Jennifer McPhee
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Nov 13/02) - Gwen Young runs an innovative wellness program for girls at Sir John Franklin high school.

Taking a fitness class is an option at Sir John Franklin high school. Pictured jumping are Nicole Kelly, left, and Joanie Mercure. - Jennifer McPhee/NNSL photo

"I was finding a lot of girls were leaving phys. ed. and sports," she said. "They didn't seem to have an avenue they felt comfortable in."

Twice a week, between 20 and 30 teenage girls meet to learn and practise activities like yoga, pilates and weight training. Young also introduces them to fitness options outside school, such as community walking and swim programs.

On Wednesdays at lunch hour, they also meet to talk. Typically, Young answers their questions about nutrition, confidence and wellness.

"It's something the girls are really getting into," said the senior science teacher, who is working on her masters degree in coaching studies.

"The hardest thing is trying to find time to get together because they have so many obligations."

In fact, she said it's a lack of time, more than a lack of options, that's affecting the health of Yellowknife's teenagers.

"Most of the students in (high school) work. Our society here in Yellowknife is pressuring them to work because they don't have anyone to fill lower level jobs. I have kids who are assistant managers at most of the major restaurants in town."

No doubt this also affects their eating habits.

"The lifestyle they are choosing is a fast lifestyle because they are going from school right to work," said Young. "And they have to find food in between. Their choices reflect that."

Another factor that prevents teenagers from taking gym class after Grade 10 (when it's no longer compulsory) is academic requirements. "If you're an academic student, it's very hard to get phys. ed. in."

Some students are too skinny

Still, Young said she thinks most students in Yellowknife are healthy.

It's just that the number of obese students and the number of students with eating disorders is on the rise.

She said 15 or 20 years ago, you'd see two or three overweight or obese students if you walked down the hall.

"Now, every third person you see is," she said. "But I also see kids who are so skinny that there's got to be something going on."

Physical education teachers at Sir John Franklin said despite just having one gymnasium, the opportunity for kids to be active is immense -- there are extracurricular sports teams, lunch-time tournaments, and the school has a fully equipped fitness centre.

And judging from a list of fitness programs available at both elementary and high schools in Yellowknife, educators are trying to promote health, and prevent obesity.

Still, some students barely participate in the compulsory gym classes, don't get involved in other programs, and stop taking gym after Grade 10.

"The skill level of the students in phys. ed. is decreasing," said fitness and gym teacher Randy Caines, "And the size of the students is increasing. They are visually less healthy, less active, with less fine and gross motor skills."

Caines said the skill level of athletic students is still excellent, but the less-athletic students are getting worse. "They have so many other options other than being outdoors."

So, the students who don't participate don't develop the skills, and then are self-conscious in gym class because of it, he said.

He blames the usual suspects -- fast food, computers, television.

"When I was younger, I didn't have access to all that sedentary entertainment," he said. "I had to go out and do something that involved burning calories, even if it was just walking down the road."

To help convince athletic kids to participate, gym class is changing -- focused less on developing precise skills and more about group games. "It gets more people involved because you don't have to have a keen interest in sport to participate."

A similar philosophy is at work in elementary schools such as Weledeh Catholic. Assistant principal Dan Curtis said the new Alberta Department of Education curriculum promotes active learning. It includes activities such as snowshoeing, curling and dance, and stresses the importance of daily physical activity.

"The philosophy of the program is to get people active ... you have no kids sitting off on the side lines and you have no kids sticking out like they normally would if they weren't very skilled in the traditional sports."

Mabel Wong is a diabetes educator at Stanton Territorial Hospital. She said overweight children often become overweight adults, but research indicates programs for children during pre-puberty and puberty are effective at preventing obesity later in life.

When her own two boys were younger, they were chubby -- the last to be picked for sports, and teased mercilessly.

"I knew what they were eating, and no one could say they weren't eating healthy," she said. "It was simply that for their genetic makeup, they needed to be way more active."

"And so as a family we decided to become more active to help them out."

It all starts at home

Wong is an advocate of this whole family approach, especially because overweight children often have overweight parents.

"Kids go out and play sports and parents take them to lessons," she said.

"But we don't see families making it an activity."

When people study children's health, they often look at what's available in schools, said Wong.

"That's OK, but school is only 10 months of the year, what about the other two months?"

Often, what happens during those two months is that students watch television, sleep and eat whatever they want."

"When overweight kids were being referred to me, it was not unusual for them to gain 20 to 30 pounds over the summer... people need to look at that."

- with files from Chris Puglia