Removing Barriers To Physical Activity In Child Care Centers

Clearly, "exercise" is a terribly inefficient way to control weight.

Still, you should not be paying for these folks to keep kids prisoner, nor should kids be dressed unable to move or participate.

"At a time when over half of US children (aged 3-6) are in child care centers, and growing concern over childhood obesity has led physicians to focus on whether children are getting enough physical activity, a new study of outdoor physical activity at child care centers, conducted by researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, has identified some surprising reasons why the kids may be staying inside. The study, was presented at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Honolulu, Hawaii.

'It's things we never expected, from flip flops, mulch near the playground, children who come to child care without a coat on chilly days, to teachers talking or texting on cell phones while they were supposed to be supervising the children,' according to Kristen Copeland, M.D., lead author of the study which was funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. She noted that because there are so many benefits of physical activity for children - from prevention of obesity, to better concentration and development of gross motor skills - it's important to know what barriers to physical activity may exist at child-care centers."

At least give them a chance to develop a culture of physical activity which would be of benefit.