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=BIGGEST LOSER: School staffers set healthy example=

In an effort to shed pounds and, more importantly, an increased overweight and obese rate among its elementary students, the Danbury School District staff is officially in competition. With School Nurse Allison Holzaepfel at the helm, 36 teachers and other staff members at the school have teamed up in a 10-week contest tailored after the popular television show “The Biggest Loser.”

On the show, overweight contestants compete against each other by dieting and working out in an effort to lose unwanted pounds. Similarly, the Danbury staff is forgoing fattening goodies and sweating it out routinely. The team of three that has lost the largest percentage of weight at the end of the 10 weeks is the winner of a pot that was created by a $10 entry fee by each participant. “I thought it would be a good example of health if students saw their teachers exercising and drinking water instead of pop,”said Holzaepfel, who’s hoping for a fun, positive learning experience for both staff and students. According to national data from the Centers for Disease Control, 15.8 percent of youth ages 6-11 were obese (2003-2006 data — the most recent available). Locally, the Ottawa County Health Department recently released a health assessment in which children ages 12-18 were evaluated for trends in childhood obesity. The findings show that during the fall of 2009 when the study was done on 2,321 students in nine Ottawa County elementaries, two out of five students fell above the healthy weight range for their age. The study also shows that Danbury had the highest overweight and obese rates — 47 percent up from 39 percent three years prior. The study used the children’s Body Mass Index, or BMI, to assess weight categories. BMI is a measure of the body’s heaviness. Those students that fell in the 85th to 95th percentile are termed “overweight;” those exceeding the 95th percentile are considered obese. “The analysis was kind of the spark that got the competition ball rolling,” Holzaepfel said. Participating staff members were weighed last week. Over the next 10 weeks, they will be walking, jogging and exercising together, inspiring each other to eat healthy, and tracking their progress with a once-a-week weigh-in. Teacher and Technology Director Geoff Halsey, 39, is on one of the teams. “I would like to shed nine pounds, but it’s also a wellness effort for sure — the faculty coming together for a positive cause for the students to see,” Halsey said. “We have some kids who need to see examples and role models outside of the classroom.” With the help of the school’s wellness committee, Holzaepfel plans to get the word out to not only the students through different activities over the next 10 weeks, but parents as well through the school’s newsletter. “Obesity is a national problem that won’t be fixed overnight, but I’m excited about the contest. It’s made this position challenging and fun,” she said.

Health assessment info
For information on the Ottawa County Health Department’s recent Health Assessment, how to calculate Body Mass Index, or for tips on keeping your child healthy, visit www.ottawahealth.org and click on Health Education; or visit the Centers for Disease Control at www.cdc.gov.