Another class discussion regarding single parenting and the PRWORA....

I was asked by a classmate if I feel that the state should emphasize eventual self-sufficiency among able-bodied welfare recipients. My classmate is a single father. Names have been removed from my response, which follows.

Incidentally, [classmate], I have VERY strong feelings both for and against the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunities Reconciliation Act of 1996 (welfare reform, work-fare). The whole purpose of this set of reforms was to encourage adults in need to work to become self sufficient, AS WE ALL SHOULD. Lord knows I do. The problem comes when one is working enough to no longer qualify for assistance, but doesn't make nearly enough money to support a family. That's where I am now. I make $10/hour, 40 hours/week. That's $1600 a month. But then I have to pay rent, utilities, car payment, auto insurance, preschool/daycare, and we all have to eat. There's no way to do all of that on a mere $1600 a month (gross). We get by, because I have taken out some substantial student loans, and they make up the difference very nicely (until I get hospitalized for a brown recluse bite, and the post-discharge wound healing care costs me $5k). So, while I am nowhere near able to support my family, I am also not eligible for assistance, because I make too much money. It's frustrating. On one hand, you think "wow. I could support my family MORE if I just stopped working and lived on government assistance." On the other hand, you know that wouldn't work either.

The issue with the welfare reform act is that it requires 35 hours per week of work or work-related activity. Childcare assistance is available if the parent is actively working, but not typically before. It has often been removed without cause after a job loss, leaving mom or dad without child care while they look for another job. I've been in that spot. I can't get childcare until I get a job, but I can't go to interviews without childcare. It's a nasty catch 22.

My single biggest complaint with the PRWORA of 1996 is that, while job-related education can be included in one's "work-related activity" college is only allowed for 12 months. One year. One. This is nowhere near enough time to pursue a usable education. Endless research has been done on poverty, single-parent families, and education. It all leads to the same conclusion: Those of us who can complete at least an Associate's Degree, are able to move out of poverty and never return. We are able to raise children who will also go to college and will not live below the poverty line as adults, and that trend continues generationally. Yet, we cannot get government (or private, typically) assistance to raise our children, house them, feed them, and clothe them so that we can focus our energies on parenting and pursuing the education that will ensure our permanent exit from the welfare roles. It's a travesty, in my opinion.

While my research and efforts have been focused on single mothers, I am hoping that I can eventually find a team of single and formerly single fathers to enact a similar program for men. I am ill-equipped for such a program, because the focus of our program is going to be that each single mother is mentored by a mom who has been in her shoes. I want the same for single dads, but my girls are, well, mothers.

One disturbing trend that I have seen in this (single parents) community, is the tendency to downplay the roll of the father, and to forget that some children are raised by single DADS. I try to remind my girls that men struggle too, and they're not all bad. Heck, in my experience, even in my experiences with some pretty foul men, I have found that most men are nowhere near as bad as most women seem to think they are! Hang in there, brother. You're on your way to doing the best thing you can possibly do for your son: Giving him a positive roll model with a solid education.

There is more information on my feelings about welfare reform, as well as a copy of the paper I had published this year, at my blog: katie-darling@blogspot.com One of these days, I will update it again!


I suppose I updated again, didn't I?

Preventing Poverty Among Single Mothers Through Access to Postsecondary Education

“A good education is key to unlocking the promise of today’s economy in the 21^st century. Without it, people are at an ever-increasing risk of falling behind” (Bill Clinton, 1995 as quoted in Center for Women Policy Studies, 2002). Two years after this statement was made, Bill Clinton went on to assert that “we must make the first two years of college – the 13^th and 14^th years of education – as universal for young Americans as the first 12 are today. And, we must make college affordable for all Americans” (Bill Clinton, 1997, as quoted in Center for Women Policy Studies, 2002). Then-President Bill Clinton made a very good point with these statements: a college education is an integral part of American life, and without it, the chances for a life above the poverty line decrease drastically. This same president, in the year between the two statements quoted here, signed into law the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, which most Americans are familiar with by its moniker “welfare-to-work” or “workfare.” The idea of the workfare programs is that any job or work-related activity is the key to getting out of poverty, but in reality, these programs work neither to prevent nor repair the problem of poverty. The best prevention was noted above by Mr. Clinton: education, and more specifically, college education.

