Rex co-headlines forum on obesity
By Diette Courrégé
State Education Superintendent Jim Rex co-headlined a policy forum Monday in Denver that was held in conjunction with the Democratic National Convention.
The Obesity Society, a group dedicated to the study of obesity, sponsored the discussion, along with the universities of Colorado and Minnesota, the Mayo Clinic and George Washington University.
The discussion was moderated by a former Washington Post columnist, and Rex was joined by Michigan Congressman John Conyers and Albuquerque, N.M., Mayor Martin Chavez to talk about local strategies to address obesity.
Rex said he talked about the state's Health and Fitness Act that mandates 150 minutes of weekly physical activity for students, as well as its push for full-time nurses in elementary schools and improvement in the quality and nutritional value of cafeteria food.
"We seem to be doing a lot more than other states," he said on Tuesday.
Rex also visited some of the area's public charter schools, which have formed partnerships with local real estate developers, who donate a percentage of their profits to a nonprofit that builds a charter school, he said.
He characterized it as an innovative collaboration and said he planned to hold a meeting this year to see whether South Carolina developers were interested in a similar venture.
Reach Diette Courrégé at 937-5546 or dcourrege@postandcourier.com.
E-mail this story
Printer-friendly version
Comments
capnphil (anonymous) says...
40% of my 5th grade students are obese. Over 80% are on free or reduced lunch. Most buy chips, cookies, and sugared water on a daily basis, sometimes up to $3.00 a day. You do the math. Why are they on free and reduced lunch? Why should my taxes pay for their health bills later on in life due to poor nutritional habits? We must do something, and the earlier the better. But, I don't DARE DENY the children the ability to spend their parents money, or I'd be lambasted by the administration. GO FIGURE?!
August 27, 2008 at 7:56 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
onevoice (anonymous) says...
People that are obese and Ahlcoholics are about the same. There is much more to either than just over indulgance and any help is needed.
August 27, 2008 at 8:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
commonsence (anonymous) says...
Seems as though they would want to hear advice of a Supt. of Educ. from the one of the other 47 states that perform better than SC. To say nothing of the fact that SC also is one of the fattest states as well. Will anyone actually be impressed by how SC does things?
August 27, 2008 at 8:36 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Two_Sheds (anonymous) says...
I have an easy, 2-step plan for obese people to lose weight:
1. Eat less
2. Move more
August 27, 2008 at 8:57 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
drp7773 (anonymous) says...
How about:
1) eat less
2) exercise
3) no video,tv and computers play for 4 to 6 hours a day
no happy meals and pizza everynight instead of a balance meal
4) veggie sticks instead of candy (home or school)
5)water instead of unlimited coke cola
6) play outside (not sit)instead of timeout to their bedrooms with computers, tv's and video games
7)study school work for an hour instead of an hour of video games
8) parents get outside with the kids and exercise (throw a ball, frisbee, run , jump cartwheels whatever get fresh air.
August 27, 2008 at 9:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
If obesity is obliterated then what will happen to Jenny Craig et al?
August 27, 2008 at 9:42 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
RTC (anonymous) says...
wpc3iop, I am sure there are quite a few. I sent my son out there on Friday, and the airlines were running crazy.
Not only was it hard to book a flight but the cost was pretty high. No, he isn't attending the convention, just visiting his sister. :)
BTW- it is crazy out there. They already had to arrest some skinheads that were making waves.
August 27, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
1) Eat healthy. Think vegetables, whole grains, fruits, grilled meat rather than fried, minimum on the sugar, and servings in moderation.
2) Jog, walk or ride a bike for 30 min each morning. Right now I jog. As I get older I'll probably switch to riding a bike should my knees get bad.
3) Lift weights three to four times per week for 45 min.
4) Aerobic exercise daily. I usually surf every day so paddling is great exercise.
5) Even small things can add up. Skip the creamer on your coffee and start taking it black. Park further away when you go to the mall so you walk further. Take the stairs rather than the elevator. These don't seem like much, but believe me they add up.
With the money you save by eating less and cutting out the junk you'll have money to spend on new clothes when your old ones begin to swallow you. Think of how much better you'll feel.
August 27, 2008 at 10:21 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
Also, stop letting your kids snack and sit in front of the tele all day.
August 27, 2008 at 10:53 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Cid95 (anonymous) says...
It comes down to move more / eat less.
But, you can't legislate that.
Different insurance for different fitness levels will help.
What we REALLY need is a very negative stigma associated with being fat so that people WANT to be in shape and care about their health (think Japanese or French).
However, with so many fat people in the US, it's easy for them to have the "I'm fat, you're fat, we're all fat and happy together let's have some hush puppies, fried chicken and a gallon of coke" attitude.
America is becoming the land of the very fit and the very fat. It's also a good indicator of socio-economic status.
August 27, 2008 at 11:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
walleyedwoman1215 (anonymous) says...
Whatever happened to brutal honesty? One day when I was 14, my mother looked at me and said, "Darling, I love you... but you're pudgy." (We're the same height but she weighed less than me after having 4 children!)
She said that at 5 feet tall, I should never get over 105 pounds.
I've followed her advice for 33 years. Last year I hit 109, but knocked it off fast.
The point is, my mother loved me enough to say "You're chubby, that's not good, do something about it."
Nowadays if a mother said that everyone would be screaming about "the media already makes teenagers hate their bodies and develop anorexia, bulimia, etc. etc. etc. Now parents are doing it too!"
Give me a break!
August 27, 2008 at 12:29 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
iceman1978 (anonymous) says...
walleyedwoman, I can't remember where I read it, but I know there's a range of what weight someone should be at certain heights.
Right now I'm about 5'11' and weigh 180 but have a 33-inch waist.
August 27, 2008 at 12:36 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Postandcourier.com is pleased to offer readers the enhanced ability to comment on stories. We expect our readers to engage in lively, yet civil discourse. Postandcourier.com does not edit user submitted statements and we cannot promise that readers will not occasionally find offensive or inaccurate comments posted in the comments area. Responsibility for the statements posted lies with the person submitting the comment, not postandcourier.com. If you find a comment that is objectionable, please click "report abuse" and we will review it for possible removal. Please be reminded, however, that in accordance with our Terms of Use and federal law, we are under no obligation to remove any third party comments posted on our website. Read our full Terms and Conditions.
Users can now build user-to-user connections, follow friends' recent posts, add an avatar that fits their personality, and more. If you have posted here before you'll need to sign up again, or if you've never posted before, start now by signing up!
Thank you for your interest in this story. The comment thread for this article has been closed.
- Most Commented
- Most Emailed
- Shared
- Upper King on rise: Hotels, apartments, restaurants changing face of downtown area
- UPDATE: Missing woman's fiance seen leaving scene of burned SUV, carrying a shovel
- Missing woman case gets murkier
- Magnolia Gardens offering free dream wedding to contest winner
- Body of missing woman's fiance was found near handgun
- Pinterest: Pinning hopes and dreams
- DAVID SLADE: S.C. offers hybrid car tax credit
- Black women today: Strong. Resilient. Ambitious.
- Ex-Boeing worker claims racism, retaliation in firing
- MCDERMOTT COLUMN: Golf business has risks, rewards
