Wisconsin is the 25th most obese state, where approximately one in four adults are obese and three in five are overweight. Since 1990, the number of obese adults in Wisconsin has nearly tripled according to the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. According to several professors at the University of South Florida, obesity is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide and leads to a variety of serious health complications such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and sleep disorders.
Public health doctors and community fitness organizations have been teaming up to design ways to increase physical activity among individuals. On March 29, Gov. Scott Walker signed a bill introduced by Republicans in the Assembly and Senate designed in collaboration with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, the YMCA and the American Heart Association that aimed to combat this public health epidemic.
Under Wisconsin Act 162, schools will be released from certain liabilities associated with access to recreational facilities such as gymnasiums, tracks and swimming pools. What this means is schools may now open up such facilities to the public. Individuals may walk on school tracks, swim in school pools and use weight room facilities to exercise during hours designated by the school. Before this act was signed, schools were liable for any injury incurred to individuals. Now they are free from such liability, which gives an incentive to allow exercise facilities to remain open to the public.
This law is beneficial to the community and is one of the common-sense solutions put forth by our legislature. Giving local communities access to facilities that they paid for with their tax dollars seems entirely logical. Citizens of Wisconsin pay taxes, which pays for public schools and the facilities in these schools. It seems almost absurd that they would be restricted from using the facilities they pay for.
In addition, this bill directly benefits the public health situation in Wisconsin. Especially in inner-city schools, where poverty rates directly correlate with obesity rates, the recreation facilities at public schools may be the only accessible and affordable exercise locations for many families. This bill enables families to take control of their personal health situation and allows them a means to alter that situation for the positive.
Also, the potential for community building and family-focused health opportunities should not escape notice. Individuals in the community may organize work-out groups, informal swimming lessons or other exercise opportunities. These possibilities work to bring communities together. Parents may also exercise with their children, which only aids in putting public health responsibilities in the hands of families.
Already Act 162 has been a success. For example, Rhinelander High School formed a partnership with a local YMCA, which provided the school with instructors for a variety of exercise classes for a small membership fee every month. Rhinelander has opened up its hallways for walking before and after the school day and its pools and weight rooms are now open to the public.
As more and more schools start to offer this same access, I believe that we will see a positive impact on the public health of our state. Obesity is obviously an issue that we need to combat, and the best way to do this is by bringing families and communities together. This bill is a common-sense collaboration between the Wisconsin Legislature and a number of local health organizations, and the Republicans in the Assembly and Senate should be applauded for their effort.
What do you think about Walker’s solution to the obesity problem in Wisconsin? Please send all feedback or send us a Letter to the Editor at opinion@dailycardinal.com.
