DOCUMENT RESUME ED 268 085 SP 027 333 TITLE Child Health and Fitness. Hearingbofore the Subcommittee on Children, Family,Lugs and Alcoholism of the Committeeon Labor and Human Resources. United States Senate, Ninety-ninth Congress, First Session on Examining Problems Confronting the Physical Condition ofOur Children and Ways to Help Them. INSTITUTION Congress of the U.S., Washington, D.C. REPORT NO Senate-Hrg-99-267 PUB DATE 24 Sep 85 NOTE 147p.; Portions printed in smalltype. PUB TYPE Legal/Legislative/Regulatory Materials (090) EDRS PRICE MF01/PC06 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS Athletics; Body Weight; *CardiovascularSystem; Elementary Secondary Education; *Exercise;Health Education; nutrition; *Obesity; *PhysicalActivities; Physical Education; *Physical Fitness ABSTRACT Testimony and preparedstatements on child fitness and health in the United Stateswere presented at this hearing. Physical fitness experts testifiedon: (1) the potential dangers faced by physically unfit children; (2)the connection between obesity and cardiovascular diseases; (3)the role of physical education and athletics in keeping childrenfit; (4) the importance of nutrition education in the schools; (5)testing for physical fitness; and (6) the role of the schoolin health education. Statistical data on physical fitnessand the American child are included. (JD) *********************************************************************** Reproductions supplied by EDRSare the best that can be made from the original document. ********************************************************************** S. Hau. 99-267 CHILD HEALTH AND FITNESS HEARING BEFORE THE SUBCOMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, FAMILY, DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM OF THE CO COMMITTEE ON co LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES TTNITED STATES SENATE NINETY-NINTH CONGRESS L11 FIRST SESSION ON EXAMINING PROBLEMS CONFRONTING THE PHYSICALCONDITION OF OUR CHILDREN AND WAYS TO HELP THEM SEPTEMBER 24, 1985 U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION CENTER (ERIC! This document has been reproduced as received from the person or organization originating It 0 Minor changes have been made to improve reproduction quality Points of view or opinions suited in this docu- ment do not necessarily represent official NIE position or policy Printed for the use of the Committee on Labor and HumanResources U.S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 64-38oo WASIIINGTON 41985 COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah, Chairman ROBERT T. STAFFORD, Vermont EDWARD M: KENNEDY, Massachusetts DAN QUAYLE, Indiana CLAIBORNE PELL, Rhode bland DON NICKLES, Oklahoma HOWARD M. METZENBAUM, Ohio PAULA HAWKINS, Florida SPARK M. MATSUNAGA, Hawaii STROM THURMOND, South Carolina CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut LOWELL P. WEICKER, JR., Connecticut PAUL SIMON, Illinois MAI COLM WALLOP, Wyoming JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa RONALD F. DOLMA!, Staff Director KATHRYN O'L. HIGOIN8, Minority Staff Director SUBCOMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, FAMILY, DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM PAULA HAWKINS, Florida, Chairman DAN QUAYLE, Indiana CHRISTOPHER J. DODD, Connecticut CHARLES E. GRASSLEY, Iowa JOHN F. KERRY, Massachusetts DON NICKLES, Oklahoma HOWARD M. METZENBAUM, Ohio ORRIN G. HATCH, Utah EDWARD M. KENNEDY, Massachusetts JOHN DUDINSKY, Counsel MARSHA RF.NWANZ, Minority Professional Staff 4. 3 CONTENTS STATEMENTS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1985 Grass ley, Hon. Charles E., a U.S. Senator from the State of Iowa, prepared Page statement 4 Hatch, Hon. Orrin G., a U.S. Senator from the State of Utah, prepared statement Hays, Dr. Ash, executive director, President's Councilon Physical Fitness and Sports, Washington, DC; and Nancy Hogshead, Florida gold medalistin swimming, 1984 Olympics, Jacksonville , FL 71 Prepared statement 74 Kerry, Hon. Jehn F., a U.O. Senator from the State of Massachusetts,pre- pared statement 5 McCabe, John C., chairman and chief executive officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan, prepared statement 90 President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, the, George Allen, chair- man, prepared statement 87 Prudden, Bonnie, author and director, Institute of Physical Fitness, New York, NY, prepared statement 26 Schieken, Dr. Richard M., pediatric cardiologist, Medical College of Virginia, representing the American Heart Association; and Dr. David W. Harsha, assistant professor of medicine, Louisiana State University Medical Center 48 Prepared statement 52 Simmons, Richard, author and owner of Anatomy Asylums, and Bonnie Prud- den, author and director, Institute of Physical Fitness, New York, NY 8 ADDITIONAL MATERIAL Articles, publications, etc.: Biography of Richard Simmons 42 Ftelationships of changes on obesity to