Even the man who most touted the welfare-to-work reforms understood the value of education in socio-economic achievement, as is evident by his statement that those without this level of education are at risk of falling behind. More importantly, “reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics consistently show that the median weekly earnings of female college graduates are at least two-and-a-half times those of women without a high school diploma” (Pandey & Zhan, 2007, p. 5). Moreover, almost half of all single mothers living below the poverty line have not completed even high school ( DeGroat, 1998; Kahne, 2004; Pandey & Zhan, 2007; Tenkin, 2007). Studies have shown that “eighty-eight percent of women who finish their college degree move permanently out of poverty” (Lane, 2008). The lesser-known fact about the welfare reforms of 1996 is that, in addition to requiring 35 weekly hours of work-related activities, it limits recipients’ education to twelve months while on the programs, and it specifically excludes college education as a work-related activity (Center for Women Policy Studies, 2008; Lane, 2008; Pandey & Zhan, 2007).

I would argue that access to postsecondary education for single mothers is not just the answer to an existing problem, but also a means of preventing the problem in the first place. There are around ten million single mothers in this country (US Census Bureau, 2006), and of these women, about half live below the poverty level (DeGroat, 1998; Kahne, 2004; Tenkin, 2007). This means that there are somewhere around 2.5 million American mothers with no high school degree, and at least another 2.5 million who have completed high school but never attended college. These women live in poverty largely because, as former President Clinton noted, a college education is the key to success in America. This education, however, is inaccessible to the younger single mothers who require government assistance to meet their daily needs, and therefore are subject to the welfare-to-work policies.

A program to provide a college education to these women is not as costly as the opposition would have us believe. The cost of a full year’s tuition for a community college is around $2,000 (Lazarony, 2005). If we assume that each of the 5 million single mothers in poverty took advantage of a government-funded community college degree program, the cost would amount to ten billion dollars annually. While this amount seems monumental and expensive at a glance, it is a small price when compared to the $112 billion that the government typically spends in a single year to support single-parent families through welfare programs (Scafidi, 2008).

What this country needs, more than further workfare regulations limiting a single mother’s access to education, is a comprehensive education program that will give young people, mothers or otherwise, the opportunity to complete their college education. This would serve as a primary means of preventing education-influenced poverty in the first place. However, since we know that there are currently around five million single mothers living in poverty largely because they have not completed their educations, I propose that we must start there. Socio-economic mobility is influenced more by education than by work experience in modern America, and education is the surest way to ensure that single mothers can break out of poverty (Pandey & Zhan 2007). The short-term expense is significantly lower than the long-term cost of maintaining welfare benefits for these families. In 20^th century America, we were told that education was the key to success. Surely in 21^st century America, we can help people obtain this education and achieve success and self-sufficiency.

References

Center for Women Policy Studies (2002). From poverty to self-sufficiency: the role of postsecondary education in welfare reform. Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.centerwomenpolicy.org/pdfs/POV1.pdf

DeGroat, B. (1998, November 23). Many single mothers on welfare face multiple barriers to employment, U-M researchers say. The University Record. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from http://www.ur.umich.edu/9899/Nov23_98/28.htm

Kahne, H. (2004, December). Low-wage single-mother families in this jobless recovery: can improved social policies help?. Analyses of Social Issues and Public Policy, 4(1), 47-68. Retrieved July 18, 2008 from EBSCOhost Database

Lane, M. (2008, August). Want to reduce poverty? Expand education access. Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.dmiblog.com/archives/2008/08/to_reduce_poverty_expand_educa.html

Lazarony, L. (2005). Community college: a stepping stone to higher-education savings. Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.bankrate.com/brm/news/pf/20020225a.asp

Pandey, S. & Zhan, M. (2007). Postsecondary education, marital status, and economic well-being of women with children. Social Development Issues, 29(1), 1-26. Retrieved July 23, 2008, from EBSCOhost Database.

