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by Karla A. Henderson,
Ph.D., and M. Deborah Bialeschki, Ph.D.
Abstract: Improving public health and particularly
addressing the rising childhood obesity epidemic
are goals that camps can address. Obesity and
overweight problems are a result of energy imbalances
between eating and moving. Camps have a role
to play in promoting and modeling healthy eating
and enjoyable physical activity.
The health of
young people has always been a concern in organized
camp programs. The first camps began as efforts
to get young people active in outdoor adventure
experiences. Other camps such as the "fresh
air" camps that emerged at the turn of
the century had public health aims in getting
children out of unhealthy industrial cities and
into the countryside. The concerns for children's
health, however, are somewhat different today.
Values associated with camp do not generally
include "improve public health" and
yet the potential exists to address the health
of young people at camps.
Childhood obesity is
a major societal issue. Since the 1970s, the
percentage of children aged six to eleven years
who are obese has tripled. Further, obesity has
doubled among adolescents. According to the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention, the percent
of adults who are considered overweight or obese
in the United States is 64 percent.
Further,
the causes of these increases are clearly related
to physical inactivity and unhealthy eating habits.
Both of these issues can be addressed in camp
programs.
A panel of experts convened by the
Institute of Medicine identified five factors
that discourage healthy eating and physical activity:
frequent consumption of convenience foods in
families due to the costs of food and time for
preparation, reduced access to nutritious food
such as fruits and vegetables, community designs
that discourage walking and other forms of physical
activity, decreased opportunities for physical
education in schools and reduced walking and
biking to schools because of their locations,
and the amount of time children spend in sedentary
screen time versus being active outdoors. Although
going to camp will not address all these issues,
camps can be more intentional in addressing physical
health issues.
The TRU Study (Teenage Research
Unlimited, Inc.) reported in recent issues of
Camping Magazine has reviewed information about
young people (aged twelve to nineteen years)
who said they definitely would attend a summer
camp in 2007 compared to youth who said they
would definitely not attend. Some of the questions
asked related directly to physical health. The
responses may provide directions for camp staff
who want to make sure campers eat healthy food
and get adequate physical activity while they
are at camp.
Nutrition Issues
The TRU study asked
several questions about eating habits. One question
related to the number of soft drinks consumed
in the last seven days. The overall average was
almost ten drinks. Young people who were coming
to camp drank about two less drinks (i.e., eight)
per week than the noncamp participants. The participants
in the survey were also asked about the number
of times they ate salty snacks in the past seven
days. The average was about five and a half times
with little difference between campers and noncampers.
Further, the young people were asked about the
number of candy bars eaten in the last seven
days. The average was 3.6 bars with youth going
to camp eating on average one more bar each week
than the noncampers.
These results suggest that
these eating habits were not much different for
campers compared to other children. However,
camp staff can think about what these statistics
might mean in camp. Both children and adults
tend to prefer sweet and fatty foods. On average
they consume a good deal of these foods at home.
Should camps cater to the habits of these young
people, especially through products sold at the "canteen?" Or,
is camp a place to offer alternatives? Some studies
have shown that increasing the availability of
healthful foods, particularly in schools, can
be effective. The same thing could be true for
camps. A summary of research presented in a publication
called Designing to Reduce Childhood Obesity
suggested that a 50 percent reduction in the
price of low-fat foods in vending machines in
secondary schools resulted in a huge increase
in the proportion of low-fat snacks sold. Would
the same happen at camp? In addition to the canteen,
camp food service workers could prepare meals with
lower fat and salt content and offer a variety
of fruits and vegetables prepared in appealing
ways. Foods with natural sugars might be offered
instead of processed sugars.
Physical Activity
Issues
Researchers have recommended guidelines
for youth physical activity culminating in at
least sixty minutes of physical activity on most
days of the week. Many youth do not meet this
recommendation (i.e., especially girls and ethnic
minorities) and the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention further found that activity levels
decline with age. Most camp staff probably believe
that campers get this required amount when they
are at camp, but we have little proof for this
claim.
