The latest census has produced the expected figure: 56 million Italians. Not as expected, on the other hand, unfortunately, was another report from the Ministry of Health, which is also very recent: an alarming report confirming a partial defeat of physical movement education, reporting, in other words, that, out of the total number mentioned above, almost 1/5 suffers from obesity and that children and teenagers represent a growing percentage within this category.

As usual in Italy, no sooner had this (even though small) crisis been disclosed, than the cry for help came. According to the surveys carried out by the University of Milan, and by the Faculty of Motorial Science in particular, 20% of the children examined proves to be overweight. A mixture of habits including fast-food style alimentary choices, added to a technological media-slavery phenomenon branching out into computer, video games and traditional TV, have led us to comment on a situation which for years parents who were a bit more aware than us had taken pains to prevent. It was nice to hear busy mums complaining about having to cope between their daughter’s dancing lesson and their son’s tennis class; or between the Saturday football match and the midweek volley training session. In other words, it was nice to listen to all the grumbling centring on this race against time, through which however you could detect more than a streak of satisfaction. Of course! …because complying with our children’s sporting instinct, or helping them to find diversions from school books and other inevitably sedentary activities has always resulted in good. No matter what the teaching staff might have gone on repeating, being quite convinced that physical energies should be spent (especially during the school period) on nourishing the grey matter. This is a battle that possibly nowadays has definitely toned down, and is heading for substantial improvements; however I cannot but recall “our” weekly gym hours. Out of 16 males, we only managed to enrol 50% for our exhausting football challenge matches. The remaining ones either resorted to the legendary “exemption”, by producing evidence of diversified fictitious diseases, or else employed those two hours to feed their minds on nail-biting literature. Now things seem to have changed. The Ministry has issued a directive whereby “since physical training also comprises a theory side, students affected by physical problems are at least to study the basic notions relating to certain disciplines”; in other words, marks are granted on the basis of the student’s knowledge of regulations. The possibly leading factor deriving from that very bad period however remains: the problems related to overweight now involve 1/5 of our youth, with 5% being reported as positively obese and displaying obvious motorial receptivity problems. “Youngsters carrying out a “spontaneous” daily activity are steadily decreasing - explains Mr Simone Lassini, Physical Training teacher with an official “teaching post”, that is athletic trainer at Adecco in Milan (A1 basketball) -. Unless parents schedule their child’s week to include gym, swimming or other activities, the sedentary factor inevitably prevails. However, the basic factor should be sought in a major social change. Say up to the ‘80s, the streets, the neighbourhood and also the parish recreation centres represented the chief activity areas for boys and girls. One used to run away from the policeman because we were not allowed to play in the park; or else from one’s rival within one’s party of friends after a nasty trick resulting in a row.

One used to jump over the fence to get the ball back. In other words, we had a whole range of “utilitarian” play activities, which are now becoming increasingly uncommon, even in the suburb areas. Also for security reasons, parents tend to prefer an indoor and safe environment for their children to practice sporting activities. But this inevitably involves a change in group activity trends. Few opportunities for spontaneous socialisation, and increasing induced socialisation. In one word, no more school of life, no more cutting one’s teeth in one’s “natural” habitat. And linked together with this situation appear to be those circumstances that could be defined as ‘modern time’ syndromes, that is a growing motorial deficiency generating a negative influence over body management, in connection with the emotional situations which also and especially affect everyday life. To put it simply, there is an increasing incidence of unjustified anxiety, of decreased self-esteem and of panic attacks. Why is that? “This is a complex process. – Mr Lassini continues – In my opinion, everything arises from a neglect of a real alimentary culture. We tend to follow the very bad American example; that is: the lower the stratum, the greater the obesity factor. The chief underlying factor is ignorance, in its literal sense. Also with the aid of bait-and-switch advertising, we buy the “light” product and then eat the advertised snack, without being aware of the basic calorie differences between the two products. Furthermore, the creation of false myths, which are the product of a civilisation based on outward appearances, generate a deceitful situation among teenagers, especially girls. Besides eating junk food, whilst being under the opposite impression and as a result of the influence of cathode-ray tube subliminal messages, they target unachievable objectives or models. Hence the inevitable result: less self-esteem and a greater fear of other people.” But weren’t technology and progress a synonym for generalised welfare, only a little while ago? Then possibly the people who propounded doubts and were ironical by saying that “We were better off when we were worse off” were not entirely wrong. What we can be sure about is that even the latest goal achieved, that is our entry in Europe, has not yielded any advantages from this point of view. In fact, it has generated the usual Italian-style bungle. “According to the new community standards and parameters – Mr Lassini continues – Physical Training was to be introduced, as in the other European schools, also at a primary-school level. But, as usual, we have minded the form and neglected the substance. That is: we have introduced a 3 month mini-course to enable the staff already employed to also cover the physical trainer function. A ridiculous and extremely dangerous measure. Everyone knows that when you are dealing with small children in a developmental stage, you have to pay attention to a number of more complex social life aspects. Major pedagogic phases and significant psychological components come into play, and instead of entrusting qualified personnel with the related responsibilities, we make do with people whose requirements have been hastily adapted for the purpose. Besides, we have the aggravating circumstance that our facilities are inadequate, with mini-gyms made from canteens or former warehouses. However, the name of the game in our country is the form, the statistical factor. And as far as numbers are concerned, we have complied with the directives of united Europe”. How can we overcome this situation? “Again here, there is no single formula or touch of the magic wand. First of all, starting from primary school, we should insist in harping on the string of a basic dietary education. Secondly, it would be appropriate to make some financial investments on qualified staff to be employed in these sectors. Nowadays we have a multitude of brief university courses and other specialisation courses whose graduates have difficulties in finding specific employment or jobs. For instance, it would not be a bad idea to allow for a remunerated period of apprenticeship within our school facilities, subject to merit and to a specific course of study”. To think of my wondering why a definitely overweight character, who was more keen to chat with my female schoolfriends than to act as a referee for our challenges to the last, could be somehow associated with the concept of a Physical Training teacher…

Translated by interpres sas