Run Before You Walk

On Saturday, May 1st, The Girls & Boys Projects directors Jule Jo Ramirez and Javaid Khan conducted a workshop at PS 57 in East Harlem. The event - the first of its kind - was a Young Runners Clinic organized by the New York Road Runners. It integrated the topic of running with healthy eating, puberty, and lifestyle choices.

The boys worked directly with Javaid and set the tone for the workshop right out of the starting gate. During the introductory exercise of telling the group your name and one thing about you no one in the room knows, a young Dominican boy from the Bronx (name changed here) opened with, "My name is Luis. And, my Dad is in prison." His honesty immediately changed the dynamic of a bunch of 12 year-old boys, mostly strangers to one another, in a new setting, talking about an awkward topic: puberty.

The boys had a ton of questions and comments, myths and confusions, and also a lot of information. Together, the group navigated toward correct answers and addressed misinformation. Some of the questions/comments that stood out:

Why do your armpits smell?

• Why do we grow hair in our parts?
• How do you know when a girl likes you?
• How do you make your penis bigger? Because, my friend told me that when you put on a condom, it gets bigger.
• Can you get an erection when you run?
• Can you not go through puberty?

Needless to say, there was a lot of work to do that day... It is great that the Road Runners recognized the importance of giving kids correct information in order to make healthy choices in life!

So You Know... (Boy Talk Updates)

Tiger Woods
On June 16, 2009, we posted "I'm Tiger Woods" - a piece dedicated to inspiring men to be better fathers. It was with some trepidation that we revisited the piece in the shadows of the recent revelations surrounding Tiger's extramarital indiscretions:

"And, now there is a new reason to want to be like the smiling, 33 year-old mega-star who never seems to make a wrong move: his role as 'Dad.'"

Phew. We're in the clear. Luckily for us, we focused more on Tiger's father's role as a dad than on Tiger's... That being said, The New York Times article referenced in our post really put Tiger on a pedestal. Shame on you, NYTimes... ;)


Lincoln University
"I Was Weight-Listed" is our November 24, 2009 post about the controversial, anti-obesity policy of Lincoln University in Pennsylvania. You might recall that the school requires anyone with a body mass index over 30 to demonstrate that they are trying to better their health through a required course, or by lowering their BMI.

December 2009, this from James L. DeBoy, chairman of the school's department of health, physical education and recreation: "After much discussion, we are no longer requiring students to pass the fitness test in order to graduate." The school will still attempt to work with students on being healthier, and will include additional factors to consider along with BMI.

At least the program brought much-needed attention to the severity of the obesity problem in the United States of America...

I Was Weight-Listed

Typo? Turns out, it's not... Ever heard of Lincoln University in Oxford, PA? Well, the school is breaking new ground in the arenas of fitness and health. And, upsetting quite a few folks in the process.

In 2006, in an effort to address the obesity epidemic in our country, the university implemented a Do Ask, Don't Swell policy. Every incoming frosh's Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured upon entering. Of the 19% who measured above 30 (the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services threshold for obesity), around 25 now seniors have not lowered their BMI, nor have they taken the required course to demonstrate that they are at least educated about the health risks. The result? They are in jeopardy of not graduating.

The approach is somewhat radical, and definitely controversial. Read the following article's comments section and you will see there is much debate on the legality, as well as the ethics of this policy. Many schools have health requirements - courses that students must take to graduate, but Lincoln seems to be among the first to tie this to obesity and each student's BMI.

The school's heart seems to be in the right place: let's put out educated, but also healthy graduates. While it's a really ugly position for graduating seniors to be facing, maybe the course will help them to really question their health and wellness. Remember, they are not being required to lose weight; just to take a class. And, on the surface, it seems like taking a semester-long course pales in comparison to getting a new perspective on your well-being.

Fun cartoons on obesity and health in this article...