Fighting Brain Drain and Weight Gain

Parents face hurdles to keep kids active during the school year and summer poses an even greater challenge – YMCA of Darke County’s Summer Club is the resource for parents of school age children need to keep minds and bodies active all summer long.

GREENVILLE, May 15, 2012 –Today, nearly one in three U.S. children is overweight or obese, and while summer should be a time to get up, get out and grow, kids will be at a greater risk for brain drain and weight gain when the school year ends. Research shows that without activities to keep their minds and bodies active, kids are likely to gain weight twice as fast(i) and show little to no academic growth over the summer than during the school year(ii).

The Y’s second annual Family Health Snapshot, an online parents survey gauging how physically and intellectually active children are during the school year and summertime, also revealed that parents face many barriers to providing a healthy environment. Fifty percent of parents say technological distractions, such as cell phones and television, are a big barrier to getting their kids to engage in healthy behaviors, which is higher than last year.

With summer vacation just days away, keeping kids healthy and active requires planning and preparation. To help parents give their kids what they need to grow and achieve all summer long, the Y is offering Summer Club. Summer Club, formerly Summer Camp, is school age childcare, arts enrichment, fitness classes and sports all wrapped into one and disguised as summer camp. “Summer Clubbers have the opportunity to choose from a variety of sports, fitness, arts, science, technology and dramatic activities each day. Everyone goes to the Y pool each afternoon. And we even set aside a tiny bit of time each day to practice reading and logic puzzles to keep our brains in tip top shape,” states Nikki Neaeligh, Director of Childcare for YMCA of Darke Coutny, Greenville Branch. “Parents love it that we send the kids home tired each day.”

“Summer weight gain and summer learning loss often go unnoticed, but they impact many of today’s youth. Some studies have shown that children’s BMI increases nearly twice as fast during the summer than during the school year,” says Dr. Matt Longjohn, senior director of chronic disease prevention for Y-USA. “To help kids stay healthy and retain important skills learned during the school year, the Y provides opportunities for kids to move and learn all summer long.”

Parents Doing a Better Job but Are Still Struggling

The Family Health Snapshot also found that although parents are spending more time with their children in general, 40 percent admit they could do a better job of encouraging their children to engage in physical activity, while 35 percent say they need to encourage more reading for fun. When asked which leisure activity parents most participate in with their children, nearly 85 percent of parents responded that they watch television with their children, which is a marked increase from last year’s survey of 74 percent of respondents.

During the school year, only 19 percent of kids play outside and get at least the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity seven days a week; only 17 percent of kids read books for fun every day; and only 12 percent of kids eat at least the recommended eight fruits and vegetables daily. Parents are also struggling to maintain a healthy lifestyle: only 11 percent get the recommended 30 minutes of physical activity for adults each day; only 9 percent eat at least eight fruits and vegetables each day; nearly 50 percent report reading books with their kids less than one day a week and 30 percent admit only playing with their children three to four days a week.

“As our nation’s leading nonprofit dedicated to youth development, the Y is committed to addressing critical gaps in communities that negatively affect our kids, particularly in the areas of summer learning loss and summer weight gain,” says Executive Director Gail Hostuttler. “For over 160 years, the Y has helped kids learn, grow and thrive during summer months by providing quality activities and resources that help kids reach their full potential.”

With a commitment to strengthening community through youth development, healthy living and social responsibility, the Y holds Summer Club at the Greenville Branch to keep school age kids healthy and safe all summer long and to inspire a lifetime love of physical activity through active play. A similar program is offer at the Versailles Branch through the childcare center. For Summer Club, children entering first through sixth grades are welcome. Families may sign up for a full-time or part time Summer Club passes. Summer Club is offered for twelve weeks. Families may pick and choose only the weeks they want to use. More more details call (937)548-3777 or stop by the Greenville Branch for a Summer Club flyer and enrollment packet. JFS childcare benefits accepted.

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i. [von Hippel, P.T., Powell, B., Downey, D.B., & Rowland, N., American Journal of Public Health, “The effect of school on overweight in childhood: Gains in children’s body mass index during the school year and during summer vacation”, April 2007]↩
ii. [Horizons National, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahhj3wxxkdM&feature=player_embedded]↩