Don’t Focus Solely on Overweight Kids

It was gratifying to see The Chronicle recognize the scourge of childhood obesity on the front page (“Helping Kids Fight Fat,” October 16.) In New York City, where the number of overweight and obese children far exceeds the national average, a recent report indicated that 43 percent of the students in our elementary public schools are overweight and 23 percent are obese.

New York’s kids are in desperate need of an intervention. But programs that single out heavy kids, here or anywhere, will not work. The stigma minimizes participation and the focus ignores the lifelong needs of the majority of kids who are not overweight now, but who will succumb later without learning a mind-set and methodology for fitness.

Our foundation addresses these issues by establishing running-based physical-education programs in schools and com-munity centers. Kids of all size, shape, and athleticism are welcome, and incentives — which are the cornerstone of our programs — are based on individual improvement, not competitive placement.

We know this approach works because we have seen significant weight loss from many kids, an appreciation for the value and fun of fitness from virtually all, and an explosion in participation. Too many municipalities, like New York, have sacrificed physical education in their schools to balance budgets.Cliff Sperber

Executive Director
New York Road Runners Foundation
New York