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Shaq
Shaq Turns Up the Heat on Childhood Obesity

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asketball star Shaquille O'Neal has conquered four NBA championships. Now, he hopes to conquer something even bigger—childhood obesity. "[It's such a] big, big problem. It made me say to myself, 'Shaquille O'Neal, do something,'" he said.

And he is. Shaq has a new primetime ABC reality television show, Shaq's Big Challenge. On the six-episode series, the Miami Heat center and a team of health experts work with six overweight kids during a six-month period to get them to eat right and exercise. The two girls and four boys on the show range in age from 11 to 14 and each weigh more than 180 pounds. All the kids love to eat junk food and hate to exercise.

But they won't be like that after Shaq gets through with them. On the show, the kids endure boot-camp workouts led by tough-talking trainer Tarik Tyler. During episode two, Tyler pays one boy a home visit for a surprise workout that included squats, sit-ups, jogging, jumping jacks—and tears. In addition to getting fit, the kids must also learn to cut calories. They are not allowed to drink soda and can eat fast food only once a week. One episode features the kids struggling to snack healthfully after collecting candy on Halloween night.

Getting the kids to change their ways could be difficult at times. "[We needed to] get inside the kids heads; to get them to re-program . [the way they think about] exercise," Dr. Carlon Colker, Shaq's personal physician and one of the fitness experts on the show, told Weekly Reader.

Shaq and his team don't just want to whip kids into shape. They want schools and parents to take childhood obesity seriously too. That's why on another episode, Shaq visits a Florida middle school to get administrators there to require physical education classes. Shaq also encourages parents to get involved. The show's Web site features "Shaq's Family Challenge," an online family health and fitness section.
Think About It!Workout
  • What are some things you can do to be more active?

  • Do you think Shaq's show will help tackle childhood obesity? Why or why not?
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    Shaq said he was inspired to do the show after learning that kids today may have shorter life spans than their parents. According to the Centers for Disease control, an estimated 16 percent of children ages 6–19 are overweight. Being overweight can lead to serious health problems, including diabetes and heart problems.

    Tyler thinks the show will help call attention to the problem of childhood obesity and encourage possible solutions. "Parents, policies, politicians, and the public school system have now been pulled into the spotlight [by the show]," said Tyler "The truth is now there and I expect change to begin."


    The other big news this week is the arrival of the newest, and last, Harry Potter book.
    Take this Harry Potter trivia and test out how much of a wizard you really are!


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