June 9,1999
— (Tfye IJo rtlan b (Dbeeruer
Page A5
Families and Fitness Rhythm and Chews
T imothy G ower
For some kids, trendy outsized
shirts and baggy trousers may be
hiding a grow ing problem for
today’s youth— flab. Consider some
troubling facts:
Since the 1960s, the level ofchild-
hood obesity in the United States has
increased over 50 percent.
■Today, between 15 and 25 per
cent of schoolchildren in the United
States are overweight, placing them
at risk for heart disease, diabetes,
and high blood pressure.
A recent report from the Sur
geon General states that only about
half o f all Americans aged 12 to 21
exercise regularly; one-quarter get
no exercise at all.
The Surgeon G eneral’s report
also notes that children tend to
become less active w ith each pass
ing year. It’s easy to blam e the
lure o f TV and the Internet for
turning kids into idle slackers, but
the influences are far more com
plex. B u dget-conscious school
officials are cutting physical edu
cation program s. Some adoles
cents surrender their free tim e to
after-schooljobs. Many teens mys
teriously forget that they own b i
cycles once they get a d riv er’s
license. Finally, exercise can fall
victim to fashion, points out Mary
Ann Hill, a spokeswom an for the
P resid en t’s Council on Physical
Fitness and Sports. “ It ju st be
com es the less cool thing to do,”
Hill says.
Be a role model for your kids
The Surgeon G eneral recom
mends tnat all A m ericans get at
least 30 m inutes o f exercise a day.
Several studies have shown that
children shape their attitudes about
fitness by looking to role models
— friends, siblings, and, yes, par
ents. You d on’t need to be a super
jo ck to inspire a child to stay fit.
H ere’s how three fam ilies got in
shape together:
The five o'clock group
Kris A ckeret convinced her
daughter Ericka, 13, to jo in the
“ Five O ’c lo c k G roup,” a collec
tion o f K ris’s friends who rise at
dawn several times a week to race-
walk through the streets o f San
Jose, California. Ericka caught on
quickly and now wins com peti
tions. More im portantly, says Kris,
“ exercise will always be part o f
her routine.”
Hiking, biking, and jogging in
Herndon, Virginia
O nce a year, the Thibaults o f
H erndon, V irginia, go hiking in
Shenandoah N ational Park. But
staying active together is more than
an annual event for the family o f
four. W hen Mike jogs, h e 's fre
quently joined by his daughter
M ichelle, 10, and son John, 8, who
keep pace on bikes. Several days a
w eek, Mary, 44, accom panies the
kids on a brisk one-m ile w alk to
school. The family swims and skis
together, too. “You c a n ’t preach
to them ,” Mary says. “ Setting an
exam ple is the greatest teacher.”
Lunch-time Concerts at the Children’s Museum
i i / i a / i 'b
and noon. Many o f the concerts
will showcase different cultural
traditions within our community.
Related hands-on activities and re
source materials w ill also be part
o f the program.
Pack a picnic lunch and jo in us
for this free concert series in Lair
H ill p a rk , a d ja c e n t to the
C hildren’s Museum. W e’ll feature
k id -frien d ly perform ers in 30-
m inute shows, starting at 11 a . m .
BEAUTY SALON
281- 8554
Ruby
Reed
2322 N.E. M.L. King
Blvd. PtliLOre
1999. National Cruna Prevention C ommci I
His life is in pieces
A father and daughter's
crosstown walk
Chris K oehler challenged his
daughter Katie to accom pany him
each night on his crosstow n walk
for one year. The reward: $100.
But for the Koehlers, o f H ornell,
New York, the m oney was soon an
after-thought. “The w alks became
a great opportunity for us to have
45 m inutes to ourselves,” says
Chris. A fter w inning the cash,
Katie, 11, kept right on w alking
with her dad. “And when I get
older,” she says, “I ’ll walk with
my kids, too.”
Mark knew more about crime than
he did about building. Today, he's
learning more than carpentry. He’s
learning that he is valued, able,
and important to his community.