Scafidi, B. (2008). The taxpayer costs of divorce and unwedchildbearing. New York, NY: Institute for American Family Values.

Tenkin, E. (2007, April). Single mothers working at night: standard work and child care subsidies. Economic Inquiry, 45(2), 231-250. Retrieved July 30, 2008, from EBSCOhost Database.

U.S. Census Bureau. (2006, March). Mothers Day: May 14, 2006. Retrieved September 8, 2008, from http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/facts_for_features_special_edition

Child Care Concerns: The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconcilliation Act of 1996, TANF, and Work First in Mississippi

“The Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) signed into law in August of 1996 (PL 104-193) shifted the focus of public assistance from long-term preparation for work to immediate job placement” (Parisi et. al., p. 66). While the focus of this program is to find employment for low-income families so that they may become self-sufficient, there is much criticism of this program, especially in the poorest state in the Nation: Mississippi (Deparle, 1997). In an article written for the New York Times, Jason Deparle outlines the struggle of several poor single mothers in Mississippi, and it seems that their struggle hinges on more than just gaining employment. Their struggle on this program seems to hinge upon the issue of child care (What About Mississippi?, 1997). While no one will argue that it is important that low-income families earn wages through jobs, policies need to accommodate more than just the employment status of low-income single-mother families.

Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, TANF, and “Work First”

In Mississippi, Bill 766 authorized the Mississippi Department of Human Services (DHS) to implement a program known as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Work Program (TWP) (Paris et. al. 2005). The idea behind the TWP is that any job is better than no job, even if the wages earned from that job are substandard or the hours are not compatible with the family life. A sub-program of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, this welfare-to-work program is designed to get low-income families off of welfare and into the work force, but in the impoverished state of Mississippi, this program seems to do more harm than good.

According to Clare Nolan (2000), “If the overhaul of the nation’s welfare system meant poor families would replace public aid with paychecks, that has not occurred in Mississippi” (para. 1). In fact, only 18-25% of Mississippi’s former welfare recipients have found full time employment. (Parisi et. al. 2005; Nolan, 2000). The Mississippi program requires that a participant spend 35 hours a week looking for work or accept a job offer regardless of the hours and wages or risk losing any benefits received, not just for the individual, but for the entire family (Nolan, 2000; Deparle, 1997). This policy does not take the problem of child care into account at all.

What happens to the families on the Work First program in Mississippi?

According to Jason Deparle (1997), “mother dropped from the welfare rolls are now turning to relatives, boyfriends or other Federal programs – most notably disability payments” (para. 3). Mr. Deparle followed the stories of several mothers thus affected by removal from welfare rolls in Mississippi. One woman who lost her benefits moved in with her sister “raising the number of children in the two-bedroom house to 15” (Deparle, 1997, para. 4). Another woman accepted a job at a catfish-processing plant but refused to return to work when her babysitter did not know where her six-year-old daughter was. (Deparle, 1997). Scenarios like these only illustrate the need for quality childcare among these women, but the program does not provide for these needs.

