Introduction
The issue of childhood obesity has become a point of concern globally, raising the need to seek ways through which childhood obesity can be prevented. Play-based physical activity has become useful in preventing childhood obesity in recent years. In addition to being fun, the play has many positive social, psychological, and physical effects that support a better way of life. Play encourages physical activity. Through play, children are motivated to move about, essential for preserving a healthy weight. Running, jumping, climbing, and participating in sports are all examples of active play activities that increase cardiovascular fitness and burn calories. Children benefit from regular physical activity through play by burning extra calories, forming good behaviors, and lowering their risk of obesity. Through play also, children expend energy in a more fun way. This is because when children enjoy play activities, the chances of engaging in sedentary behavior are minimized, and this is to their advantage because some of these behaviors contribute to weight gain. As they use energy in play, the chances of getting overweight are also minimized.
Further, play is key in developing motor skills in children. As children develop their gross motor skills, they become more capable and are encouraged to participate in more challenging physical activities, which in turn helps prevent obesity. This essay is a discussion of the importance of play-based physical activity in the prevention of obesity in young children.
Socio-cultural theory and physical education.
In his article, Braithwaite (2014) discusses a bilingual and bicultural national curriculum document TE WHĀRIKI, which was ideally meant for early childhood centers in New Zealand. The main focus of the document was the need to help children grow as confident, competent learners and communicators who are healthy not only in body but also in mind and spirit and in a secure environment where they will all have a sense of belonging. The document draws majorly from Vygotsky’s socio-cultural theory, emphasizing the role of social interaction, language, and cultural context in cognitive development. As mentioned by Braithwaite (2014), the socio-cultural theory explains that learning happens when a child can create relationships and interact socially with their learning environment effectively.
The theory acknowledges that children actively create knowledge and understanding (Braithwaite, 2014). Vygotsky stressed that children are not passive recipients of experiences, even though social contact and cultural background influence cognitive development. Instead, they engage in the learning process and actively participate in it (Braithwaite, 2014). According to Vygotsky, children actively engage with the social and cultural world by drawing on the knowledge, skills, and experiences they already have. They actively create meaning through their relationships with people and the cultural resources at their disposal, not just passively absorbing information.
According to Vygotsky’s thesis, children’s cognitive development is influenced by their own behaviors, problem-solving attempts, and environment exploration. Through these encounters, they actively participate in activities, test out concepts, and build their understanding. For instance, a child actively creates stories, uses symbolic representations, and explores various roles and settings when they play pretend. Through active participation, they hone their problem-solving abilities, inventiveness, and social awareness. While drawing from this theory, the document’s goals encourage physical education. For example, children should be provided with an environment where they can gain confidence and control of their bodies. This goes down to children gaining knowledge on how to keep physically healthy, as Braithwaite (2014) discussed, which is key in preventing childhood obesity.
Teaching strategies appropriate for the prevention of childhood obesity.
Braithwaite (2014) also gives teaching strategies that teachers can use to introduce and support physical education in early childhood settings. These include; Ensuring that physical activity materials and resources are readily accessible for extended periods, enabling children to explore and partake in a wide range of physical experiences. Continuous practice and skill improvement are encouraged by this. Teachers can discuss appropriate challenges with students to motivate them to set objectives and work toward skill mastery. Through practice and effort, children can improve. This fosters a growth attitude in them.
Also, teachers aid students’ physical development by allowing them to practice and enhance their abilities. The difficulty level is progressively raised while various exercises are offered, allowing children to build on their already acquired knowledge and skills. Offering a variety of scheduled and unstructured physical activities allows kids to experiment with new motions, improve their coordination, and identify their hobbies and skills (Braithwaite, 2014). Teachers are crucial in establishing a safe and challenging environment for physical activity. They must effectively manage risks so children can participate in activities without unnecessary risk while being suitably challenged.
Including music and movement exercises in regular mat time sessions can assist students in learning body awareness, coordination, and repetition (Braithwaite, 2014). Songs can serve as cues for moving, such as jumping and running. Teachers can also promote self-directed learning and foster independence by allowing children to establish their goals during outdoor play. During these activities, teachers might take on various roles, supporting the children’s play preferences and offering direction as necessary. Further, teachers can observe and identify children’s physical learning and growth through daily feedback and planning meetings. This enables them to react effectively by adjusting activities, adding new obstacles, or modifying them based on the requirements of certain children. By implementing these teaching strategies, educators can effectively introduce physical activity to young children and promote their physical development, social interaction, and enjoyment of physical movement.
Exercise as medicine and exercise as a vaccine.
Exercise as medicine metaphor focuses on treating overweight and obesity as sicknesses that require medical attention. The perspective emphasizes several points, including Personal responsibility (Chen, 2012). It emphasizes that individuals are responsible for seeking medical help and following treatment protocols.
According to the perspective, iff recurrences occur, it is the individual’s responsibility to restart the treatment. The approach primarily focuses on treating overweight and obesity after they have already occurred. Also, the responsibility for fighting against overweight and obesity is primarily on the individual.
However, this approach has been deemed less successful in addressing the rising rates of obesity, especially in preventing childhood obesity (Chen, 2012). It overlooks individuals and families’ challenges in acquiring the necessary knowledge, skills, and motivation to maintain a healthy body weight. Additionally, it may create a sense of personal failure and helplessness when recurrences happen.