L E S S C R IM E IS
N O A C C ID E N T
It takes you—
and programs that work.
W hat happened?
You happened!
Adults like you helped Mark and
other kids build a better community
and a foundation fo r success.
Programs like these are bringing
out the best in kids and the best
in their communities.
Call 1-800-WE PREVENT and we ll
send you a free booklet on how
you and your community can keep
kids away from crime and crime
away from kids.
Five Fitness Tips For Families
•Warm up! Take a few m inutes
to stretch before any activity.
■Keep safety in mind. W ear ap
propriate headgear or pads when
cycling or skating. (M oms and
dads, this also means you.)
•Let a different fam ily member
pick their favorite activity for the
whole group to do together each
week.
Buy a notebook and use it as a
fitness diary. Record how long or
far each fam ily m em ber walked,
ran, or cycled each day.
•Stick to a schedule. Make regu
lar physical activity a part o f your
fam ily’s daily routine.
Festival's
I Rides
I Inspected
PO RTLA N D , OREGON —
P ortland’s W aterfront Park is a
m onum ent to nerves o f steel and
iron stom achs. Carnival rides that
thrill and terrify are a big part o f
the Portland Rose Festiv al’s Pepsi
Festival Center. Safety inspector
Joe Bixler has to m ake sure that
NO disasters occur during the fes
tival. Bixler says after each ride is
“com pletely assem bled, he and his
staff do a full control-check and
R-P- M -check, to make sure it’s
safe." He says any problem s usu
ally are the result o f vibrations
during the long truck- rides b e
tween events.
Fishing
Derby
The Urban League o f Portland’s
annual Fishing Derby and Picnic for
seniors will be held on Friday, June
18«“, 1999 at W arren D ock,
Scappoose, Oregon, 10:30 am to4:30
pm. Buses will depart from the
Multicultural Senior Center, located
at 5325 NE Martin Luther King Blvd.
at 9:30am. Transportation is $3.
Space on the buses is limited. There
will be a fishing derby, games and
prizes, and a picnic. For more infor
mation. call 248-55470, ext. 24545.
..................................................................
Baba Wague Diakite. a master storyteller will delight all with
traditional tales from his native Mali, West Africa. Drumming and
dance help make the legends come to life. He will be performing on
Thursday, July 1 5 from 1 1 AM and NOON through the Children’s
_
Museum.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED
The Oregon Humane Society has a
world o f opportunities fo r volunteers.
You can work d irectly with the animals
and the public, assist at special events,
provide information to callers on the
busy phone line, fo s te r kittens and
puppies, help find tha t special home fo r
an animal through adoption outreach,
land more. Call (503) 285-7722, ext. 204, fo r information.
¡Visit our web site at www.oreqonhumane.com
Í A - a b . W A B X COLLECTOR CANS INSIDE!
SAFEWAY
FOOD & DRUG
>
I
M
LtGllUfD
Look For Your
U
N .
JN.I9)
• MlttCV l i t tn»i
Safeway W eekly
V
Y oung C hicken
5EIWTW0Z.MUI1 s II.« I1 m
-
.
t .
at Safeway.
e
I
Boneless/
Skinless Fryer
Breasts
Manor House. Individually quick frozen.
CVU’ /
Visit Safeway^ Web site at
wwwsafeway.com
■ It PEPSI
»W4'» X t$7,6M
^ k w A B X C O U L C T O U C A N S I N M O ll
z ’taL jr
í
12-Pack Pepsi
1.99
_
/
... : \
mertr »
In Your Oregonian FOODday
. . .and save more by shopping
t
/ • ,1
Shopping Guide
in the Portland M etro Area
X*
_
_
J
I l
Ik
Saf’ w ^C lu^rice
Products
,
|
$0
12-OI. cans. Assorted Regular,
Diet and Caffeine Free vaneties
(U w < A !B A - nnn lim it 7
I’ Í - J * » -
2 $5
Safeway Club Price