I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility leading the Y during this era in our community. We live in times of both exhilarating opportunity and abundance in the United States and Central Maryland, but these are also times that are fraught with serious dangers to our families and communities. The list of challenges is daunting, among them: the inevitability of globalization, the deterioration of our natural resources, a growing income gap, the continuing segmentation of our society, increasingly unhealthy and inactive behaviors leading to an alarming national public health crisis, academic performance and drop-out rates that threaten our children’s and country’s future, to name just a few. These issues, which are complex and well-documented, underscore the need for much stronger community assets for individuals and families, coupled with personal responsibility, to improve the prospects for a better life and an ability to contribute to a healthier, more enriching and well-rounded community.
As our society and family life have become more and more sedentary, as public and school recreation options continue to decrease, and healthy and nutritious food has become less prevalent in people’s lives (either by choice or by lack of access), obesity and alarming health problems are becoming epidemic. This issue is touching people across the socio-economic spectrum, and Central Maryland is no exception. While approximately 15% of the population remains strongly focused on their health and fitness, the majority of people and families struggle to achieve a healthy lifestyle despite an underlying desire to do something positive about the problem. Those “Health Seekers” are looking for affordable, accessible, welcoming environments and opportunities for them and their families to change the rhythm and reality of their lifestyle.
The statistics are troubling:
· Childhood and adolescent overweight prevalence has more than tripled in the past 4 decades
· Over 27% of children, ages 5–10, have one or more adverse heart disease or diabetes risk factors
· Over 60% of overweight children, ages 5–10, have one or more adverse heart disease or diabetes risk factor
· By age 10, 30–60% of youth will exhibit at least one risk factor for heart disease
· Less than 50% of children ages 5–8 have adequate cardiovascular endurance
· More than 35% of all youth do not participate in vigorous physical activity
· Approximately 29% of public high school students are overweight or at-risk (37% in Baltimore City)
· 28% of children aged 2-4 in Maryland’s WIC program are overweight or at-risk.
According to Jeffrey Kaplan of the CDC, "overweight and physical inactivity account for more than 300,000 premature deaths each year in the U.S., second only to tobacco-related deaths. Obesity is an epidemic and should be taken as seriously as any infectious disease epidemic. Obesity and overweight are linked to the nation's number one killer--heart disease-- as well as diabetes and other chronic conditions."
Today, seniors (defined as those aged 65 and above) comprise 12 percent of the total population. By 2050, the senior population will increase by 147 percent. Keeping seniors active and engaged in their communities is both a health care and social imperative. Shopping malls, casinos and even senior centers do not necessarily have the kind of stimulating and healthy environments that seniors deserve. Seniors need to socialize and stay active to maintain a healthy life. A country that shutters its older citizens off to environments in which they see and interact almost entirely with those their own age is a country that wastes one of its most valuable assets – the wisdom and vitality of its older generations. Keeping generations connected and active is both a moral and social imperative.
Senior citizens living alone should interact often with others if they want to maintain their ability to communicate, a new University of Michigan study showed. Furthermore, the study showed that lifestyle with organized activities seems to provide the best social opportunities for the elderly, according to University of Michigan’s Deborah Keller-Cohen. Approximately 40% of people aged 70 and older report not performing any type of exercise at all. Benefits to exercise are not only limited to improved balance, and therefore the prevention of falls, but also to good cardiovascular health, an improved sense of well-being and control over life's many obstacles.
Overwhelmingly, research and common sense tells us that the presence of strong and loving families is a critical, but fragile factor, in the health of individuals and communities. However, many societal factors contribute to the growing strain on families in Central Maryland, including, but not limited to: the growing prevalence of (and financial necessity for) both parents working, the continuing increase in the divorce rate, the increasingly “over-scheduled” nature of family life, and decreasing amount of time that families spend together in productive, healthy activity.
Over two-thirds (68%) of women cite financial strain as a major threat to the American family, followed by divorce (48 percent), loss of faith/spirituality (47 percent), and the impact of dual wage earner household (28 percent). Six in ten women are concerned about being able to pay their bills each month - especially high among single mothers with children under 18 (80 percent). Most research also indicates that for all families, but especially when both parents work full-time jobs, the need for a work/life balance is essential for an enriching home environment.
In my upcoming blog entries, I will talk about issues impacting children and youth, and what the Y is doing now about all of these challenges, and how we are the “Third Place” for families, youth and people of all ages in our community.
Yours in community,
John
Posted by John K. Hoey, President & CEO, Y of Central Maryland
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