I love reading stories like the one on the HeraldNet website. The story details a new high schooler dealing obesity and what he’s done to combat and overcome it. The teenager’s name is Taylor Covert and his secret inspired his mother:
We look at his picture before starting his freshman year of high school until now and it’s like ‘Wow, amazing’. Watching him has been an inspiration for me.
How did Taylor drop almost 50 pounds in two years? He literally started moving. Many teenagers in today’s world are tethered to video games, computers or televisions. This inactivity in and of itself doesn’t cause obesity, but throw in unhealthy snacks and you have obesity.
The program Taylor followed is called Get Movin’. It’s a program started by the local YMCA and it encourages children instead of making them feel bad. One of their main beliefs is kids need to underrstand that inactivity is a major component of obesity. They list 20 ways to Get Movin’ on the website. These five stuck out the most to me:
- Join an athletic team: This is a great option for most kids. You don’t have to be great at the sport you choose, and you don’t have to expect it to be competitive. Heck, a kickball team is good exercise. The idea is to begin to fall into the habit of moving around.
- Work in the yard: This kills two birds with one stones. You need to do this with your kids and not force them to do it alone. It’s an excellent idea to encourage kids to help out in the yard so they learn house maintenance skills they’ll need in the future.
- Shoot the basketball: Love this one. You can suck at basketball worse than Paris Hilton at spelling, but there is something about just shooting the ball. You run to get it, you move your arms, heck you might even jump. It also provides family time to chat.
- Go for a hike: I’ll admit I am not a fan of this one personally, but as I’ve grown older and lost weight, this one appeals to me. Hikes are slow ways to get moving and offer the chance to learn about things you wouldn’t normally see.
- Play soccer: Like basketball, this one doesn’t take too much skill. Most local schools have goals set up and you can make a game of it.
In looking over the list of sponsors I was struck at the missed opportunities for businesses. The list includes many non-profits, but what about profit businesses? Would it really be too much money for a sporting goods store or a bike shop to help out?
The money quote in the article is from Taylor himself. He says:
I eat better. I don’t eat as much junk food as I used to. I’m happy I’m able to do stuff I didn’t think I’d ever be able to do.
Think about that. A whole new world opened up to this young man when he made the decision to start moving.