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Health by Design Sponsors Statewide Conference STUDENTS MAY FACE BARRIERS TO ACTIVE COMMUTING NEW ORLEANS – Only a small percentage of children live within a reasonable and safe distance to walk to school, suggests a study presented today at the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) 54th Annual Meeting. Based on the findings of this study, communities can increase the proportion of children who can walk to school by locating new schools in more densely populated areas, developing pathways to schools that do not follow existing streets and assuring that walking pathways are safe from traffic and other hazards. Physical inactivity is a strong contributor to overweight and obesity. Research suggests the increasing prevalence of risk of overweight and actual overweight exists because many youth are not engaging in sufficient amounts of physical activity to balance energy intake. Walking to school can be an important factor for the daily physical activity of children. ACSM has promoted “Active Commuting,” such as walking, biking or skating to school, for a positive and significant impact on kids’ physical activity levels, particularly in young girls. “We have been practically engineering the opportunity to walk to school out of the equation,” said Kenneth Powell, M.D., FACSM, lead author of the study. “This study will hopefully catch the attention of community leaders and so that the structure of our neighborhoods has the health and safety of our children in mind.” This study, conducted in Georgia, involved more than 1,800 public schools. Researchers set out to estimate the percentage of children who live within a reasonable and safe walking distance from school and learn what barriers may need to be addressed by communities for active commuting opportunities.
PHYSICAL INACTIVITY AND OBESITY TRANSLATES INTO ECONOMIC IMPACT NEW ORLEANS – The health problems associated with obesity and physical inactivity have a significant economic impact on the U.S. health care system and a considerable influence on costs related to decreased worker productivity, restricted activity, and time missed from work. To address these issues, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) today held a special scientific session on the economic cost of physical inactivity and obesity during its 54th Annual Meeting in New Orleans. The session, chaired by Geoffrey E. Moore, M.D., cites CDC reports that obesity cost the nation an estimated $117 billion in 2000. Also that year, a paper published by session panelist Michael Pratt, M.D. MPH, estimated that direct medical costs related to physical inactivity costs are about $76 billion. “The economic impact of inactivity and obesity are critical for us to consider,” said Moore. “If we look historically at the rise in health care costs, we can see that these costs currently represent 16 percent of the gross domestic product (GDP) in the United States. These costs are expected to reach 20 percent of GDP by 2016. How high can it go and how these growing costs will be met are questions that must be addressed.” The current U.S. medical model usually involves approaching health from an individual standpoint. However, Moore believes there is a limit to the practicality of this model. “We have to look at solving the health issues related to obesity and inactivity at the behavioral (lifestyle) and community level.” He points out that some areas of opportunity include schools and the built environment. The panel suggests schools are an opportune place to start. “A good deal of infrastructure is already in place in schools. They are somewhat controlled environments, and typically schools have access to health professionals such as nurses and dieticians,” Moore said. He adds a caveat, “While schools can be a keystone in building healthier communities, there needs to be enough political will to allocate the resources to address complex issues, including what children are eating and their opportunities for physical activity.” Commenting on the built environment, Moore explained, “People need places where they can be active and safe. These might involve sidewalks, trails, and parks, as well as the general design of communities.” In most cases, initiatives aimed at making communities more activity-friendly require collaboration between public and private entities. Moore pointed to the example of the “Rails to Trails” program, which works to create a nationwide network of trails from former rail lines and connecting corridors. Rails to Trails promotes trail-building policy at the national and state levels. And the organization catalyzes action at the community level by providing information, technical assistance and training that local trail builders need. Pratt notes that improving access to places for physical activity such as trails and parks, and enhancing neighborhoods and communities, are recommendations from the CDC’s Task Force on Community Preventive Services Community Guide. “The analyses presented in today’s ACSM session demonstrate that enhancing access to places for physical activity, coupled with informational outreach, is a cost effective strategy for increasing physical activity,” he said.
AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAMS CAN KEEP KIDS ACTIVE NEW ORLEANS – Students in after-school programs tend to get more physical activity in free play than in structured activities, according to results from the first study to comprehensively measure activity levels in after-school programs. The research was presented today at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). That finding was not the only surprise, according to lead researcher Stewart Trost, Ph.D., FACSM. “Students averaged about 20 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, or MVPA, per 90-minute session,” he said. “That’s not bad—that represents about a third of the 60-minute daily dose called for in the ACSM recommendations.” Boys accumulated more MVPA than girls. Children who were overweight or at-risk for overweight had similar levels of light, moderate, or moderate-to-vigorous activity, but significantly less activity rated as vigorous. .Subjects were 147 ethnically and economically diverse students in grades three to six.. The children engaged in significantly more MVPA during organized activity sessions conducted indoors than during organized sessions conducted outdoors, but MVPA levels were highest during free-play sessions. According to Trost, this may reflect a relative lack of training of those who staff after-school programs. “They may be college students or part-time workers who are not trained in physical education,” he explained. Trost proposed translating his research into practice by developing simple training materials for after-school workers. Such materials, he said, could offer ideas and techniques for increasing students’ physical activity levels. Previous studies have observed overweight children tend to be less active than their non-overweight counterparts. Trost et al., however, found that students who were overweight or at risk for being overweight exhibited similar amounts of light- and moderate-intensity physical activity as non-overweight students, but had significantly lower amounts of vigorous activity, particularly during organized outdoor activities. Trost recommended further research to measure after-school activity levels of children who are not enrolled in after-school programs. The goal should be to encourage appropriate physical activity levels despite highly scheduled lives and the need to concentrate on academics during school. This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
EXERCISE AND AIR POLLUTION NEW ORLEANS - An unfortunate aspect of today’s environment is the significant amount of noxious air pollutants including ozone, carbon monoxide, fine and ultrafine particulates. This problem is especially troublesome in urban settings, near major highways, and in indoor ice arenas. Exercising while exposed to air pollution puts people at increased risk of lung and cardiovascular damage. A featured science session at the 54th Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) addressed the issue of exercise and air pollution, outlining the dangers of air pollution and possible actions to help reduce risks from exposure. Kenneth W. Rundell, Ph.D., session Chair, explained that fine and ultrafine particulates are expelled in automobile and truck exhaust, and are present in exhaust from equipment such as ice resurfacing machines. Diesel-fueled internal combustion engines produce especially high amounts of these irritants. Fine and ultrafine particulates can be particularly harmful when people are exposed to them while exercising, since breathing hard causes an increase in deposition (the amount of particulates inhaled that remain in the lungs) and deposition fractions (percent of the amount of particulates inhaled that remain in the lungs). “The pollutants will get deep in the airways, causing an inflammatory response in both asthmatics and non-asthmatics,” Rundell said. “There is a resulting compromise in lung function, and a decrease in vasodilatation (the ability for arteries to expand) which results in a decrease in the amount of oxygen rich blood that reaches to the muscles. Oxidative stress on arterial walls takes place as a result of air pollution, causing the development of arterial plaque and leading to risk for eventual arterial blockage.” According to the American Lung Association, exercise increases air intake by as much as 10 times resting intake levels. Endurance athletes can process as much as 20 times normal air intake. Mouth breathing during exercise bypasses the nasal passages, the body’s natural air filters, which increases contact with pollutants and adds to vulnerability to health damage. Exposure to fine and ultrafine particulates in the air, over as little as a three-month period, can result in decreased resting lung function at a rate that is comparable to that experienced by heavy tobacco smokers. “The longer the exposure, the more likely the adverse effect,” Rundell said. “Unfortunately we don’t know if the damage is lasting.” “Rinks are typically resurfaced each hour, so there is a frequent amount of exposure from the fossil-fueled resurfacing machines,” Rundell said. “The ventilation systems in many arenas do not adequately allow for the expulsion of these pollutants. Athletes, as well as children who spend a lot of time in ice skating arenas, are exposed to heavy amounts of indoor air pollution while engaged in exercise.” He points out that there are several solutions to the issue. These include transition from gasoline or propane to electric or natural gas powered equipment, use of catalytic converters in the ice resurfacing machines, keeping machines well maintained, and assuring adequate ventilation systems to allow the exhaust to escape. Those who exercise outdoors, particularly at times when ozone and particulate levels are high, are also at risk for lung and cardiovascular damage. These groups include children; the elderly; runners; bicyclists; and those engaged outdoor sports such as soccer, baseball and football. “Ozone levels worsen in the later afternoon. Fine and ultrafine particulates can be exceedingly high in locations where there is heavy automobile and truck traffic, which generally corresponds to morning and evening rush hour. Proximity to highways and heavily traveled roads, where many schools and athletic fields are located contributes to the problem,” Rundell said. Planning outdoor physical activity early in the morning when ozone levels tend to be lower is one way to avoid some of the risk, though this is not always practical for many youth sports teams that practice after school. “School officials, community leaders, and parents need to be concerned and involved in addressing this issue,” Rundell said. Amish Youth Activity, Obesity Compared To Youth In Modern Society - Old Order Amish Youth Very Active, Rarely Overweight March 28, 2007
STUDY: WALKING DOES NOT INCREASE RISK OF INJURY The findings are encouraging, according to lead researcher Carol A. Janney of the Health and Physical Activity Department at the University of Pittsburgh. “Consistently, regular exercise has been a component of successful long-term weight loss and weight maintenance programs,” she said. “Since injury is one of the primary reasons for exercise relapse, it is encouraging that injury rates were relatively low among overweight and obese participants.” The study divided 489 sedentary participants into either a control group or one of five behavioral weight loss programs that prescribed walking as the primary mode of exercise. Participants reported any injury or illness that affected their ability to exercise. Over the 18-month study, 46 percent reported at least one injury or illness. Lower-body musculoskeletal injuries were most commonly reported (19 percent), followed by cold/flu/respiratory infections (18 percent), back pain/injury (9 percent) and upper-body musculoskeletal (3 percent). Approximately 33 percent of the lower-body musculoskeletal injuries were attributed to knee injuries, followed by sprains (14 percent), tendonitis (12 percent), hip injuries (8 percent) and general muscular injuries (8 percent). Body Mass Index (BMI), rather than exercise participation, was a significant predictor of injuries. BMI is a measure of body fatness. There was no difference in injury rates between treatment groups and the control group, but participants with higher BMIs tended to become injured earlier than those with lower BMIs. “Given the concerns that injuries tend to interfere with exercise, it’s reassuring to know that those who are overweight can enjoy the benefits of walking without increasing their risk of injury,” said Janney. ACSM recommends 30 minutes of daily physical activity on most, if not all, days of the week. Walking, among the easiest and lowest impact activities a person can do, has been proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 40 percent, even in very moderate and achievable amounts. For more information on walking for health, please visit www.acsm.org.
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