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This nation is getting larger by the minute. I'm not talking about population; I'm talking about waistlines!

With one in four children between the ages of 5 and 11 considered obese in North Carolina, it's no secret that something needs to be done. Many school districts are already addressing the problem by introducing healthier school menus and adding more physical activity to the day's schedule. Hendersonville, North Carolina has decided to go one step further. Its school district believes there are no better examples for students than their teachers.

During the coming school year, the school district has announced it will begin a wellness program for teachers and staff. It will include exercise plans as well as diet and nutrition counselling. They hope the plan will not only have immediate benefits for those who participate, but will also reduce the district's health care costs by acting in a more preventative way, rather than reacting to the medical issues that result from adult obesity. Their greatest hope is that the efforts by teachers and staff who participate will set a positive example for students as well.

The wellness program is actually a joint project. With the school district leading the way, the YMCA, local hospitals, and the Henderson County Health Department have agreed to participate in the effort. The classes will run for ten week sessions. They will target obesity by introducing or reinforcing several proven exercise routines. Among them are weight training, cardio exercises and relaxation techniques.

Obesity is a problem throughout the United States, with over 300,000 deaths attributed to it in recent annual statistics. Some studies suggest that as many as 25% of the U.S. population is considered obese, with 40% considered morbidly obese. Mildly obese is characterized by being 20%-40% over one's ideal body weight. Anyone 40%-100% over their ideal weight is considered moderately obese; those morbidly obese are more than 100% over their ideal weight. Obesity has been found to greatly contribute to the development of hypertension, diabetes, heart-related issues and even types of cancer.

The Hendersonville program has big plans. Not only are they hoping to improve the quality of life for teachers and staff, and thereby influence students, but the long range goal is to draw the entire community into the project. Linda Charping, Health Education Director at the Henderson County Health Department, says they are applying for a grant that will enable them to upgrade and enlarge the program to include the establishment of an ongoing employee wellness committee, periodic health screenings, and even the creation of walking paths throughout the community. Taking one step at a time just may prove to be the answer to one community's conerns about an increasing problem with obesity among its citizens.

Learn more about this author, Judith Kadden.
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