The exercise as vaccine metaphor, on the other hand, shifts the focus from treatment to prevention and highlights the importance of a collective societal effort. This perspective is prevention-oriented. It emphasizes the need to prevent overweight and obesity from occurring in the first place. The responsibility of controlling individual body weight is shifted from the individual to society. The exercise as a vaccine metaphor implies that obesity prevention requires an ongoing, continuous effort rather than a one-time solution. It recognizes that individual efforts are part of a broader institutional and societal effort.
This approach is particularly relevant in school-based childhood obesity interventions. It recognizes that success in prevention depends on both individual and institutional efforts. Shifting the focus to prevention and fostering a collective approach aims to address the underlying causes of obesity and create an environment that supports healthy behaviors.
Why Exercise as a Vaccine is Important
Exercise as a vaccine metaphor appears to be very important in preventing obesity, and childhood obesity, for that matter. This is due to its various characteristics, as discussed below. One major characteristic that makes the metaphor the best is its prevention focus (Chen, 2012). By emphasizing prevention, the metaphor addresses the root causes of overweight and obesity, reducing the need for medical intervention and treatment. It means that the measures that need to be implemented are to prevent obesity before it occurs. This is better than waiting for it to happen so that it can be treated.
Another important characteristic of this metaphor is the focus on social and societal efforts. This metaphor recognizes that addressing obesity requires a collective effort involving various stakeholders, such as schools, communities, healthcare systems, and policymakers. This makes it easier to prevent it, unlike when the effort is entirely left to individuals.
The perspective also supports Institutional support, which is key in preventing childhood obesity. School-based interventions can be crucial in shaping children’s behaviors and creating an environment that promotes healthy choices. Exercise as a vaccine approach aligns with this setting by emphasizing institutional support and guidance (Chen, 2012). Further, the perspective is interested in success. The vaccination metaphor draws on the success of controlling epidemics through collective efforts. By applying a similar collective approach to obesity prevention, it leverages the lessons learned from past successes.
Overall, exercise as a vaccine encourages a shift in mindset and approach from treating obesity as a disease to prevent it through societal and institutional efforts. It may be more successful in reducing childhood obesity and enhancing long-term health outcomes if the problem is approached holistically and involves several stakeholders.
What can educators do to help children and parents develop healthy habits?
Early childhood educators are essential in encouraging children to develop good habits and working with parents. They can assist in forming good habits one creating a welcoming and accepting environment. This can be done by including healthy habits into the daily schedule; early childhood educators can create an environment that promotes good behaviors. They can foster an environment that supports balanced nutrition, regular exercise, and general well-being. Educators can also integrate experiential learning opportunities. Educators can plan fun events and learning opportunities that encourage good behaviors. For instance, they can set up physical play activities, combine cookery classes to promote healthy eating, or involve children in gardening initiatives to teach them about fruits and vegetables. Students can learn about nutrition and how to make healthy food choices from educators and the importance of consuming a balanced diet and forming healthy eating habits. They can explain dietary groupings, impart information about portion proportions, and involve children in the planning and preparing meals. It is possible to make learning about nutrition enjoyable and approachable by using visual aids, books, and discussions.
They can promote healthy habits. Children frequently learn by watching and copying adults. Early childhood educators can set an example by living a healthy lifestyle. Teachers can encourage children to follow similar behaviors by exhibiting positive attitudes toward eating healthily and exercising. They can work together with their parents. Educators can actively engage parents in fostering healthy habits by exchanging knowledge, tools, and techniques. They can arrange workshops or parent education sessions to provide advice on diet, exercise, and other facets of healthy living (Weihrauch-Blüher et al., 2018). Healthy home habits can be strengthened via regular contact and collaboration with parents. Also, educators can encourage active play and physical activity. Early childhood educators might designate time during the school day for active play and organized physical activity. Instructors can combine games, dance, yoga, and other age-appropriate exercises to keep children interested and foster physical growth.
Further, they can stress the value of rest and self-care. Teachers may teach children the value of relaxation, rest, and self-care. To assist learners in realizing the value of mental and emotional health, they can incorporate exercises in mindfulness, quiet time, or storytelling (Karnik & Kanekar, 2012).
Conclusion
In conclusion, play-based physical activity is essential for preventing childhood obesity. Play allows kids to roam around happily while acquiring important social, cognitive, and physical skills and encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Children can cultivate a positive attitude toward exercise and form lifelong habits that enhance their general well-being by adding play-based activities into their daily schedules. Additionally, play-based physical activity encourages imagination, creativity, and problem-solving skills, which benefits kids’ cognitive development. Play also offers opportunities for social connection, teamwork, and cooperation, which helps children develop crucial social skills and emotional intelligence. As we become increasingly aware of the rising prevalence of childhood obesity, play-based physical activity must be prioritized in homes, schools, and communities.
References.
Braithwaite, D. (2014). The teaching of physical education in early childhood settings. New Zealand Physical Educator, 47(1), 15-18.
Chen, A. (2012). On childhood obesity prevention: “Exercise is medicine” vs. “exercise is a vaccine .”Journal of Sport and Health Science, 1(3), 172-173.
Karnik, S., & Kanekar, A. (2012). Childhood obesity: a global public health crisis. International Journal of preventive medicine, 3(1), 1.
Weihrauch-Blüher, S., Kromeyer-Hauschild, K., Graf, C., Widhalm, K., Korsten-Reck, U., Jödicke, B., & Wiegand, S. (2018). Current guidelines for obesity prevention in childhood and adolescence. Obesity facts, 11(3), 263-276. https://doi.org/10.1159/000486512
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