The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation says it will spend $500 million in the next five years to help stem the rising tide of childhood obesity.
I hope the philanthropic organization considers the benefits of bicycling and how to make it easier and safer for children to use their bikes for exercise.
The foundation estimates that about one-third of the US population of children 17 and younger are overweight or obese; that's equal to the rate of the adult population. If the trend isn't reversed, foundation president Dr. Risa Lavizzo-Mourey told the NY Times, “The younger generation is going to live sicker and die younger than their parents because of obesity.”
The problem
Last week I wrote about Trek Bicycle president John Burke's ideas about the bike industry taking an active role in lobbying for more bike facilities, making it easier for people to use bikes, thereby fighting obesity, traffic congestion, global warming and other ills.
Checking on the rate of overweight children, I discovered the Centers for Disease Control reported that childhood obesity had nearly doubled to 17% in the past 15 years.
A column in the Los Angeles Times (picked up by Cyclelicious) said many parents don't let their children outdoors in fear of predators. “A child is almost as likely to be struck by lightning as kidnapped by a stranger,”' writes L.J. Williamson. Meanwhile, the rate of children who get to school under their own power dropped from 87% to 13% since 1972.
Then the Chicago Tribune reported that children aged 8 to 12 see an average 21 commercials for food on TV every day. Most of the commercials are for fast food or candy.
Some solutions
The New York Times says the foundation plans to, among other things, encourage the development of safe play areas and prod government into adopting policies to address the problem.
Getting more exercise is an obvious answer to curbing childhood weight problems.
The Adventure Cycling Association offers the Pedal Pioneers Program to help parents introduce their children to an active lifestyle through biking. The website says:
“Bicycle tours provide outstanding opportunities for youth to combine physical and mental challenges, hone social skills, learn about different regions of the world, and gain confidence and a sense of self-sufficiency through experiential learning.”
The association sells a book, “Pedal Pioneers: a Guide to Bicycle Travel with Kids,” to help parents, teachers and group leaders to organize and carry out bike tours with kids. The website also offers tips for setting up bike excursions with children and links to other websites that deal with the topic.
Bike trails
Going out on a bike adventure with children needn't involve a logistical nightmare for parents. Take rides on bike trails in your area; they often follow rivers or old railroad rights-of-way that are ideal for exploring.
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy has a database of old railroad lines that have been converted to hike-bike paths; American Trails lists resources for finding trails in every state.
Weekend rides
Check for weekend bicycing events in your area. Although many Saturday or Sunday rides feature centuries, many also include shorter family routes. If you live on the West Coast, check the weekend bike event list for Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California and check for rides with short routes.
Bike to school
Setting up ways to get kids to school safely without driving is addressed at the Safe Routes to School website. Set up in 2006, the National Center for Safe Routes to School helps communities to set up programs to encourage children to walk or bike to school.
Also see Bikes Belong for more information about the Safe Routes to School program.
Also, Trips for Kids provides support to help groups and individuals introduce disadvantaged children to mountain biking.
Also see: Burning more calories on your bike
Trek president says industry should take greater role in bicycling advocacy
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