Columnist Susan Snyder: Portly reports lead to action

Friday, Jan. 30, 2004 | 8:43 a.m.

Our school districts are beset with a curse:

Good ideas.

Everybody seems to have one when it comes to what schools should or should not do for their pupils. Most often it's a "should do," and school officials are sent scrambling to find money, staff and time in the school day for yet another program, activity or curriculum.

Most recently, however, some people came up with an idea of taking away something from the valley's children. And it may be one of the best investments for their futures we have made.

Removing junk food from vending machines in schools and eliminating the option of not taking physical education classes could go a long way toward helping children win the battle of the bulge.

You don't need to see the statistics about obesity levels and the number of new cases of Type 2 diabetes being reported in children to know that too many of our kids are overweight. And you don't need a government study to show a few of the reasons these trends exist.

Drive past one of our elementary or middle schools and count the number of bicycles in the racks. Many times you can do it on one hand.

Stand out there when the afternoon dismissal bell rings and count the number of pudgy kids who tumble into the cars parked along the curbs and in the bike lanes a block in any direction. You might need a calculator.

Sure, there are schools with full bike racks and droves of parents walking their littlest ones to and from the door. But there aren't enough of them.

In Clark County, children who live more than two miles from their schools are entitled to a bus ride. Most of those who live closer must walk, ride a bike or catch a ride in the car.

Most, but not all. Some pupils in 80 of Clark County's 179 elementary schools live fewer than two miles from their schools, but they receive bus rides anyway.

Why? School district transportation and law enforcement officials can't find a safe route for those children to walk to their neighborhood schools.

"We do have those situations, where it would be a busy street or it's not a safe walking path," Leslie Brusa, district spokeswoman, said.

Why do we have those "situations"?

What possible reason could we have in the Las Vegas Valley to build a traffic environment where a child cannot safely walk or ride a bicycle to school? How does that create a good community for families?

Don't call. The questions are rhetorical because the answers would be stupid.

Inside the schools we finally are taking away the soda pop and fries. But outside we are taking away the opportunity to teach children how to build some physical activity into their daily routines -- a lesson that's easier to carry into adulthood than 25 extra pounds.

A kid who bikes to school has a good chance of growing into an adult who bikes to work. Good habits last a lifetime. Parents who want to know the safe walking route for their child's school may obtain it from the school or local law enforcement, Brusa said.

There's no telling whether your child's future employer will yank the Twinkies out of the break room vending machines.

At least we can teach him how to work them off on the way home.