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North Shore Montessori School Launches a Simple Childhood Obesity Prevention Strategy

Riverwoods, IL - According to conventional wisdom, obesity is complicated. Multiple causes have been identified ranging from modern, calorie filled fast foods to sedentary lifestyles underwritten by the television, smart phones, iPads, video games, and social media.

According to conventionalists the complications created by multiple causes require multiple solutions if we're to have any hope of defeating obesity. Most importantly conventionality claims there is no single solution to the obesity problem. They say we must employ many different solutions if we're going to resolve this multi-faceted problem.

And since it's so complicated, conventionalists also contend that finding a solution to obesity is expensive. Over the past two decades researchers have spent billions trying to resolve the problem. But to date the only thing they can say for sure is that children must eat better and exercise more.

Simple and Inexpensive!

But despite all the conventional wisdom, last spring the Directors of the Riverwoods Montessori School (RMS) tested a strategy that was BOTH simple and inexpensive!

"The basic idea" according to Carolyn Kambich, Executive Director, along with her husband and Board President Tony "is that children who can perform at least one conventional pull up are almost never obese. And if they start young, it's easy and fun for most children to develop the ability to physically pull their own weight…to do pull ups." Children love to visualize themselves as strong.

Three Month Trial Results From Spring 2018

In a three month trial last spring (February through April), 12 out of 15 RMS elementary age students successfully developed the ability to physically pull their own weight. The other three students also made documented progress towards that goal. "And by simply maintaining the ability, which requires decent eating/exercise habits and a few minutes per week practice, these children will have established a pattern for themselves against obesity for life," Kambich said.

Fall 2018 Launch

With last spring's results in hand, Riverwoods Montessori School Directors and faculty began this fall to implement the simple strategy of the "Pull Your Own Weight Program" designed by Northern Illinois University Graduate, Rick Osbourne. The goal is for 100% of our students to arm themselves against obesity for life," said Tony. "We'd also like to show other schools how simple and inexpensive it can be to prevent childhood obesity and to avoid related problems," he added. (www.montessori-schools.com)

For more info on this simple solution to obesity, using graduated levels of achievement with leg assistance to help build arm strength, refer to the following link: m.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=AqbcXyqhLl8.

Courtesy of Rod BurnsPull-Up Activity Step 2: 7-year-old Ariel Panteleeva, left, of Arlington Heights standing position preparing for pull up supervised by Riverwoods Montessori Teacher Freddie Madrid, right, of Morton Grove.
Courtesy of Rod BurnsPull-Up Activity Step 3: 7-year-old Ariel Panteleeva, left, of Arlington Heights doing pull up supervised by Riverwoods Montessori Teacher Freddie Madrid, right, of Morton Grove.
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