Comments on: Exercise will do Queensland kids a fat lot of good

By: Jenny L

Jenny L — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

David has encapsulated Queensland’s DNA of using bizarre kneejerk responses to crisis situations. This state does have major social issues arising from its political and geographic roots. It is stuck in a time warp just like the states in the US deep south. Trying to deny it doesn’t have massive disadvantages is denying the bleeding obvious. And why Rosemary Stanton assumes all health policies apply to an uneven playing field I’ve no idea. Queensland IS a whole new frontier whether our politically correct or just plain ignorant southerners want to admit it or not. Its time some of our apolitical social advocates stepped out of universities to tell it how it really is.

By: Dr Rosemary Stanton

Dr Rosemary Stanton — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

David Gillespie obviously has not read many of the studies showing the value of increasing physical activity in schools. Writing in the International Journal of Obesity in Dec 2008, Katz and colleagues conclude from 21 studies that "Combination nutrition and physical activity interventions are effective at achieving weight reduction in school settings".

Including physical activity is an important adjunct to better nutrition. Queensland has already done more than other states to improve children's eating habits in schools through rules about what schools can sell in canteens, sending home guidelines for healthier meals and outlawing fundraising by selling confectionery and other junk. It's also notable that the percentage of overweight children is lower in Queensland than in other states (although still way too high).

The Body Owner's Program trialled in South Australians schools some years ago found that when part of the school day was given to physical activity, the children's learning progressed faster than in schools in similar socioeconomic areas where physical activity was not included.

Physical activity does more than burn kilojoules of energy - it also helps control appetite. Indeed, as farmers know well, if you want any animal to overeat, you curtail its physical activity and its appetite control goes haywire and it overeats and gets fat. And any teacher will tell you that sending disruptive kids for a run improves their behaviour in the classroom.

I don't think we get far in trying to pit physical activity against what kids eat: both are important.

By: William Tell

William Tell — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Two things. First - is this the same article as appeared in the Courier Mail earlier this week? Is this a new standard for Crikey? Quoting (unacknowledged) from the Courier Mail? Aside from the journalistic ethics (what?) of lifting material from a print publication, has Crikey sunk so low and become so desperate for copy it needs to bandicoot the Courier? Second - when I was teaching in Queensland state schools an eon ago (when we taught spelling and tables and grammar and all that junk) we also used to have up to three 30 minute swimming lessons a week (no rashies; no sun screen; no shade cloth) and “sports” for an hour on Friday afternoons. And art and music. Then the new-age wowsers tried to ban sports afternoon - too competitive, it seemed. So how the proposed 30 minutes of star jumps and tunnel ball compares in today’s crowded curriculum, I can’t be sure, but Gillespie needs to get some perspective - starting with a review of the allocation of time that used to be accorded primary school curriculum topics back in the bad old days. I’m pretty sure we can demonstrate both the positive values of activity and coach for the benchmark tests.

By: William Tell

William Tell — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Two thing. First - is this the same article as appeared in the Courier Mail earlier this week? Is this a new standard for Crikey? Quoting (unacknowledged) from the Courier Mail? Aside from the journalistic ethics (what?) of lifting material from a print publication, has Crikey sunk so low and become so desperate for copy it needs to bandicoot the Courier? Second - when I was teaching in Queensland state schools an eon ago (when we taught spelling and tables and grammar and all that junk) we also used to have up to three 30 minute swimming lessons a week (no rashies; no sun screen; no shade cloth) and “sports” for an hour on Friday afternoons. And art and music. Then the new-age wowsers tried to ban sports afternoon - too competitive, it seemed. So how the proposed 30 minutes of star jumps and tunnel ball compares in today’s crowded curriculum, I can’t be sure, but Gillespie needs to get some perspective - starting with a review of the allocation of time that used to be accorded primary school curriculum topics back in the bad old days. I’m pretty sure we can demonstrate both the positive values of activity and coach for the benchmark tests.

By: Julie

Julie — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Exercise is about more than weight control although those children who exercise are usually far thinner than their sedentary friends. Getting the blood flowing helps growth and skeletal development. It helps all of the organs operate more efficiently including the brain. It makes children more alert and therefore more likely to learn when they do spend time in class. Time alone will not do it as any child who has daydreamed through classes will tell you. Sport can help school become a more positive experience. If David Gillespie wants us to look at the science let’s look at it all including how children grow up strong and healthy, alert and interested in the world around them.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Thu, 01 Jan 1970 10:00:00 +0000

Exercise doesn't just burn calories while you exercise; it increases your resting metabolic rate, helps build muscle mass, and provides physical feedback on the impact of one's diet. (Anyone who's tried jogging on a Monday after a weekend of yum cha/cocktails/kebabs will know what I'm talking about here.) And it's been shown to have positive effects on concentration, if you're worried about test scores. So yes, there are plenty of benefits to exercise, and it does appear to help weight management, although, obviously, it is not a silver bullet for childhood obesity.

Shortening the school day really does seem ridiculous, though... what is that about? Not saying we need to aspire to the kind of hours that the poor Japanese kiddies have to put in, but like, why shorter school days?