As I have previously reported, Mississippi has a federally subsidized program designed to help with the expenses of childcare wherein a parent would pay a co-pay, or a small portion of the expense of childcare so that she can work. This program, however, does not cover childcare while the parent-beneficiary searches for a job for the minimum 35 hours per week. In its requirement that a parent accept any offer of employment, the program also fails to consider the hours of available jobs and whether or not the hours of available childcare will coincide. As was pointed out by Parisi et. al. in the Journal of Poverty (2005), “many childcare facilities do not operate during the night hours that low-income parents are at work . . . This forced many low-income people to leave their children in informal childcare arrangements that lack educational and safety standards” (p. 76). If the parent can find no suitable informal arrangement, what is he or she to do? A single mother who can find no childcare to apply for jobs or accept an offer of second or third shift employment will still lose all of her benefits for her entire family. Additionally, Nolan (2000) reminds us that “only eight percent of eligible children receive subsidized child care [once the parent obtains work]” (para. 39).

A Change is Needed

Despite Mississippi’s experience with the ineffectiveness of the Work First program, Mississippi’s program does not change. Parisi, Harris, Grice, Taquino, and Gill (2005), suggest that “welfare reform comes with an obligation to assure that those who are in need receive adequate assistance so that they do not fall further behind due to forces beyond their control” (p. 79). What does this mean for the future of Mississippi’s welfare-to-work programs? I submit that the Department of Human Services, who administers these programs and the Mississippi Child Care Development Fund need to re-examine the state of childcare in Mississippi. Childcare needs to be available for these families around the clock throughout all stages of employment. If a woman is required to spend 35 hours each week away from her children searching for work lest she lose the food stamps that feed her children, she needs to be provided with care for her children during this period. If she must accept any offer of employment regardless of hours and scheduling, then she must be assured of quality childcare during the hours she will be required to work. Only if parents can be assured of adequate childcare can a welfare-to-work program such as the one in Mississippi succeed.

References

Deparle, J. (1997, October). What about Mississippi?: a special report.; welfare law weights heavy in delta, where jobs are few. New York Times Online Archives. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B05EED6153FF935A25753C1A961958260

Nolan, C. (2000, April), Mississippi poor leave welfare, but for what?. Stateline. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http://www.stateline.org/live/ViewPage.action?siteNodeId=136&languageId=1&contentId=13992.

Parisi, D., Harris, D., Grice, S., Taquino, M., & Gill, D. (2005, March). Does the TANF work-first initiative help low-income families make successful welfare-to-work transitions?. Journal of Poverty, 9(1), 65-81. Retrieved August 6, 2008 from EBSCOhost Database.

Further from school

Following up on my follow-up post. Ha! My teacher and I were discussing the concept of a community-funded scholarship program. She mentioned that she liked the idea. My response follows:

I love the community scholarship idea. I have seen it work on a smaller scale, and I've seen the HUGE donation drives done by most of the major medical charities (Susan G. Komen, American Heart Association, etc). If they can get substantial funding by having "donate a dollar" drives in grocery stores, I think it could work for childcare. It's been argued that the cancer research groups and children's charities do so well on those particular drives because they are so sensational, but I believe that, particularly with the in-store drives, they get so much "donate a dollar" participation at the point-of-sale because people are prone to impulse-spending at the registers. When the cashier says "would you like to donate a dollar to [charity]?" people seem to think "it's only a dollar" more than they think "I can save the world."

If the average cost of child care is $6,000 a year, a scholarship fund covered 50% of the cost, and a donation drive made, say, $3M, we could provide childcare to a thousand children. Another idea is that we could cut the amount of the federal subsidy. The vouchers on the MS Gulf Coast cut our child care expense down to about $30 a week, on average, meaning that, on average, it covers 2/3 of the cost of child care for qualifying families, but currently has a six-month waiting list. If it covered 1/3 of the cost for families using the scholarship, and a community scholarship covered 1/3 for the families using the CCDF program (childcare vouchers), and if we earmarked half of our donated funding for families on the CCDF program, we could assist with 750 CCDF families.

The other $1.5M could be used, then, to cover part of the childcare expense for families who are actively looking for work. At 50% of the cost, we could still fund many families, and then transition them to a combined CCDF/Community Scholarship program once they have an income. The federally funded vouchers would stretch MUCH further, and I believe the employment rates of low-income parents would increase significantly as a result.


