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A Pennsylvania college has created a controversy because it is requiring overweight and obese students to enroll in a fitness course that students of normal weight can avoid -- and has threatened to withhold degrees from students who fail to complete the course.

A Nov. 30 CNN article by Elizabeth Landau provided a glimpse into two divergent opinions about the school's policy:

Students at Lincoln University with a body mass index of 30 or above, reflective of obesity, must take a fitness course that meets three hours per week. Those who are assigned to the class but do not complete it cannot graduate. ...

"I didn't come to Lincoln to be told that my weight is not in an acceptable range," [LU student Tina Lawson wrote in an editorial in the school paper]. "I came here to get an education which, as a three-time honor student, is something I have been doing quite well, despite the fact that I have a slightly high Body Mass Index."

But James DeBoy, chairman of the school's Department of Health and Physical Education, says the requirement is just like courses to help students' communications or math proficiency. The faculty also has a priority to be honest with students, he said.

"We, as educators, must tell students when we believe, in our heart of hearts, when certain factors, certain behaviors, attitudes, whatever, are going to hinder that student from achieving and maximizing their life goals," he said.

Labels: overweight, students, college, bmi

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It's been well established that getting kids moving can have a positive effect on their weight and health. Now, a a small study from the University of Illinois has revealed that physical exercise might also improve children's mental abilities.

Dr. Charles Hillman and his colleagues had 20 nine-year-olds take tests in spelling, reading and math after they took a 20-minute rest, and then after they exercised for 20 minutes on a treadmill.

"What we found is that following the acute bout of walking, children performed better on the flanker tasks," Dr. Hillman said. "They had a higher rate of accuracy, especially when the task was more difficult."

Performance in reading comprehension was particularly better after exercising, Dr. Hillman said.

Dr. Hillman's co-author, Darla Castelli, recommended that each elementary school child have outdoor recess every day, and 150 minutes of physical education per week. High school students should get 225 minutes of physical education per week, she said.

This study appeared in the journal Neuroscience.

Labels: exercise, students, academics, studies

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A pediatrician in Hendersonville, North Carolina has received a grant from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

"Dr. Paul Trani... received a $10,000 from [the AAP's] CATCH (Community Access to Child Health) Program and the National 'got milk?' Milk Mustache Campaign for his POSH, Preventing Obesity and School Health Centers, program."

The program was created at Apple Valley Middle School and aims to help students who are at risk of obesity by enrolling them in a program that improves treatment options for students and their families. Source: Citizen-Times (NC)

Labels: students, at-risk, pediatricians

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School uniforms for preschoolers now come in plus sizes in Great Britain.

• Marks and Spencer will sell plus-sized uniforms for ages 3 to 16 years old.
• Three-year-olds can find pants with 23-inch waistlines, a size usually worn by eight-year-olds.
• The largest sizes feature waistlines up to 41 inches.

"It is a small online trial running in response to customer demand," said a spokesperson for the company. "Marks and Spencer is the leading school wear retailer, and we will make sure our school wear is accessible for children of all shapes and sizes."

Labels: schools, students, pre-school

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According to a common college myth, freshmen come home for winter break about fifteen pounds heavier than when they moved into their dormitories.  However, the actual average weight gain is closer to five pounds, according to Cynthia Bulik, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.

Part of why freshmen gain weight is that dining halls are now open all hours and provide all-you-can-eat helpings. 

"It's like a smorgasbord on a cruise ship," Dr. Bulik said.

High school students should not to go on reducing diets or engage in other dangerous weight-loss techniques the summer before college. Instead, Dr. Bulk advises students to  go to college "as robust and healthy as you can."  Concentrate on eating fruits and vegetables, and eating meals at regular times of the day.

"Remember that you are so much more than your body," she said.  "Don't think that your success in college either academically or socially is just related to your weight and size."

Labels: students, college

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment

College students residing in dormitories that have dining halls gain more weight than those who walk to their cafeterias, according to a study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

Researchers at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan found that female students living in dorms with dining halls weighed two pounds more and exercised 1.43 fewer times a week than those in dormitories that had no dining halls.

Male students consumed 1.5 more meals and three more snacks a week than their counterparts living in dormitories without dining halls.
 

Labels: students, college

Posted By: Jane St. Clair 1 Comment