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Show For Better Health It was reported somewhere about three years ago that mechanization is taking a lot of work out of farm life for children and that it's leading to problems. SINCE THE chores on some farms aren't as hard as . iheyused to be, the youngsters have more time on their Jt hands. Many of the farms are isolated, so the kids may not bum off as many calories playing with neighbors. They to watch TV. Asa result, the farmboys may put on too much weight. KATE DENNIS, Utah's Teacher of the Year, teaches youngsters from farms at her two-room schoolhouse in Hwell, Box Elder County. When she heard about the tendency ten-dency toward weight problems, her school did something about it. The teachers and students got busy working for Presidential Awards for physical fitness. This involves a 0N series of physical goals such as running a certain disomy dis-omy inastated time. If a youngster accomplishes all the goals, he or she wins the citation. -MRS. DENNIS said students at her school had the slate's highest percentage of students receiving Presidential Awards. Nowsomething's appeared wJiich leads me to think that S parents might do more to teach the youngsters about physical fitness. RECENT ABC News-Harris Survey indicates that , j most adults' leisure activities require a minimum of j physical exertion. I Of the 1442 adults polled, 54 percent reported eating as thetop leisure activity. ji j ANOTHER 30 percent said they eat occasionally to oc-- oc-- tupy their time. Watching TV was mentioned by 41 per-j per-j cent; listening to radio by 40 percent; reading by 39 per-' J cent; and listening to music at home by 39 percent. 01 course, many people use some "time off" for "gorous activities, such as jogging. But maybe a lot of us aw't setting good enough examples for the kids. i GROUP EXERCISE, such as biking, hiking, running or amis can build healthier, happier families. |