First Podcast in the Healthy Coaching Series...Listen Now!

The Academy's inaugural podcast highlights some of the new programs schools are introducing to deal with the nation's obesity epidemic.

To be sure, athletic coaches do not usually have obese athletes and kids with health problems as a result of their inactivity. Coaches themselves are sometimes responsible for encouraging their athletes to be too active. This practice can lead to injury as well, from overuse injuries to burnout. Likewise, coaches are more likely to encounter disordered eating practices leading to underweight among their athletes. The most widely researched are the eating disorders of bulimia and anorexia, most commonly associated with female swimmers, gymnasts and cross country runners, not to mention the "making weight" rituals of wrestlers.

So, why then, are we offering advice to coaches on obesity in our first podcast?

First, the issue of childhood obesity is incredibly important. According to most reports, the percentage of American children, ages 10 to 17, who are obese today is 18%. Further, childhood obesity experts have found that when children are obese in adolescence, there is a 70% chance, they will be obese adults. For Michigan, the statistic is equally as staggering: as many as 16% of our children are obese. We all know the health problems this can cause later in life, the most prevalent being heart disease and diabetes.   

Second, coaches have a major influence in the schools where they teach. The "only the few get to be on the team"approach we rely on to organize our school sports means that many kids are left on the sidelines. The main consequence? Lack of physical activity at a time when kids are establishing lifelong exercise practices. This lack of activity contributes to obesity.

Third, some coaches, after leading active lives, fail to continue their own fitness programs. And we know that coaches are both models and mentors to many of their athletes, both on and off the field. 

So, check out the podcast featuring Katie Skala, whose research on new programs for school systems to get kids active again and eating well, challenges the coaching community in Michigan to learn more about how to help eliminate obesity among the children of our state.