, eagles and many more animals join the Move ' N Groove Kids on fun adventures. View a sneak peek here.

At the Park, the Move ‘N Groove Kids learn how to work together. After throwing Frisbees, playing on swings and jumping like frogs, help them row across the lake to rescue Munki! View a sneak peek here.

Preview clips of all Move ‘N Groove titles, place orders, and catch up on the latest in childhood health at www.movengroovekids.com.

Many parents find it difficult to convince their kids to put down their electronic devices and get out and play especially in the winter time. Most everyone agrees that habits are learned early on, whether good or bad, so the best way to ensure that your kid learns to eat healthy and enjoy exercise and physical activity is to get them started early. So instead of buying your child that gameboy or xboy, consider this, kids already spend an average of 8 hours a day sitting in front of a tv screen. Do you really need to add to that?

FROM THE MOVE N’ GROOVE KIDS PROGRAM:
10 THINGS PARENTS SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THEIR KIDS AND EXERCISE:

• Go, Team, Go…And Then Some: Make exercise an integral part of your child’s life.  Involvement in team sports alone is an insufficient amount of exercise for most children.

• Boob Tube-Tied: Limit the time your child spends watching TV to less than two hours per day.  Encourage going out to a playground, park, gym, or swimming pool instead.

• Happy Heart Beat: Fewer than half of U.S. children get sufficient exercise for cardiovascular development and long-term health, according to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE).

• Walk The Walk: Encourage your child to walk or ride a bicycle to school or to visit friends.

• Keep It Off: 70 percent of overweight children continue to experience weight problems throughout their adult lives, according to the NASPE.

• Start Off Smart: Childhood obesity has been linked to several chronic diseases that develop during youth, as well as in adulthood, including diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and hypertension.

• To Your Health: Remember, physical activity helps children develop self-confidence, social skills, and the foundation for a lifetime of good health.

• Due Diligence: Find out about exercise or sports programs at your child’s school or in your community.

• For The Fun Of It: Exercise should be fun.  Don’t make winning the only goal.

• Everybody Now: Encourage differently-abled children to participate in physical activities as much as possible.  Increased blood flow and movement is good for the body and the mind.

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