I was flown out to University of California at Berkeley to speak on youth obesity and public health last week. I not only spoke there, but also led a great discussion at Solano Coalition for Better Health with an eclectic, passionate group that included a PE teacher, child care professionals, public health professionals, resource and referral agency professionals, and physicians.
The goal was to not only talk about how youth obesity prevention related to public health, but to discuss possible solutions to the problem. You can watch the video below, but the gist of what I told people is the following:
1. We missed the point for so long on solving this “childhood obesity” problem. It is not about telling, or “encouraging” kids to be more active. This is about environmental change. And that’s what makes it difficult. Instead of spending money on commercials, we need to be spending it on:
-providing play spaces via grassroots efforts and policy change (organizations like kaboom, schools, and local government)
-preserving natural space through policy (government, community, and corporate stakeholders
-training adults and adolescents to be play leaders (my job), including parents. For adolescents, this also supports teen fitness by making them role models
-providing time for families to be together, and supporting active parenting (corporate entities and small businesses)
2. Active Play professionals MUST stop viewing skill development and freedom to play as mutually exclusive. In this day and age, with the kids we are serving NOW, this is not an option past early childhood. For the next generation, it may be. But not now. Kids now need both freedom to explore and guidance. The FUNction Method is designed to do that.
Of course I expanded on these ideas in the video from my talk at UC Berkeley. If you want to know more, or find ways to get involved at a grassroots or professional level, please do the following:
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Contact me at drkwamebrown@movetheory.com
3 comments
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June 8, 2011 at 4:25 pm
jleeger
Great talk Kwame!
June 8, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Amy Dickinson
Kwame, this is great. I think the focus on environmental change — and the way you work through defining “environment” in the talk — is key to creating fundamental change.
June 8, 2011 at 7:02 pm
Dr. Kwame M. Brown
Thanks JAG, and Amy! You are both working to make these words a reality EVERY DAY! And Amy don’t worry, I am putting the Google Doc for our coalition up tomorrow!