To Help in the War against Childhood Obesity, San Francisco-based Jump4Health Initiates Mini-Trampoline Rebounding Program at Harlem Hospital's Department of Pediatrics
As part of Jump4Health's commitment to fighting the childhood obesity epidemic, the company donates mini-trampoline exercise equipment and training materials to the children's physical therapy unit at Harlem Hospital, New York
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) February 28, 2007
It's hard to get a hold on the obesity epidemic infecting the Nation's children. If as guidelines for measuring body mass index (BMI) in children suggest then a massive 8 million children, aged from 5 to 17, are now considered overweight or at risk. That amounts to approximately 20 percent of all children in the United States, almost triple what it was in the 1970s.
If that's not bad enough, the health problems associated with obesity -- high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, orthopedic problems and sleep apnea to mention a few -- are likely to cost the public health sector hundreds of billions of dollars by 2020. Which, by comparison, will make HIV look, economically, like a rather bad case of the flu.
These rather grim statistics, recently released by the Center for Disease Control, caught the attention of San Francisco-based Eliot Seal, a certified "reboundologist" and owner of Jump4Health. com (http://www. jump4health. com), a company that's dedicated to promoting the health benefits of mini-trampoline exercise. Worried that obesity, especially in children, is "spinning out of control" Seal decided it was time to act.
He approached Dr. Joyce Leung, a pediatrician at Harlem Hospital's Department of Pediatrics, New York, and offered the children in her care access to mini-trampoline exercise equipment (http://www. jump4health. com/index. php? main_page=index&cPath=10) and training materials at no cost.
She gladly accepted.
"Our pediatric clinic sees many low-income children and adolescents with a high BMI," said Leung. "These children are at risk for diabetes, abnormal lipids, orthopedic and hormonal and respiratory problems. The mini-trampoline equipment provided by Eliot Seal and Jump4Health gives us a safe, fun exercise tool that we can use to help fight the current 'diabesity' epidemic."
Seal, a tireless promoter of the health benefits of mini-trampoline exercise, is concerned that unless we as a Nation act now to counter the current trend of childhood obesity, we'll begin see shorter life spans in future generations. But, he says, forcing children to participate in disciplined or "boring" exercise routines is not the answer.
"Children naturally recognize the benefits of mini-trampoline exercise (http://www. jump4health. com/index. php? main_page=kids)," says Seal. "It wakes up their natural desire to bounce, jump and move, and gives them a safe, fun, aerobic workout that helps them lose weight, and build stronger muscles and bones."
According to Seal, exercising on a mini-trampoline (http://www. jump4health. com/index. php? main_page=weight_loss) burns more calories than jogging. Plus, he says, the gravitational force that occurs when bouncing increases oxygen intake and causes every cell in the body to grow stronger.
Indeed, several studies, including a NASA study into zero-gravity in space, have recognized the health benefits of mini-trampoline exercise. (http://www. jump4health. com/index. php? main_page=benefits)
But as the children attending Harlem Hospital's Pediatric Rehab Unit wait patiently for their turn on their new mini-trampoline, they're not thinking about studies into zero-gravity. And they're not thinking about losing weight or reducing their risk of heart disease, diabetes or hormonal and respiratory problems.
They're just thinking about bouncing up and down on the mini-trampoline and having fun fun, fun!
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