Few public health issues have received more attention in recent years than childhood obesity. Yet the population perhaps most affected by this epidemic has been left out of the national conversation completely: children with special needs and disabilities. These children are 38% more likely than others to be obese and many face behavioral, medication and mobility challenges that defy standard solutions. The statistics are devastating: among some groups, the obesity rate is as high as 86%. Even among Special Olympics athletes, more than one-third are obese. Clearly, we cannot as a nation solve this huge health challenge without including the millions of American families caring for a child with special needs or a disability. This week, with the release of "Finding Balance: Obesity and Children with Special Needs", AbilityPath.org is closing the gap.
We are an online resource community for parents and professionals serving the needs of adults and children with disabilities. And over the years, our staff have heard many parents talk about how hard it is to help their children maintain a healthy weight and develop an active lifestyle. The issue goes far beyond food and portion control with these families. It's a balancing act: contending with behaviors and food aversions, medication side effects and mobility challenges, families also explore available community opportunities for participation in sports and other activities. All too often, they are lacking. Finding the right balance is a family issue that starts in the home and quickly reaches out to schools, childcare centers, recreational and sports organizations.
This landmark study is both a resource guide and a call to action. Our goal: to launch a nationwide campaign that will engage a broad coalition of parents, health professionals, activists and policy makers to adopt and promote tools for healthier, more active lifestyles among children with special needs and disabilities. Doing so will contribute directly -and substantially -- to solving our national challenge of reducing childhood obesity. As Timothy Shriver, Chairman and CEO of Special Olympics says, "Obesity is not just a health issue --it is a family issue a social issue and a human dignity issue."
We are not talking about a niche problem. Few people realize that thirteen per cent of U.S. families have a child with a special need or disability. It is impossible to overstate the social isolation and stress that these families face. Sports are so often the gateway to companionship, recreation and inclusion and the traditional "winner vs. loser" model leaves out the millions of children who may not be star athletes, but who can bring other, far more worthwhile and lasting lessons to their play mates and teammates. That is why we have partnered with Special Olympics and Best Buddies International, an organization that provides opportunities for friendship, employment and leadership training for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in launching our campaign.
While families must make changes in their own homes -- and we present many carefully researched solutions customized to individual conditions -- we must also makes changes as a society. In schools, that means educating teachers and staff about limiting the use of food for behavior modification and advocating for Adapted Physical Education (APE) as part of a child's Individual Education Program (IEP). In our communities, it means making recreation centers, health clubs and sports groups accessible and inclusive, so that parents can bring the entire family to one place and have activities that everyone can do. At the policy level, it means that researchers and policy makers looking to understand and combat childhood obesity must include children with special needs in their studies, plans and policies. Only then can we truly gain a grip on a problem that threatens the future health and well-being of our country.
Sheryl Young is CEO of Community Gatepath and AbilityPath.org, national nonprofit organizations serving adults and children with disabilities and the professionals who support them.
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Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sheryl-young/finding-balance-why-we-ca_b_1067535.html
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