Next post: Government Regulations and Standards: How the impact the state of childcare among single mothers on the Gulf Coast.

A follow-up to Single Mothers on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. In response to an assignment on differentiating between public and private organizations

The general policy in Mississippi regarding child care is to ensure that all families have access to safe, affordable childcare in a quality environment. In a public setting, the child care voucher system, sponsored by the government allows families meeting certain qualifications (proof of income and child support compliance, proof of employment or full-time student status) to receive vouchers that cover part of their childcare expenses in private facilities. As an alternative, families may use the head start schools. Some of these are maintained by the government, and others are maintained by private institutions, usually churches. A third option is to use the cooperative groups formed in many communities where parents trade child care services for each other, each family taking charge of the co-op's children on one day of the week.

None of these fully meet the needs of the community. The voucher system in Mississippi is flawed. Funds are not distributed evenly, and vouchers are frequently terminated before the mandated cut-off date after a parent loses his or her job. The Head Start program is almost always full. Both of these programs have long waiting lists. Cooperative child care arrangements are wonderful in theory. In practice, it is almost impossible for parents to find a co-op that isn't at capacity, and, if they can find a group. they must arrange their schedules so that they will be free to watch all of the children on their allotted days.

Aside from lobbying for a change in the state and federal policies, I would like to see a concerted effort put into fund-raising for child care programs or scholarships on a community level. Most of the people in the local communities would gladly donate spare change to such a cause, and wealthier members would be able, and likely willing, to donate substantially more.

Single Mothers in Poverty on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: the childcare connundrum.

Throughout America, fully a third of all single-mother families live at or below the poverty level (Marriage and Family Encyclopedia, N.D.). This harsh reality may have even more striking effects on the Mississippi Gulf Coast which is still recovering, almost three years later, from the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina. When housing is short, and jobs are scarce, single mothers may face even greater challenges than normal. According to the Marriage and Family Encyclopedia, “for single parents the housing/employment issue is one of affordability and geographic proximity and access to jobs that pay a living wage” (Economics of Single-Parent Family Life, para. 1). Single mothers face more than just the challenge of housing and employment however.

Perhaps the lynchpin to the plan for breaking the poverty barrier is access to affordable childcare. Without childcare, a single mother cannot possibly spend hours a week at work or at school, and she most certainly cannot do both. The average cost of childcare in the United States is $679 monthly for infants and toddlers, with an average cost in Mississippi of $500 a month. (Baby Center). While the cost decreases slightly once a child is pre-school aged, it only decreases to an average cost of $535 per month nationally and $417 per month locally (Baby Center). When a woman’s average weekly earnings are somewhere between $332 and $707 (Pandey &Zhan, 2007) according to education levels, how is she to accomplish the goal of maintaining suitable childcare?

Child Care and Development Fund
Mississippi provides the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) program for its poor families. The CCDF is “a federally-funded program designed to provide quality child care services to eligible families of children transitioning off Transitional Child Care (TCC), children at-risk of going on TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) and children of all other eligible parents who meet the work and educational requirements set by the Mississippi Department of Human Services - Office for Children and Youth” (Child Care and Development Fund Program, p. 1). To qualify for this program, a family must not exceed the maximum income requirements. They must provide the CCDP with a birth certificate and social security card for the child and a full month’s worth of pay stubs including any additional income for working parents or an income statement and a letter from the registrar’s office for full-time students (Child Care and Development Fund). The program, whose goal is “to increase the availability, afford-ability, and quality of child care services” (Child Care and Development Fund Program, p. 1), issues a child care certificate to the parents who then pay a co-pay to an approved facility (Child Care and Development Fund).

