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Signature Assignment

Tanner J. Greyn

Arizona State University

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Childhood obesity rates have sky rocketed in youth over the course of the last decade. As

many children and families continue to eat diets of fast food and sugary snacks while limiting

their physical activity, these individuals set themselves up for a lifelong battle with health

diseases. The largest concern is seen in children who begin to develop diabetes at a very young

age and put unnecessary stress on their bodies and organs in a battle to survive. One of the

leading causes of childhood obesity is nutritional unawareness and a lack of understanding of

what children are eating on a daily basis. Food companies go a long way in advertising with

buzzwords that their foods are healthy and good for people, but upon further investigation of the

nutrition facts, the opposite can be found. Education of healthy foods and understanding what

nutrients children need in their bodies for healthy development is extremely important. However,

it is not just enough to look at what children are eating, but also how active they are during the

day. When children are sitting at their school desks for seven hours per day, they are not putting

in a lot of physical activity. In order to curve obesity in children though, after school sports

programs help children stay active and avoid the health complications that often come with

obesity at a young age. Through after school sports programs, children not only learn athletic

skills, but also the knowledge of how to take care of themselves physically and how to eat a

healthy, balanced diet.

Literature Review

Johnston, L., Delva, J., & O'Malley, P. (2007). Sports participation and physical

education in American secondary schools. American Journal Of Preventive

Medicine, 33(4), S195-S208.

The purpose of this study was to determine activity levels of secondary school students in

America through physical education courses or sports participation. Students grade level, racial
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background, socioeconomic status was also used to establish if these demographics play a role in

the students activity levels. Nationally represented data was used from over 500 schools and

54,000 students surveyed in 2003, 2004, and 2005 as part of the Youth, Education, and Society

study. School administrators completed questionnaires on physical activity of students in their

schools. Students in the same schools also completed self-administered questionnaires in the

same year providing individual background data including their gender, racial background, and

parents education level. Physical education requirements and actual student participation rates

decline substantially between 8th and 12th grades. About 87% of 8th graders were in schools that

required them to take PE, compared to only 20% of 12th graders. Participation correlates

negatively with socioeconomic status and was lower among black and Hispanic students than

white students.

Obesity Rates Increase Children's Obesity Underreported U.S. Step-Counts Lag High School

Sports Participation Up Free Video Resource Department Editors Sought.

(2011). Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 82(1), 3-4.

The obesity epidemic in the United States has continued to worsen. Childhood obesity is

a serious problem as parents continue to underreport their childrens weight. Ethnicity was a

major role in African American and Hispanic parents as they misreported more information.

Sports Participation Improving Health Quickly Childhood Obesity and Adult Diseases.

(2005). Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 76(7), 3-4.

Youth participation trends between 1994 and 2004 suggest a general decrease in physical

activity among youths. Basic changes to diet and exercise patterns can lower a persons risk for

illnesses. Individuals whose diets centered around unrefined foods and who exercised for 30
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minutes per day, had significant reductions in body fat, cholesterol levels, and blood pressure.

Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases have begun to show up with increasing frequency in

youths in recent years. The primary cause is the growing number of overweight and obese

children.

Tiberio, S., Kerr, D., Capaldi, D., Pears, K., Kim, H., & Nowicka, P. (2014). Parental Monitoring

of Children's Media Consumption: The Long-term Influences on Body Mass Index in

Children. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine,168(5), 414.

The purpose of this study is to examine the potential influences of maternal and paternal

monitoring of child exposure and childrens general activities on body mass index in middle

childhood. A longitudinal study was conducted and participation rates ranged from 66.7% to

72.0% of all eligible Three Generational Study children across the 3 assessments. Parents

reported on their general monitoring of their children, specific monitoring of child media

exposure, childrens participation in sports and recreational activities, childrens media time,

annual income, and education level. The findings suggest that parental behaviors related to

childrens media consumption may have long-term effects on childrens BMI in middle

childhood. They underscore the importance of targeting parental media monitoring in effort to

prevent childhood obesity.

Synthesis of Information

After completing the literature review, the articles come to a similar conclusion. That

conclusion being that obesity rates in children are rising rapidly and due to this rise in obesity,

more children each year are being diagnosed with major health conditions that they have to live

the rest of their lives with. As children continue to become obese at younger ages, it is important
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that adults and schools find ways to incorporate healthy and active lifestyle changes to provide

students with the opportunity to live long, healthy lives. A similar theme found throughout the

articles is that children are not spending enough time doing physical activities. This decrease in

physical activity over the years is one of the causes of childhood obesity rates rising. Another

theme presented was that children are also not eating healthy food choices and have increased

levels of blood pressure and cholesterol. The overall conclusion based on the articles is that a

change needs to take place in schools that promote physical activity and healthy eating choices.

In addition to making changes in the schools, families need to be educated on what they are

feeding their children and how to promote physical activities that the family can do as a unit.

Practical Implications

Implementation

Childhood obesity is an epidemic taking place in the United States and not enough is

being done to help educate and promote healthy lifestyles in children. In order to help bring

awareness and solutions to this problem, I propose implementing a youth sports league in the

community that focuses on teaching athletics and the importance of nutrition to perform well in

the sports leagues. In the classroom or community setting, the league will focus on fundamentals

of the various sports and host weekend round robin tournaments that allow for the children to put

their skills to use and see success in the athletic world. In addition to focusing on the sports, each

practice will also include information about healthy eating habits and what athletes should be

putting in their bodies to be able to perform at the top of their game.

