Paper Example on Standing Desks: The Way to Reduce Diabetes Cases in Schools

Problem Statement and History

Diabetes is a significant type of disability in schools. The high prevalence of diabetics in schools contributes to increased school management costs since diabetic students have unique needs such as requirements to engage in physical activity, monitoring of food intake and medication. Moreover, the federal government requires schools to come up with policies aimed at providing for the medical needs of diabetic students including guidelines to train unlicensed staff, emergency health plans and provision of education on diabetics' management to the ailing students. The rate of new diabetics cases is on the rise thus proving the adopted measures including provision of healthy foods and allocating time for physical activity to be ineffective. The sedentary lifestyle in the school system is the primary cause of the increase in new diabetes cases. Approaches to overcoming the sedentary lifestyle in public schools include the introduction of standing desks.

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A look at the nationwide statistics tracking the new diabetic cases reveals that the disease is among the health problems requiring immediate solutions. A previous survey by the centre of disease control showed that diabetes affects about 1.25 million American children and a shocking reality that the numbers continue to rise (American Diabetes Association). The nature of the activities in the school system is to blame for the high number of new cases. Students spend most their time sited in classrooms, and it is a contributory factor to obesity and eventually diabetes. The government has been committed to reducing the number of new diabetes cases through the implementation of plans such as the National School Lunch Program commenced in 1946. The meal plan has been vital to meeting the health needs of diabetic students from low-income families and reducing the number of new diabetic students (Woo et al. 4). The truth is most of the policies implemented by the schools and the government including the meal plans have been ineffective in curbing health risks associated with diabetes.

Introduction

The reason for the minimal success of earlier policies aiming at reducing new cases of diabetes is their failure to address the critical health risk that is the sedentary lifestyle in schools. As a result, the focus of this essay is to provide solutions to reducing sedentary lifestyle. Schools should consider adopting standing desks, encouraging active commuting, allocating time for sports, including time for unstructured activities and classroom physical activity. Opposing viewpoints have arisen against each of the suggested approaches including that they may consume a lot of time meant for studies. However, physical activity works in two ways by reducing diabetes cases in schools and improving academic performance.

Recommendations and Justifications

Standing desks are a critical means of reducing the sedentary lifestyle in the school system. Standing burns more calories compared to sitting. Research reveals that the body burns one unit of calorie per minute while sitting and it consumes about one and a half units of calories while standing (MacEwen et al. 52). Standing desks make the movement more comfortable and increase the tendency of students to move around the classroom compared to sitting. Importantly, standing will cause students to have more energy as the body attempts to compensate for the lost power. Standing desks will have an overall effect of assisting students to reduce weight thus preventing obesity, a significant risk factor to developing diabetes.

The lifestyle structures involving standing desks have been a topic of debate owing to the disadvantages associated with standing for a long time. Some of the people argue that standing causes foot pain since just like the same way people should not sit the whole day they should remain standing the whole day (MacEwen et al. 55). Arguments have arisen standing is associating standing with reduced concentration. Still, other opposing viewpoints to standing desks include that they contribute to swollen ankles since standing for long durations causes blood to pool in one area.

The rising concerns against standing desks are manageable. The body adapts to changes with time, and some of the effects including foot pain will fade with time. Also, schools should consider providing students with sit-standing desks so that students can alternate between sitting and standing. Importantly, the students have to be instructed to train the body to be used to holding for a long time by starting will less standing hours during the initial stages then increasing the number of standing hours with time (MacEwen et al. 55). Since standing has numerous benefits compared to sitting, the school management has to be on the lookout for means to minimize the drawbacks and to maximize on the advantages.

Classroom activity breaks included in the regular classroom time is a crucial strategy to reducing sedentary lifestyle in schools. The breaks are not inclusive of lunchtime breaks and the time allocated for physical activity. Instead, it includes activities that students engage in during the time for academic classroom instruction. The school management should provide the teachers with the freedom to allocate some time meant for the standard lesson for art and music where the school does not offer subjects in the same (McMullen et al. 512). A typical break should be ten to fifteen minutes long, and it should be focused on the moderate intensity or vigorous physical activities. Classroom breaks increases movement during lessons, and it has been found to be vital in reducing the Body Mass Index.

