Big Kids Can Have A Ball

Illawarra Mercury

Saturday July 4, 1998

By MICHELE TYDD

Kids are getting fatter in the '90s, and Wollongong exercise scientist Brodie Cambourne has traced part of the problem to school sport.

``A recent study says 30 per cent of kids aged between six and 10 are overweight but most people seem at a loss to confront the problem," she said.

For the past two years Ms Cambourne has been writing a thesis on overweight children, with a focus on school sport as a way to tackle the problem.

On a practical level she also deals with scores of overweight kids in her gym, some as young as three.

``We can't blame one particular thing for the problem - it's much more complicated than that but school sport or the right school sport can go a long way to nipping the problem in the bud.

``Overweight primary school children can turn off exercise for life because it's too competitive. They see it as too much of a win-lose situation and they usually lose only because it is not geared to their needs."

Ms Cambourne said primary schools needed a physical education teacher who recognised the different needs of heavier kids. ``These children usually have upper-body strength which means they are usually great rowers and formidable partners in tug-o-wars.

``Instead, they are asked to run and swim against lean kids and they don't have the endurance because of the extra weight they carry."

Ms Cambourne has about 130 children registered at her Kidfit gym and most are overweight.

``We of course tackle the diet issues in lots of fun and informative ways. When it comes to activities I make sure the program is within reach and they gradually realise sport and exercise do not need to come down to winning or losing."

Developing simple skills like ball catching also was an important aspect in selling sport to kids. Studies had found many children turned off sport because they just didn't have those skills to start with.

While many schools supported her ideas, most didn't have funds for a physical education teacher.

``It's now up to me to package my program for overweight kids which can be taken up by interested schools and gyms," she said.