Increasing the physical activity in camps
may require knowing more about campers' interests.
The TRU Study asked several questions to young
people about activity and sports participation.
The results showed that the average teen in the
study listened to CDs, Tapes, MP3, and other
musical devices about ten hours each week, watched
TV for nine and a half hours, used the Internet
for eight hours, listened to the radio for seven
hours, talked on a cell phone for five hours,
played sports four hours each week, and worked
out three hours a week. Large differences did
not exist between campers and noncampers, but
campers played sports for an hour more each week
than noncampers. Another category was "working
at a regular paid job" and almost twice
as much time was spent by noncampers each week
at a job than teens who planned to attend camp.
Favorite sports, sports participation, and competitive
sport involvement were other areas related to
physical activity that were explored in the TRU
Study. Young people who said they planned to
go to camp were more likely to participate in
particular sports either recreationally or competitively
(see Table 1). Very few differences
existed regarding popular favorite sports, but
several differences were evident related to recreational
sports participation. Examples of sports participation
equally done by campers and noncampers included
football, bicycling, billiards, volleyball, fishing,
dancing, weight training, skateboarding, paintball,
and golf although overall campers were slightly
more likely to participate in all these activities.
One of the reasons that individuals gave for
choosing to come to camp was "to do activities
at camp that you can't do at home." Males
(44 percent) were more likely to suggest they
came for that reason than females (33 percent).
The activities that they could not do at home
were not necessarily physical activity, but these
statistics coupled with the sports data raise
questions about what activities should be promoted
at camp that might differ from activities done
at home. Similarly, based on the findings that
youth who attend camp are more involved in sports
(except for soccer) raises further questions
about the potential for camp to introduce new
opportunities for youth who are already engaged
and active.
Implications
Camps are not automatically
healthy places for young people. Although the
American Camp Association (ACA) Accreditation
Standards address many issues regarding risk
management to ensure the health and safety of
campers, they do not address issues related to
energy balance associated with physical activity
and nutrition. Helping young people to learn
the joys of eating nutritiously and being physically
active are important outcomes that can be addressed
at camp. Although one week at camp may not change
a person's life forever, one week of modeling
good eating habits and enjoyable physical activity
will do no harm and may stimulate some continued
interest.
Several broad suggestions emerge from
these TRU Study data along with other information
that is known about camp.
- Many young people
are not accustomed to eating healthy meals
that are lower in fat and sugars. Recognizing
that alternatives exist when choosing snacks
as well as having good tasting nutritious food
may be a contribution that camps can make.
- Most
young people (and adults as well) participate
in physical activity because it is enjoyable.
Most children do not participate in various
activities because they are "good for them."
The challenge to camp staff is to not make
"exercise" onerous but to make it fun. Assuring
that the focus is not on fitness but on participation
is likely to have more appeal to most campers.
- Although
all young people need enjoyable opportunities
to be involved in a variety of physically active
alternatives at camp, girls in particular tend
to participate less as they get older for various
reasons (i.e., lack of interest, lack the skills,
body selfconsciousness, societal expectations
of femininity). Camp can be an opportunity
to introduce girls to new activities in a safe
environment that enable them to develop confidence
in their skills so they might find enjoyable
opportunities when they return home.
- Some of the activities
young people do at camp can become life-long
endeavors. Planning activities that have the
potential for developing long-term skills (e.g.,
camping, hiking) may be experiences that young
people will not have at home.
The obesity epidemic
in children must be addressed in many ways. More
children are growing up with fewer opportunities
to learn healthy eating behaviors and are living
in neighborhoods that lack places (especially
outdoor areas) to be physically engaged in fun
activities. Camp may be a place where children
can be challenged to pay attention to their eating
and activity levels while providing them with
role models and a positive environment that supports
healthy living. The imperative to promote a healthy
lifestyle in young people is critical. Camp staff
can exert some influence now or deal with the
repercussions later when these youth become obese,
chronically ill adults with an "illness" rather
than wellness approach to life.
Originally published
in the 2008 September/October issue of Camping Magazine.
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