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economist sunsuntribune health saturday sept 4 2004 childrens video makes exercise bearable by joan ransberry staff writer does the road to obesity begin in early childhood yes according to fitness instruc tor dance teacher and choreogra pher angela tucker the owner ofyork dance acade my which operates in aurora and newmarket joins health officials across canada in reminding par ents obesity in children is indeed on the rise a 1999 national study of canadi an children shows 37 per cent of children aged two to 11 were over weight including 18 per cent who are classified as obese almost 60 per cent of canadian children do not meet average fit ness standards mrs tucker said millions of dollars have been spent on developing awareness among adults we stress the impor tance of maintaining a healthy fit body and mind for adults the bal- lantrae resident said a whole industry has been born around physical fitness clubs products and selfrhelp organizations the human adult is becoming more and more fit and healthy however our children are being ignored to add to the problem schools place less emphasis on physical education mrs tucker said while most schools would state they are dedicated to educating the 1 v staff photomike barrett angela tucker works out with children at york dance academy in newmarket child as a whole the fact is not much time or emphasis on the school curriculum is devoted to the physical needs of the children she said research shows that the fitness and activity levels of a substantial number of north american chil dren are inadequate she added concerned about the lack of attention to keeping toddlers fit mrs tucker created the teddybear workout a 22minute video exer cise program for children from one to six years most videos in fitness are for children over six years after theyre six years old its almost too late to start children the need to be fit has to be established earlier she said we want to educate our children to the value the joys and benefits of an active lifestyle this is accom plished during the preschool and primary years when activity pat terns are being established teddybear workout involves six toddlers learning songs and activi- ties that promote a healthy workout the video shows the children taking part in a warmup cardiovascular and strength conditioning session flexibility routine and cooldown children incorporate their favourite teddy bears into the pro gram kids love bringing their teddy bears along mrs tucker said in addition there is a story about a little bear that grew up to learn a lesson about being fit when making the video mrs tucker and the children visited the whitchurchstouffville fire station in ballantrae there fire chief tim beckett told the children they need to be in excellent shape to be fire fighters firefighters know how impor tant it is for children to get fit and to remain fit chief beckett said we promote healthy living early when its introduced in early childhood its easier to continue as an adult he said health experts say the best way to ward off obesity in adults is to plant the seeds of healthy living in toddlers participation in recreation and sport has a huge impact on children and the way they develop howie dayton president of parks and recreation ontario said i mrs tucker can be reached at york dance academy at 9057261241 information is also available at mvwteddybearwbrkoutcom with osteoporosis a fractured hip could ut cl iii oci llfcji lufc this message brought to you as a community service of the economistsuntribune osteoporosis society of canada call 18004636842 for more information uiedispaclin the centre for advanced medical esth medicallysupervised treatm advanced skin care pnolo facial rejuvenation broken capillaries rosacea redness wrinkles and fine lines broan s sun spots microdermabraston advanced acne treatments acne scars environ cosmeceutkaf skin cares facia peels a nt1 aging solutions botox restylane pertane adva nced laser tre atm e nts laser hair removal tattoo removal 5000iff first treatment call today for a freelfpnsuitatjon 6038 wain street stouffviile ontario 14a ibs 9056400620 wwwmedispaclinlccom your all canadian family discount store school supplies snacks lunchi bags binders calculators locks back packs toys check out the housewares mens womens wear electronics groceries footwear childrens clothing health beauty products cleaning supplies small appliances pet supplies bed bath linens g i ant stbuffvi lle tiger 5892 main st visitourwebsiteatwwwgianttigercom now 137 all canadian locally owned and operated discount stores specials s 2 s u c i new gjant tiger f main st x