serum Lipid and Lipoprotein changes In childhood and adolescence, by David S. Freeman, and others 63 Summary of findings from the National Children and Youth Fitness Study, Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, U.S. Public Health Service, Department of Health and Human Services 99 Program Analysis and ResultsState of Floridaprogram of overweight children, by Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., University of Pennsylvania 115 CHILD HEALTH AND FITNESS TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1985 U.S. SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEEON CHILDREN, FAMILY, DRUGS AND ALCOHOLISM,OF THE COMMITTEE ON LABOR AND HUMAN RESOURCES, Washington, DC. The committee met, pursuantto notice, at 10:07a.m., in room SD-562, Dirksen Senate OfficeBuilding, Senator Paula Hawkins (ch airman of the subcommittee)presiding. Present: Senators Hawkins andGrassley. OPENING STATEMENT OF SENATORHAWKINS Senator HAWKINS. Good morning.We welcome you to the sub- committee hearing todayon child fitness and health. Today, we are going to heartestimony from a wide varietyof sources on the potential dangers faced byphysically unfit children. Currently, as many as 20 millionyoung people in this country are deemed overweight. At one time, thisfact might have created visions of happy, roly-poly kids, thehealthy final product of heap- ing portions of Mom's cookingand plateloads of Grandma's cookies. But today we know enoughto know that this is terribly misleading. Fat kids are not necessarilyhappy kids, and fat kidsare not healthy kids. Ourconcern is not based solely on aesthetics, the ideal of a slim, trim body.We are concerned about the healthef- fects of not being fit. Recentstudies indicate that overweight chil- dren face an increased risk ofheart disease, the single largest killer of Americans today. We are fortunate to have DavidHarsha, of the Louisiana State University Medical Center, andDr. Richard Schieken, of the Amer- ican Heart Association, hereto testify on the connection between obesity and cardiovascular diseases. American children are not only flabby,they are in poor physical shape, and it is little wonder. Theaverage little person in this country spends approximately 13 hoursa week participating in some form of sports or exercise, which mightsound like a lot. Un- fortunately, this same child wastes threeto four times that amount of time watching televisionor playing with the omnipresent video machines. Dr. Ash Hayes, of the President'sCouncil on Physical Fitness and Sports, and Nancy Hogshead,a gold medal-winning Olympic athlete, will testify about the role ofphysical education and athlet- ics in keeping our Nation's children fit. At this time we will receive for therecord statements submitted by several Senators, including SenatorGrassley who will have to (1) CD 1 3 Statement of Orrin 1. Hatch for ;fearing on Child Health and Fitness September 21, 1985 I would like to commend Senator Hawkins for holding this hearing, bringing attention to an important health promotion activity which can improve the lives our our nation's children. Physical fitness and personal healtn, includingproper diet and weight control, must be prorioted during childhood in orderto guarantee healthy and full lives for later years. According to a study released on October 16, 19e4, by the .S. Department of Health and Human Services, American ch.adren and adolescentsare not developing the fitness skills necessary to maintain healthy bodies and caraio-respiratory systems in adulthood. These findings concern me. More than 80 percent of the physical activity of students was performed outsideschool physical education classes. Keepirg this percentage in mind, it is obvious that we need better fitness programs in our schools topromote basic exercise skills. Health education in our schools is essential to helpour youngsters establish healthy lifestyles for themselves. This training cannot begin early enough, and the curriculum needsto be vigorous. The American Heart Association, in realizing the importance of health education for pre-schret children has developed a heart health program designed for three, four, fiveand six year olds. ThiF program is ca3led the Heart Treasure Chest. The Curriculum consists of three special teaching units called: "The Work of the Hoart and Ways to Tell if It's Healthy ", "Physical Activity and Rest", and "Heart and Healthy Foods.' Training aids for volunteers an'J classroom teachers are ,ncluded in theprogram package. This program is a wonderful way to make health education fun for children. Learning materials such as stethoscopes, posters, games, end film strips are visually stimulating for pre-school aged children. We need more youth programs sucn as the Heart Treasure Cnest, to be implemented during the years that children begin developing their life style habits. Another innovative schoo/ based health education program called "Know Your Body". KYB was