The plan for this action to take place will require the program to advertise in the

community and schools about an after-school athletics program that also focuses on nutrition.
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Advertising will take place throughout the school year focusing on the sports that are in season

are the certain times of the year. Children will then be divided up into equal teams where they

will practice three nights per week learning the fundamentals of the sport and about proper eating

habits. Parents will also be invited to learn about healthy eating since these are the individuals

most commonly buying the groceries and feeding the children. By changing the culture of the

family, healthy eating habits will be an easy tradition for the children to carry on for the rest of

their lives.

Bringing this into the community might be a difficult plan since many after-school

athletic programs already exist, but few also talk about the importance of nutrition. If the athletic

program market is hard to break into, looking at joining a current athletic program and bringing

in the nutritional program would be a great add-on for the program and would allow for two

programs to work together as one.

Committee

My background is very strong when it comes to working and coaching in athletic

programs. I know the fundamentals of many sports and also have a network of individuals who

can provide guidance and expertise in certain areas. However, one area where I lack is when it

comes to nutrition and proper diets for various sports and weight plan goals. Developing a

committee of individuals in both of these areas, athletics and nutrition, will be vital for the

success of this program. These committee members will be tasked with reviewing the

information presented for them and making recommendations for changes to better fit the needs

of the children. This type of collaboration opportunity will allow for community members to

develop stronger relationships with one another while learning new information in the world of

sports and sports nutrition.

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Educational Components

With this program, educational opportunities will be abundant. Children will have the

opportunity to learn new sports which will require them to learn new skills and movements they

have not done before. Learning a new sport or skill will require a lot of practice and provides the

child with a chance to learn in their zone of proximal development. In addition to learning

athletics, children will learn in-depth about nutrition, diets, and how to take care of themselves

through the nutrition side of the program. This will cover the food groups, how much and how

often the child should eat, ways for the parents or guardians to change simple eating habits, and

how to keep these habits for the long-term.

Engagement

By bringing an athletic and nutrition program into the community, this allows for

children and parents to engage with their community outside school or work hours. When

individuals spend more time together outside traditional work or school settings, stronger

relationships are developed, and individuals become more engaged with what is happening in

their community. Parents are then looking for more ways to be involved and volunteer when they

have a connection with others around them.

Scheduling

Advertising for the program will begin during the summer before the school year starts

focusing on the sports that are going to be in season when the school year begins. Each sport

season will last about two months and have a break between each season. Children will be

allowed to participate in one sport per season, that way school still takes precedent and they are

getting a proper education. As the seasons get closer, calendars of practices and games will be
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provided to all students and families, so they can plan for these events and limit any missed

opportunities.

Recognition

Recognition for the schools, children, and families is much more important than any

personal recognition for the program. As long as the children are learning new skills and how to

take care of themselves, while enjoying the program, the satisfaction they receive from the

program will keep them encouraged and wanting to keep having a healthy lifestyle. With this

type of program that incorporates a nutrition component, news outlets will be interested in

covering this type of story as it is uncommon for athletic programs to also address nutrition and

healthy eating.

Marketing

September 2018
Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30
4:30pm 4:30pm 4:30pm

9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30
4:30pm 4:30pm 4:30pm
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16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Games 9:00am
4:30pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 12:00pm

23 24 25 26 27 28 29
Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Practice 3:30 Games 9:00am
4:30pm 4:30pm 4:30pm 12:00pm

30

THINGS TO Practices begin on Tuesday,

September 4th
Parent meeting will be held
immediately following
practice on the 4th.
First games will be played on
Saturday, September 22nd.
More information about the

KNOW location will be provided

when that time comes.
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Link to this information on my website http://tgreynppe310.weebly.com/meeting-plan.html

Conclusion

Childhood obesity rates continue to climb and cause major health problems in the youth

community and not enough action is being taken to educate students and families about

unhealthy eating habits and the health problems that can arise. Through this program though,

leaders in the community aim to educate and implement healthy eating habits in students and

families while students have the opportunity to participate in an athletic program. Since most
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young students eat what their parents provide for them, it is important to also educate the parents

on changes that need to be made that foster a healthy lifestyle and allow for the students to

combat healthy related issues through proper eating. By aiming to educate the whole family, it

keeps everyone involved and is a learning opportunity to promote healthy eating and the

importance of physical activity in young children.

In one year, this program will expand to an entire school district, providing more students

and families with the opportunity to connect with healthy leaders in the community for guidance

and support for how to change their eating habits while providing their children an opportunity to

participate in an athletic program. In three years, the program will expand across the greater

Phoenix area connecting with students and families from over 300 schools. Within this time

frame as well, the program will also grow in leadership as more members of the community are

involved and can share their knowledge about athletics and healthy eating. Lastly, in five years,

the program will be state wide in Arizona with every school and district reaching out to students

and families educating on the importance of healthy lifestyles and how to have students involved

in athletic programs that focus on learning the fundamentals and playing with a passion.