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Brian Frick is the Associate for Camp and Conferences Ministries with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). He has been involved in camp and conference ministry since high school. For the past ten years, Brian has served as program director of Johnsonburg Center in New Jersey, Westminster Woods in California, and Heartland Center in Missouri.

Camp and conference ministry compliments and partners with other ministry aspects of our church to foster faith development and reflection. As our communities and our church changes, our ministries need to grow and adapt with creative and emergent programming and leadership to meet new realities.

These blogs entries, though varied, are intended to spur thought and conversation around the opportunities and challenges before us.

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September 10, 2012

Camp Combats Challenge of Childhood Obesity

Another Benefit of Camping

Camp Combats Challenge of Childhood Obesity

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The following is taken from a report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services:

Overweight and obesity in children are significant public health problems in the United States. The number of adolescents who are overweight has tripled since 1980 and the prevalence among younger children has more than doubled. According to the 1999-2002 NHANES survey, 16 percent of children age 6-19 years are overweight (graph).Not only have the rates of overweight increased, but the heaviest children in a recent NHANES survey were markedly heavier than those in previous surveys.

 

Being overweight during childhood and adolescence increases the risk of developing high cholesterol, hypertension, respiratory ailments, orthopedic problems, depression and type 2 diabetes in youth.

 

Experts have increasingly looked to the physical environment as a driver in the rapid increase of obesity in the United States.[43]In urban and suburban areas, the developed environment can create obstacles to being physically active. In urban areas, space for outdoor recreation can be scarce, preventing kids from having a protected place to play…

Camp is all about healthy exercise, positive energy, and the self-esteem of embracing a God who loves us. Camp is a great antidote for childhood obesity and a catalyst for good physical/spiritual health.

(Reposted from the Ferncliff.org website)

Tags: camping, education, health, heathcare, obesity, pcusa, transformation