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Copyright © 2008 Orange County Register Communications
September 23, 2008
Dr. DAN COOPER
A year has passed since we inaugurated the Children at Play photo contest to raise awareness about the role exercise plays in health and growth in children, and the response has been great, as evidenced by the wonderful photos seen here.
Much has happened to remind us of how important exercise is to children. We were all enthralled by the spectacle of the Olympic Games. While so much of the competition was particularly exciting to Orange County (read swimming), the negative side of extreme competition also came to light: the use of performance enhancing drugs.
And, oh yes, how old were those gymnasts?
These issues bring into focus a troubling aspect of exercise in children. Vigorous physical activity is necessary for children's optimal physical, social and intellectual development, but some aspects of exercise and competition are dangerous.
As a young pediatrician, I was taught to remember Hippocrates' admonition, "First, do no harm!" So let's pause to consider how exercise – increasingly viewed as a "treatment" for obesity, diabetes, and other conditions – can, in limited circumstances, be dangerous. What can we do to ensure that children get the most benefit from their participation in sports, play, and all forms of exercise?
The reason exercise may sometimes be unhealthy is not that surprising. For our distant ancestors, the ability to flee a rapidly advancing saber-toothed tiger clearly was life-saving. Humans pushed themselves to journey over yet another hill, overcoming thirst, hunger, and fatigue, to search for new food sources.
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