my God, they're huge!

Teachers today have to be concerned about more than just teaching their subject. Educators need to pay attention to the phsyical and mental well-being of our students. If a student isn't healthy, they obviously aren't going to be too concerned about the dates of the civil war or the cosine of pi. It is important that teachers stay on top of the health trends affecting our nation's children today.

We are making progress on children's health in some areas. between 1998 and 2000, child poverty dropped from 19 to 18% and teenage pregnancy went from 32 to 30 births per 1000. while not major improvements, the progression is in the right direction.

But there are still many areas where we need to place our attention and resources. Some of them include:
asthma, ADHD, obesity, depression and eating disorders.

asthma is the constriction of the muscles in the breathing passages. it makes exhaling your breath very difficult. the lining of the airway may be filled with heavy mucous. and children report asthma attacks as very scary. Treatment usually involves an inhaler to stop the attack, or daily medication to prevent attacks from happening at all.

Asthma affliction rose 75% from 1980-94 for children under age 14. It has become the number one chronic illness in children today. it is the third leading cause of hospitalization in children under 15.

there are some ideas onto the cause of this increase. one theory is that children who are born pre-mature have much better chances of survival thanks to increases in medicinal technology. no one knows the long term affects this is having on the health of those children though. another idea is that the air pollution caused by industry is having an impact. the dirty air is not what humans were designed to breathe. also biological pollution--insect and rodent exrement in very low income housing has been blamed for some cases of asthma. of course, genetics also plays a role. with more people having asthma, it is becoming more likely that their children may also have it. and changes in our modern lifestyle have also been blamed. spending more and more time indoors in buildings that closed air systems--sealed against the weather and pollution may carry more allergens and disease causing microbes. obesity and asthma rates have been linked in some studies.

the important thing to remember is that asthma is treatable and many people live normal lives with it. if you, as a teacher, encounter an asthma attack. see if the child has any medication on him or if the school nurse has it. if the attack continues, send them to the school nurse, who may or may not seek medical attention.

God, i hate group presentations...