Call to Action!
Dear Concerned Citizen!
WE ARE WALKING, CYCLING, AND SKATING ACROSS THE U.S., AND NEED YOUR HELP!
Every day the public is bombarded with news stories about the obesity epidemic. In the U.S., one third of adults are now classified as obese, and two thirds as overweight. The number of overweight children has tripled in the last two decades. The problems with obesity range from health issues, such as increased prevalence of Type II Diabetes and depression, to financial strain on businesses and the public in the form of low productivity, absenteeism and obesity-related health care costs.
The problem can seem overwhelming, and make you believe that there is not much you can do to help. But thanks to a few dedicated citizens from Chico, California, there is now something concrete and simple you can do to become part of a movement that is innovative, logical, and practical.
Just about every child has physical education at school. We could stop, or even reverse the obesity trend if all children would learn in P.E. what they need to know and be able to do in order to be active for life. It is, of course, vital that we help them develop physical activity habits right now. The research shows clearly that active, healthy children are more likely to grow up to be active, healthy adults!
A team of inspired, young adults are dedicating nine months of their lives (June 2007-March 2008) to help get kids moving and promote quality, standards-based physical education. They are walking, skating, biking, canoeing, kayaking, dancing, dribbling, etc. from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean via the American Discovery Trail. A group of graduate students at California State University, Chico are joining the Center for Advancement of Standards-based Physical Education Reform (CASPER) to help raise funds for this trek. At the same time we are helping students and their teachers in communities get important tools, such as pedometers, to help them get motivated to move more.
If you want to be part of this movement and make a difference for children, please read the attached materials and become a part of the solution! With your help we will succeed in our goals, which include:
- Providing pedometers and lesson ideas for every P.E. class
- Funding Skye The P.E. Guy and his team on their cross-country trek
- Generating media attention in local and national markets (-think Oprah!)
- Creating awareness and demand for quality physical education for all children.
We hope that you will join us in this grass-roots effort as we are "Fighting the obesity epidemic 10,000 steps at a time"! Thank you for your time and attention in this very important matter!
Sincerely,
Cathrine Himberg, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Director, CASPER
Skye "The P.E. Guy" Dunn
Email: skyethepeguy@hotmail.com
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