There are existing barriers and opposing views towards implementing classroom activity breaks. Obstacles include the No Child Left behind Act that creates competition among schools and demands that schools have to strive to meet the academic requirements. Disagreeing views include that physical activity breaks causes loss of concentration and causes disruption during lessons (McMullen et al. 515). Still, others argue that physical activity breaks consume a lot of time and it is detrimental to completing the course syllabus, and thus it results in poor performance.

The truth is physical activity breaks have numerous benefits, and the presented disagreements are not alarming to prevent the implementation of the same in addressing sedentary lifestyle. The fact is classroom activity breaks are not just instrumental in creating time for physical activity instead breaks increases students' energy and causes relaxation. As a result, physical activity breaks are vital in promoting the students' academic performance (McMullen et al. 520). Figure 1 shows an arrangement that may allow students to participate in physical activities inside the classroom. Importantly, conducting physical activities in the classroom causes minimal interference with learning activities.

Figure 1: Kohl, Harlod. And Cook, Heather. 'Approaches to Physical Activity in School'. Educating the Student Body: Taking Physical Activity and Physical Education to School, The National Academies Press, 2013, pp. 271.

Allocating more time for unstructured and independent activities during the school days would encourage movement from the sedentary lifestyle in the school system. Recess is a typical educational experience in elementary education, but it is a rare practice in both primary and secondary school institutions. Recess time provide students with an opportunity to participate in physical activity. Importantly, students can enjoy the freedom of movement, and they also have time to practice essential life skills including problem-solving and conflict resolution. Despite the numerous advantages associated with the inclusion of recess time, a recess gap exists in school settings (Ramstetter 17). Moreover, city schools are less likely compared to local schools to have recess time and that schools with high minority enrolments have little or no time allocated to recess activities.

Schools are cutting the amount of recess time owing to the legal liability associated with work breaks. The school management is unwilling to get aligned in court for cases involving a student injured after falling while jumping rope or a student hit by a baseball. Some of the school administrators cut recess time with the aim of lowering the staff budget since recess time demands allocation of staff to supervise students during daily unstructured activities. Still, others argue that strangers might harm students including sexual predators while they are on the playground (Ramstetter 17). Moreover, teachers say that the vulnerable students are likely to be bullied by colleagues in the hallways and on the field thus arguing for allocating less time to recess time with an argument of protecting the weak students.

International and United States organizations show widespread support for recess activities. For instance, the International Play Association asserts that play fulfills the basic development needs during childhood and it is a vital aspect of teaching children the necessary life skills. The American Academy of Paediatrics' (AAP) asserted in a policy statement released in 2013 that recess is a vital component for child development. The policy statement argued against any academic or punitive reasons that can lead to withholding children right to play (AAP 183). Therefore, the school administrators should not limit the students' opportunity to participate in recess activities owing to the associated shortcomings. Vitally, the presented arguments against the allocation of time for recess activity are manageble through proper plans and encouraging the staff members to volunteer to supervise students during recess time. The allocation of recess time in the whole- School Programs create opportunities for physical exercises. Physical activity makes students focus more on academic tasks, and it improves the overall students' academic performance (Naylor 96). For students to reap the maximum benefits associated with participation in recess activities, the schools have to provide ample time for the same, offer supervisors, provide access to play equipment's and make modifications aimed at improving physical spaces.

Active transport also referred to as active commuting comprises walking to school or the use of other transport methods that require the use of human energy. The school management can help the students to deal with sedentary lifestyle by requiring students to use public means of transport that allows students to be driven close to school from where students have to walk to the school compound. Walking or running in the remainder of the journey to school provides a chance for the students to participate in high-intensity physical activity. Active commuting is a low-cost approach of increasing time for physical activity, and it allows the students to make at least a quarter of the recommended number of steps per day (Mytton 2). Active commuting increases energy expenditure, and it reduces the risk of developing diabetes. Apparently, in the past, most of the students living within a mile radius from school would walk to school, and the diabetes cases were rare.

Opposing viewpoints against active transport have contributed to the low acceptance of the strategy despite its numerous health benefits. Disagreements capitalize on some factors including the increased distance between home and school. Schools are no longer close to the neighbourhood due to parent's movement to new residential areas and the fact that most of the schools are now built far away from the residential block requiring students to use buses to school (Mytton 5). Other factors that hinder active commuting include...