Starting in 2004, the CCDF required proof of compliance with Mississippi child support regulations. When this policy was enacted, the waiting list for assistance from the CCDF dropped dramatically (Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative). While most people agree that child support is necessary or, at a minimum, beneficial to the poor single-mother family, there are many women who shy away from the CCDF program because of this requirement, and their reasons may be very valid ones. The Mississippi Low-Income Child Care initiative states:

However, we heard many stories of instances where fathers who were supporting their children voluntarily lost their jobs when child support payments were taken out of their paychecks. There are also instances where the father is unknown or his whereabouts are unknown. Finally, while there is an exception to the requirement in cases of abuse, this exception is not adequately publicized, and many women shy away from CCDF assistance because they are fearful of the child support requirement. (Key Reforms, p. 1)

Additionally, the Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative notes several areas where the regulations of the CCDF are applied inconsistently or incorrectly. There is an inconsistent application of the continued coverage for thirty days after a parent loses his or her job. ”It appears that [three district-level programs] generally give parents 30 days to find work before terminating their certificates. The responses in the other districts varied from immediate termination to 10 days to 2 weeks to 30 days or longer” (Key Reforms, p. 2) The Initiative goes on to describe these inconsistencies: “The variety of responses is inappropriate. This is an objective policy that should be enforced uniformly throughout the state. Parents have 10 days to notify the DA of a loss of job and 30 days to find a new one before losing their certificates. Under no circumstances should a parent be terminated immediately upon losing her job” (Key Reforms, p. 2)

As an alternative to the problems they may face, many women are choosing instead to place their young children in the State’s Head Start program, which has no child support requirements, and tends to be consistently accessible to working parents (Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative, N.D.). Additionally, Head Start and Early Head Start programs do not require proof that the parent is working. In fact, only two-thirds of parents who use the Head Start programs are employed (Office of Haley Barbour, 2007).
Given the income of poor single mothers and the expense of child care, a single mother must find options to provide adequate care for her children in an affordable way. Programs do exist to provide this care, but she must weigh the options. Head Start schools limit the mother in terms of facility, as only Head Start schools are available as options for this program. In Mississippi, she may choose the CCDF program and pay a small percentage of the cost of care, but she must first prove that she is working and receiving child support, and even then, she may lose coverage if her job situation changes. The problem of child care remains a hurdle that many mothers find difficult, and it will likely remain such a hurdle unless and until more effective programs are instituted to assist low-income single mothers in raising their families.



References

Baby Center. (2007). How much you’ll spend on childcare. Retrieved July 25, 2008, from http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-much-youll-spend-on-childcare_1199776.bc

Child Care and Development Fund. (N.D). Child care and development fund (CCDF) program frequently asked questions – fact sheet. Retrieved July 23, 2008 from http://www.cmpdd.org/Childcare%20forms/FAQs.pdf

Marriage and Family Encyclopedia. (N.D.). Economics of single-parent family life. Retrieved July 21, 2008, from http://family.jrank.org/pages/1578/Single-Parent-Families-Economics-Single-Parent-Family-Life.html

Mississippi Low-Income Child Care Initiative. (N.D.). Key issues for reform in the Mississippi child care certificate program. Retrieved July 24, 2008, form http://www.mschildcare.org/key_reforms.pdf

Office of Haley Barbour. (2007). Mississippi early care and education programs: contact information and program data. Retrieved July 25, 2008, from http://www.governorbarbour.com/documents/EarlyCareandEducationInformation_000.pdf

Pandey S. & Zhan, M. (2007). Postsecondary education, marital status, and economic well-being of women with children. Social Development Issues, 29(1), 1-26, Retrieved July 23, 2008, from EBSCOhost Database.

