RALEIGH, N.C. – The number of teachers who report that students are more active during their physical education classes has increased by five percent in the year since the In-School Prevention of Obesity and Disease’s (IsPOD) implementation. The percentage of students who agree or strongly agree that they enjoy doing physical activity at home increased, as did the percentage of students who were physically active 60 minutes or more for three or more days per week. 

“IsPOD and SPARK [Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids] are effective in maximizing what time we have for physical education,” said Heather Pope, SPARK trainer and Lenoir County physical educator. “SPARK is so comprehensive it makes it easier to do what [physical educators] already know is best.”

IsPOD is a comprehensive school prevention program to improve physical activity and eating habits in order to reduce obesity and the number of overweight children in grades K-8.

It reached 37 school districts and two city school systems in the past year in the form of SPARK (Sports, Play and Active Recreation for Kids) curriculum trainings for physical educators. SPARK is research-based and emphasizes increased moderate to vigorous physical activity in students, fitness and academic achievement, sport skills development and enjoyment of physical education. 

IsPOD also provides FITNESSGRAM software, manuals and training tools to participating schools to measure fitness levels and body mass index (BMI).

As a result of first-year successes, Caldwell, Dare, Duplin, Haywood, Orange, Iredell, Forsyth and Pamlico counties all have announced that SPARK is their curriculum of choice for Health and Physical Education. 

In addition, Moore, Cabarrus, Gaston, Pender, Lenoir and Union counties have named SPARK in their approved supplemental curriculum.

Despite these great achievements, other online survey results remind us that the prevalence of obesity is at epidemic proportions and North Carolina has the fifth highest rate of overweight and obese youth.

More than 500 teachers and nearly 16,000 students completed the surveys. Results showed that 62% of student respondents only have physical education two days or less per week and approximately 44% of student respondents ages 5 to 18 are overweight or obese, reports Dr. Ron Morrow, Executive Director of NCAAHPERD.

One in four students reported spending more than two hours per day playing video games or using the computer for recreation. Only 37% of student respondents reported being physically active one or more hours on a typical school day.

The In-school Prevention of Obesity and Disease (IsPOD) initiative is designed as a comprehensive school prevention program to address these behavioral factors contributing to increased overweight among students.  The program will reach all 115 counties and city schools in North Carolina by 2012.

During a recent engagement in Cary, NC, Dr. Arne Duncan—The United States Secretary of Education, urged the nation’s governors and state education leaders to continue the movement toward “[developing] common standards as a means to prepare American students to compete and succeed.”  Nancy Hoover, Program Specialist, Winston-Salem/Forsyth County states: “With SPARK and FITNESSGRAM we are all going to be ‘speaking the same language’ all across the state as far as curriculum and assessment are concerned.”
  
The In-School Prevention of Obesity and Disease (IsPOD) initiative is a comprehensive school prevention program to improve physical activity and eating habits in order to reduce obesity and the number of overweight children in grades K-8.

In May 2008 NCAAHPERD received a multi-million dollar state-wide grant from the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust to expand IsPOD into all 100 North Carolina counties. IsPOD was launched with funds from The Health and Wellness Trust Fund of North Carolina and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina contributed to its expansion.

NCAAHPERD is a 501(c) (3) not for profit organization of Athletics, Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance professionals whose mission is “To provide advocacy, professional development, and unity for health, physical education, recreation, dance and athletic professionals and students in order to enhance and promote the health of North Carolinians. Our vision is to be the leading organization promoting and supporting a healthier, more creative, and active North Carolina.”