Show I r - u ' V DIMM i f' Monday July 82002 t i A4 The Herald Journal 1 Regional view IVWNDKIFW Treating childhood obesity requires training FILMHOTZANP 0KT3 AT THE SAME T ME u The Deseret News T LIKE “LORE OF THE RINGS? Pediatricians as trusted child advocates need to lead the charge to bring what the CDC once termed an “epidemic'’ under control They must help connect families to resources that can address these issues and they should be lobbying schools to make physical activity a higher priority he Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention is tracking a dangerous health trend: About 14 percent of children ages 6 through 19 are severely overweight a since the 1960s according to national data A survey conducted for the federal Maternal and Child Health Bureau to assess how doctors are dealing with childhood obesity found that many physicians do not feel confident they know how to treat the problem In particular health care providers said they were not adequately prepared to deal with a lack ofpatient motivation insurance ana parental involvement Moreover some physicians expressed concerns about offending families and causing problems in children researchers said : There’s no question that physicians and other health care providers need a deft touch when addressing over- weight children and teens Many ents fear that raising concerns about their children's weight will trigger unhealthy dieting in which their chil- dren will not receive the nutrition ' their growing bodies need Others fear that their children will become depressed and eat even more Emotional issues aside obese children are at risk of heart disease diabetes and near-tripli- self-estee- m and fit Talk about a disconnect Certainly child obesity is a prob-lem that transcends the health care arena Patents must ensure their chil- Kinder gentler US prevails dren receive propernuition and exercise Parents must model healthy choices themselves Educators need to rethink the importance of physical education in public schools Many of today’s parents had physical education class once a day as children Contrast their experience to today’s elementary school kids who may have gym class once a week All of these factors have contributed to the sharp increases in the number of American children who are severely overweight Pediatricians as trusted child’advocates need to lead the charge to bring what : other conditions ' It's difficult for any overweight person to achieve a happy medium It is peihaps most difficult for youths whodon't have to venture off the living room couch to entertain them- selves' Unlike their parents who would round up the neighborhood kids for a game of softball or a pickup game of basketball many of today's youths are glued tocable television They wile away hours ' playing video games and surfing the ‘ Internet Many young people have unbridled access to snack foods and they are bombarded with commercial "messages to eat cookies sugary drinks and chips At the same time the popular media hold op role mod- els who are perfectly proportioned the CDC once termed an ‘‘epidemic’7 under control They must help con- nfict families to resources that can address these issues and they should be lobbying schools to make physical activity a higher priority As the Maternal and Child Health Bureau survey indicates schools of medicine' and nursing need to improve the training of health care providers so they have the confi-den- By John Hughes For The Christian Science Monitor 66 A h ce and know-hoto help patients and their families address this sen- ous health issue: w Other views Terrorists may assault Corrosive influence may infiltrate Corporate executives may debase the ethics on which America was built Hollywood may defile the standards of morality to which middle America adheres Independence Day is a welcome reminder that the defense against all threats begins with each and every one of us year ago we were celebrat4 ing July Independence Day in peacetime The pending events of Sept 11 would have seemed inconceivable There were bad guys abroad but the world was relatively quiescent At home the economy had been through some strain but summer fun was just ahead the beaches beckoned and Americans Were optimistic about 2002 Come July 4 this year things are quite different Americans are at war with terrorism They have been attacked and suffered grievous losses ' from suicidal skyjackers on their very homeland A terrorizing anthrax murderer (or murderers) is still at large Every schoolchild now knows what a “dirty bomb” is Ten thousand ship as they wish travel where they want or choose their ruins by the ballot box rather than the bayonet True Americans face problems other than terrorism The names of giant conlpanies like Enron and Arthur Andersen and Adelphia and lyco and WorldCom are scars on the consciences of corporate America after revelations of infamous mis' US troops are deeds by their executives We know in Afghanistan something smells in the boardrooms and other of capitalism when even Martha rist-prone Stewart that icon of homemaking lands The elegance so inspiring yet madden- govbiggest ing to every cluttered homemaker is emment reorunder a cloud Yet for every crook in the CEO’s ganization in half a century chair there are hundreds of company is being underdirectors and officers who are honest taken to com- and untainted For every bat terrorism at home And this July accountant there are hun- 4 protecting jets will overfly US ethics are sound and whose drpds national monuments and police offiuntarnished For every tycoon who cers will check coolers and backshould go to jail there are hundreds of patriotic Americans who have packs on the National Mall in shouldered arms and gone to serve in Washington It’s not clear that all Americans the dust and dirt of Afghanistan or some other forlorn land that needs fully understand how serious and this war will be but their service For njostordinaiy Americans their lives are not lived everybody knows things are tougher The question is: Should we bc dispir- -' in Sodoms and Gomorrahs but in ' ited? I think hot : communities where people live law- - ' World War U Britain there used abiding lives give fair labor for fair to be acomedian who would come waps worship in their churches out on the music-ha- ll and strive to impress wholesome stage and shout: “Are wfc downhearted?’’ And standards upon their children the audience of The gentler spirit that overtook v America on Sept 11 is still alive Londoners blitzed every night by Acts of kindness still abound Achild German bombers would roar back drowned or killed in an auto acci- “No!” : dent or shot by accident evokes an Americans iwed not be downheartoutpouring of tove and messages of ed this 2002 Independence Day fbr compassion and support in every part their blessings far outweigh their of die country! In fay own communichallenges Their land is nee and ty thousands have turned out to searchharsh terrain in temperatures prosperous and strong! The remarkable democratic society they have pushing a hundred degrees for an created in a few years (judged by the' abducted teenager A quarter of a history of more ancient civilizations) million dollars in reward money for is a pole of attraction formillions her return was donated in hours around the world who may not worr The real mood of the country is mfi terro- : ay Pay families for donor organs Chicago Tribune ’ horror There is the seience-fictio- n along the lines of the best-sellinovel “Coma” in which humans are Stored in meat lockers so their body ’ parts can be sold on1 a lucrative black market to the ailing rich Then there is the realrlife horror of some 80000 people waiting for new 'vital organs More than 100 peopl4 die every Week still waiting And the numbers on the waiting list continue to grow far outstripping the supply of donor organs" So it was surprising and refreshthat the American Medical Assoing ciation this week took a small but significant step forward The dele--1 gates backed a proposal to study using money to motivate patients and 8 their families to donate organs The AMA is on the right track but V doctors and lawmakers have been fretting over the issbe for die better 'part of a decade while thousands of patients have died It’stimp to stop arguing and face facts Yes paying-- ' for organs will work One 1999 survey showed as little as $500 to $lj000 would increase donation rates enough to virtually eliminate (he kidney waiting list Critics worry that any system beyond the purely voluntary will cheapen life and create the notion that body parts are mere commodities But as transplant science advances it is clear that some vital organs are in a pense commodities albeit precious Letting people die for want of a new kidney liver or t heart isn’t going to change that reali-: ' ty The demand for organs in this country can be largely filled by those from cadavers if only potential donors and their families can be con- - yinced to donate Many families of course have religiousor ethical ' " qualms Fair enough But fbr miany others if a reasonable? sum of money helps --r and it does with most things iri life —r then it should be provided through a discreet and regulated sys tem - long-lasti- ng h reflected in the swift public reaction to last week’s ruling by a couple of ' San Francisco federal appeals court judges that the expression “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance promotes religion and thus violates V the separation of church and state It was a nonsensical ruling because if it is not changed the American people will simply ignore it True the framers of the US Constitution wrote that “Congress shall estabmake no law respecting lishment of religion” But into die Declaration of Independence they also wrote that people are “endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights” dearly this was no die injunction to abolish God And so American people understand it ' Terrorists may assault Corrosive influence may infiltrate Corporate executives may debase die ethics on which America was built Hollywood may defite the standards of morality " to which middle America adheres Independence Day is a welcome reminder that die defense against all j threats begins with each and every1 one of us : & - JohnHughee is a former sdttor of the Monitor and edHor arid chief opending officer of die Deseret News : - -- food-ration- ed --Vi- Thiscotumo and other personal e! ui : clothes-packed Herald Jour-- : nal may - i express opin- Product Wflmlngy ions that do not align exactly with : your own If you (Is-- i Mallard Fillmore ' :The! ' J cmopottumOhjnewsom) See H DOwHIl Of paQO lor : NifOflnBDOn DOK more details ' ' iiwlri Tin WkSH In f I W vliP MO I IMHO M nlH IV SMIWI IS fVWBfV Vmi S iVnOTj Ol VWWpOffiXS On nwCil ! of pubic bnportinci ond provktt n : v x IodaorPotMXMyRMlouaoroSanieMtanr manes As rijSS t( to tw tanglh and styls raquhamarti otlhs KMOfMi ooora MOmDon ‘I DARRELL EHFLlCXcIty KSlQr CINDY YURTWhtourte sdtor BRUCE SMmVpubfahsr vie 9mm doorc CHARLE8Mo(XXlUMmraging j TVpgiwtoonsnddoubioipaood fooomronociinoapnonBoinrwnimana omkxs lEdHoriato undortha hsadtog OurAfloW Hnid Journal repmanl ttw viowa of Oi TTHmMJoumrivvtfconmlaMtothi mimbifi df ttMoavMiiinihruillhafafitfnfarlhiirvlMM Pinoini coMiino ortoonc end Icttwi froni V t J Herald Journal mm 752-212- ! - flnlnlnw the edtor or contact edtor Charles McCodum about a poesWe guest com- 1 Ext 3020 mentaiy (Phone: i V'- Nomoroton450ewdinlnfli ' :: !h'- kT al dtor i lrti ' v i m ( — Wfa Luntirtai Amrim frriit pj&Wl) t 1 Addmaodandindudottoylfmsptwni nanbar tor dutdosm of voriScaSon- agnodby'tooaudiot tndMduali am Mtod toons putMNd teller wIMn any 30day period Addrow Mtorato hjMtwetynawLOom Quasi cbm- mantottos sie rtoo wrtoomo smtam v' 5 v |