MMA Training for the Significantly Overweight (as promised)

“In 648 B.C.E., the Greeks introduced the sport of pankration” (Walter 2003, para 1). Pankration was essentially a combination of boxing and wrestling and is the basis of the current sport known as mixed martial arts, or MMA, which has been popularized in recent years due largely to the Ultimate Fighting Championships, or UFC. MMA is not just a spectator sport that showcases the talents of top competitors. It is also a wonderful mix of strength and cardio training that can be used as an exercise program for anyone who wants to learn. With the rise in American obesity, and the rise in popularity of MMA, many people are flocking to MMA training facilities, and many are encountering concerns about how their weight may affect their ability to train. Many of these concerns can be easily addressed through proper training techniques that will allow anyone to learn this sport. Despite the many concerns regarding injury rates and obesity, mixed martial arts training can be physically beneficial to the significantly overweight individual. It can become part of a diet and exercise program that will alter the body composition and change their lives for the better.

As more studies are done on the issue of obesity, it becomes evident that many health problems can manifest as a result of being significantly overweight. It is commonly known and understood that obese individuals are at a heightened risk of diabetes and heart disease, but studies also suggest that excess body weight puts one at a higher risk of injury. In fact, “a new study on the subject says about one out of every four obese people report personal injuries in men and about one out of every five obese women report the same. This may be compared to the one out of six normal weight men and one out of eight normal weight women who report such injuries” (Obesity can increase, para. 2). This heightened injury risk should be noted by a prospective fighter who is significantly overweight. If he or she goes into training armed with an awareness of this risk, its causes, and its manifestations then he or she may be more self-aware and better prepared to utilize proper training methods to avoid these injuries.

As many people know, “obesity can limit the amount of physical strain a person can take” (Obesity can increase, para. 5). Having excess body weight puts more strain on the bones and joints that move the body, and this strain adds up over time. Therefore, it is necessary for the obese fighter to monitor the amount of stress on his or her body to avoid overexertion.

The first and perhaps most widely recognized aspect of MMA is the stand-up fighting or striking. The most commonly used stand-up style is muay thai: the Thai art of kickboxing which uses punches and kicks as well as strikes from the knees and elbows. While many people perceive this as dangerous because of the bumps and bruises, there are certain other inherent risks to muay thai training when the fighter-trainee is significantly overweight.

For the fighter, the greatest risk is injury of the lower body’s joints. As a recent study by W. Gilleard and T. Smith (2007) noted, obesity is “a factor in reduced motion magnitude at the hip joint and the lumbar spine, possibly owing to a mechanical effect of interposing adipose tissue restricting joint range of motion” (p. 1). This means that an overambitious or overly forceful kick can cause strain and injury to the hip joints. The knees are also at risk for injury during training, as many kicks use a knee extension, and the technique of dodging and weaving to avoid punches requires significant and frequent bending at the knees. If the obese person has not been getting regular exercise to strengthen the lower body, the necessary muscles will be weak. “Weak quadriceps and hamstrings [and] poor alignment” are frequently the culprits of knee pain and injury” (Sherman 2006, para. 1). “The simplest ways to keep your knees healthy,” Alexa Joy Sherman (2006) advises, “include staying fit and maintaining an appropriate weight” (para. 2). These weak quadriceps, hamstrings, and lumbar spine areas are also quite prone to muscle strain when they are used vigorously, and MMA training is “more rigorous training than almost any other sport,” according to top UFC contender Chuck Liddell (as quoted in Walter 2003, para. 19). This is very normal, and as long as the obese person does not overexert himself or herself, these muscles will strengthen over time ([name removed for public posting], personal communication).

Another area of concern is the risk to the sparring partner that the obese person’s physical condition may affect. There is a common misconception that a higher body weight leads to more powerful striking. While “research has generally indicated that obese adults present with greater absolute strength and power of muscles of the trunk and lower extremity, the effect appears to be highly site-specific” (Byrne, Henning, Hills, Steele & Wearing, 2006, p. 2). Given the known musculoskeletal issues with obesity previously noted, this does not translate into more powerful strikes. Striking is not dependent on site-specific power, but on the body’s ability to create the right amount of force in the right position ([name removed for public posting], personal communication). There is more risk that the obese fighter will injure his or her sparring partner by misplacing kicks. Since the range of motion in the hips is limited, the leg often cannot hit the intended target with the necessary precision. This can often result in a kick that is intended for the thigh to impact the common peroneal nerve directly. It should be noted, though, that this mishap is common regardless of the size of the fighter. There is slightly more concern with the obese fighter, as his or her range of motion is inherently more limited than that of a person of average weight. ([name removed for public posting], Personal Communication).

