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Girl Scouts Look at Health & Fitness as 93rd Anniversary is Feted
(At least 1,000 expected at EastView Mall celebration, March 12!)
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As members of the Girl Scouts-Seven Lakes Council celebrate the 93rd birthday of Girl Scouting in the United States, they will also kick off a Walk to the Moon Challenge. The goal of Walk to the Moon is to get girls, friends and families out walking and logging in the miles to collectively stride 238,857 miles, the distance to the moon. The Challenge will officially begin on Girl Scouting's anniversary, Saturday, March 12 and continue through September 3, 2005.
In the last two decades obesity rates have doubled in children and tripled in adolescents, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Among children and adolescents, 6 to 19 years old, 15 percent, or about 9 million, are considered overweight. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, obesity is now the most chronic health problem among American children.
U.S. teens are more likely to be overweight than teens from 14 other industrialized nations.
In a new research review from the Girl Scout Research Institute, Weighing In: Helping Girls Be Healthy Today, Healthy Tomorrow, the underlying causes leading to this epidemic of obesity among children and adolescents, and the lifestyles, culture and behavior that have contributed to this condition, are addressed. The research also focuses on gender and cultural issues, especially with regard to girls' body image. The information presented is intended to empower youth organizations, including the Girl Scouts, to make a difference in the lives of girls.
Many of Girl Scouts' resources are the result of strong partnerships with key health, fitness and sports organizations, corporations, and government agencies that have provided subject matter, expertise and financial support.
In focus groups conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, young people were unaware that their current choices for food and exercise impact their health into adulthood. Working together, parents and various areas of society can help girls be healthy today, healthy tomorrow. The executive summary of the study includes a list of some of the Girl Scouts' signature projects helping girls' be healthy.
Weighing In includes
· Programs and support systems for youths to address body image and to face pressures from media and peers.
· Roles of adults, family members and care-providers to promote healthy weight and nutrition decisions.
· Ideas for communities and food-providers to work for an overall healthier environment for children.
See www.girlscouts.org/research/publications/reviews/weighing_in.asp for the full executive summary of Weighing In.
To join the Walk to the Moon Challenge, see www.girlscoutssevenlakes.org for a downloadable walker's log and links to area hiking trails.
Girl Scouts to Converge on EastView Mall for Birthday Bash
About 1,000 Girl Scouts from the Seven Lakes and Genesee Valley Councils will celebrate the 93rd anniversary of Girl Scouting with a party of sorts at EastView Mall in Victor on Saturday, March 12, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Girls will come from Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Yates and Western Steuben Counties to join in the activities and fun during the day.
Displays, games and activities for kids of all ages will be set up throughout the mall. The public can find out more about Girl Scouting, summer programs, and even sign-up to join the Walk to the Moon Challenge. A stage will be erected in the Bon-Ton Court area for a multitude of songs, skits, and fashion shows throughout the day.
The highlights at the stage:
10 a.m. Opening Ceremony
11 a.m. Fashion show with 50 teen Girl Scouts, clothing and make-up courtesy Bon Ton
Noon Fashion show of historical Girl Scout Uniforms
2 p.m. Girl Scout Choir from Genesee Valley
3 p.m. Closing Ceremony
Between these times, various Girl Scout groups will perform songs and skits.
The Girl Scouts will collect emergency bags at the mall, filled with toiletry items as the community service component of the event. The bags will be distributed to local agencies providing emergency care services.
Girl Scouting helps girls build skills for success in the real world, including strong values, social conscience and self-esteem. In Girl Scouting, girls discover the fun, friendship and power of girls together. Girl Scouts - Seven Lakes Council, Inc. serves 11,000 girls in 13 counties, and is a United Way agency. For more information, call the council at 315/539-5085, 607/796-6202 in Horseheads. www.girlscoutssevenlakies.org
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