Nelson Wants Kids to Shape Up
By Katherine Cromer Brock, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
May 20–AUSTIN — Many Texas students are too fat, experts say, and face future health problems because of their poor fitness.
This week, the Legislature may weigh whether a new annual fitness test can help whip them into better shape.
Fitness guru Dr. Kenneth Cooper of Dallas teamed up with Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville, to author legislation that would require schools to monitor students’ health to prevent childhood obesity.
The plan could cost millions of dollars, but Cooper is so committed to the effort, he said he’ll help foot the bill.
“I believe in this so thoroughly,” said Cooper, who wants to eventually test every child in the United States.
“If we don’t do something in this state, we’re suffering a tremendous problem in the future.”
According to the bill, students in kindergarten through fifth grade must have “moderate or vigorous” activity for 30 minutes each day. Students in grades six, seven and eight must have physical activity 30 minutes a day for four semesters.
Additionally, schools must annually assess the physical fitness of students in grades three through eight.
Testing tool
Under the legislation, the Texas Education Agency would be asked to adopt a testing tool that measures aerobic capacity, body composition, muscular strength, endurance and flexibility. It must also take into consideration a student’s age and gender in determining the best fitness level for each child.
According to the bill, the TEA must also analyze the data for a correlation between physical fitness and academic achievement, attendance, disciplinary problems and obesity.
“We need a better understanding of why so many of our students are struggling with basic health,” Nelson said in February when she announced the filing of the bill. “Our health is fundamental. That’s a lesson our students need to learn.”
The bill was written with the help of Cooper, who approached Nelson and Sen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, with the idea.
If passed, it would take effect next school year.
FitnessGram
The wording in the bill that describes the required testing tool mirrors language on the Web site for Cooper’s FitnessGram, developed in 1982 to measure health and fitness levels of children. Since then, it has been used to test more than 8 million students nationwide.
It is used by California, New York City and Fort Worth schools, according to Todd Whitthorne, president and chief operating officer of Cooper Concepts, an arm of the Cooper Institute. Last year, 67,152 schools across the country used the FitnessGram, he said.
The membership of the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance includes about 4,500 physical education teachers, Executive Director Diana Everett said. Most of them use the FitnessGram, she said.
“It’s geared toward age-appropriateness,” she said. “It reflects a variety of criteria, instead of something that just does one thing.”
There are other fitness tests on the market, Everett said, but it’s important for the tests to be uniform statewide.
The FitnessGram would cost about $230 for each child when purchased from its distributor, Human Kinetics. The nonprofit Cooper Institute receives $30 from each sale.
But Cooper said he believes so strongly in the testing regimen that he is willing to put that money back into the program. He also said he will help raise the money to implement the program, which could cost between $5 million and $8 million.
There is no guarantee that the FitnessGram will be selected as the tool, said Dave Nelson, a spokesman for Nelson’s office. But Cooper has said the Cooper Institute will apply to be the vendor.
“It’s a passion of mine,” said Cooper, 76, calling from a hiking trip in England with his family. “If we don’t do something now, we’re going to regret it for the rest of our lives. Other people are doing these things that [the Cooper Institute] started, and my own state is doing nothing.”
Other states
Mississippi and Illinois have already passed laws requiring physical activity and measurements of students’ body mass index. Delaware, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan and others have legislation pending.
But supporters of fine-arts programs say the emphasis on fitness will further reduce time for other electives.
“We support the intent of this bill,” said Richard Floyd, executive director of the Texas Music Educators Association. “But it’s the unintended consequences that we worry about.”
Electives are eroding in middle school, Floyd said. With the new requirement that high school students take four years of math and science, and local requirements such as keyboarding or other classes, time in the school day is short. High-school-level classes are being pushed down into middle school, Floyd said, and classes like foreign language, career and technology courses, and fine arts are suffering.
Floyd added that while studies show a correlation between physical activity and improved academics, there are studies showing the same correlation with music education.
“I haven’t found one district that doesn’t have some kind of requirement for physical activity in middle school,” Floyd said.
“We don’t even mandate, in law, how much time they spend on math or English. School districts will determine what’s best based on the needs of their students.”
What’s next
Nelson said Friday that she is concerned that her bill won’t be passed.
It was approved by the Senate, amended by the House Public Education Committee, and is scheduled to come before the full House on Monday.
“I’m not giving up on it,” she said. But with the session ending May 28, the clock is ticking.
Dr. Kenneth Cooper
Holds bachelor’s and medical degrees from the University of Oklahoma as well as a master’s degree from the Harvard University School of Public Health. He is certified by the American Board of Preventive Medicine.
During his 13 years of military service, Cooper was director of the Aerospace Medical Laboratory in San Antonio and worked with NASA in conditioning astronauts.
In 1968, he published Aerobics and is known as the “father of aerobics.”
In 1970, he opened the Cooper Aerobics Center, followed by the Cooper Clinic, the Cooper Fitness Center, the Cooper Guest Lodge, Cooper Spa and the Cooper Institute.
SOURCE: www.cooperaerobics.com
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kcromer@star-telegram.com Katherine Cromer Brock, 817-685-3813
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Copyright (c) 2007, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Texas
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services.
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