Obesity in the Headlines

December 8, 2003 - Green Bay News-Chronicle

Governor pushes youth health programs

By Ray Barrington
News-Chronicle

Gov. Jim Doyle was more concerned with waists than waste on Monday.
The governor visited a Green Bay elementary school physical education class to announce several initiatives to promote physical fitness in the state. Among them was the announcement of a Governor's Council on Physical Fitness and Health.

"I will rely on this group to provide me with advice and suggestions about good programs and policy that we can put forward to improve the health of our children," Doyle said before the class at King Elementary School.

Green Bay will be represented by Erin Carlin, executive director of the Green Bay Boys and Girls Club.

Carlin described her role as "to really connect Green Bay and the state so we're looking at a statewide effort." She said her club has been working on a variety of programs to encourage physical activities, including travel to other clubs for competitions and aid from the Green Bay Packers.

Doyle named 17 people to the council, including nutrition professionals, nonprofit leaders, physical education teachers, professors and doctors.

It is part of the Governor's Healthy Kids Initiatives, which will have its own Web site at www.healthykids.wisconsin.gov.

"It's an interactive site," Carlin said. "They'll log on and enter their name, and then they can go on and keep interacting."

Doyle said it was designed to provide parents and students with health and fitness information.

The moves are aimed at a young population that has a 16 percent obesity rate, Doyle said.

"Obesity and poor fitness not only affect our children's self-esteem and school performance - they also cost our state hundreds of millions of dollars in health care costs. The solution to our battle against childhood obesity is better nutrition and greater physical fitness."

He said his call earlier this year for legislation making state schools participate in the federal school breakfast program was part of that battle.

And he suggested physical education classes should focus more on lifetime fitness activities than on traditional team sports. "While not every kid can be a star athlete, every one needs to be more involved in fitness to promote their physical well-being both as a kid and as an adult."

The King School class entertained Doyle with a demonstration of students using white plastic bags to "capture snowflakes," with much movement and flexibility.