Each of these problems can be avoided by proper muay thai training, which will enrich the obese person’s training experience in multiple ways. Training by using a heavy bag or a thai bag will help any fighter develop proper form before working with a partner. This is essential to the prevention of partner-injury, and it also provides the fighter-trainee with an excellent cardiovascular and muscular conditioning session. Using the speed bag and the double-end bag will develop precision in the punches. Once the trainee has enough precision, he or she can transition more easily to working with focus mitts and thai pads without running the risk of misplacing a punch and accidentally hitting a partner in the chest or face. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication). These things together provide a good, rounded kickboxing program for the obese person. Use of the bags to develop precision also strengthens the muscles of the lower body, and the repetition creates a greater range of motion in the hips and knees. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication). As part of a weight loss program, kickboxing is very effective, as it burns approximately 720 calories per hour. (If Your Goal Is, 2005, ).

The other part of MMA training is grappling which is most commonly presented in the form of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. This is an art that involves submission of the opponent primarily via joint locks and chokes. When an obese person enters jiu jitsu training, there are a couple of things that must be considered. Due to the noted musculoskeletal concerns, many trainers believe that joint locks can cause greater injury to an obese trainee’s joints, and that the muscular stretching that occurs when these joint locks are applied will cause too much strain. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication). While these limitations will take time to overcome, there is much that the obese person can do to speed the process. Frequent stretching is required for any fighter but is even more important for the overweight individual whose range of motion and flexibility are limited. Yoga has been very effective for increasing flexibility, and is highly recommended by trainers. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication).

The other largest concern with jiu jitsu is that the obese person will lose his or her balance during a move, and will smother his or her opponent. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication). The easiest way to overcome this obstacle is by proper training. The training techniques used for muay thai will help build precision and balance, and the stretching exercises or yoga will help one to achieve flexibility. In addition to these, there are many solo jiu jitsu drills that will help the obese individual further condition his or her muscles and gain the necessary strength and precision to spar with a partner, or as it is called in jiu jitsu, to roll. Any certified jiu jitsu instructor can show the trainee a series of solo drills. ([name removed for public posting], personal communication).

Anyone can use these principles to learn MMA, but they are especially important for an obese person. It is important to remember to discuss these things with a potential instructor, as they will be able to tell the student which drills might benefit him or her most as well as how much experience the instructors have had addressing these issues through training before. In a good program with a qualified instructor, students can almost always lose weight and reshape their bodies. Schools that have tracked student weight loss have shown that students lost on “average [ten] pounds a month” (Orange County Jiu Jitsu and MMA, para.2). Many people have lost even more weight. D******S***** [name removed for public posting] (personal communication) lost 90 pounds in four months using the diet and training principles for MMA outlined by his trainer, J********T******** from D***** D******* Biloxi, MS [names removed for public posting]. I have personally lost 128 pounds in the last nine months using the training principles given by S**** B******, a professional MMA fighter of Georgia’s T***** B***** [names removed for public posting]. If the obese individual trains properly and exercises caution to avoid injury, this weight loss can be beneficial and even life changing.

References

Byrne, N.M., Hennig, E. M., Hills, A. P., Steele, J. R., & Steele, J. R. (2006, February). The biomechanics of restricted movement in adult obesity. Obesity Reviews, 7(1) 13-24. Retrieved June 11, 2008 from, EBSCOhost Database.

Gilleard, W. & Smith, T. (2007, February). Effect of obesity on posture and hip joint momentsduring a standing task, and trunk forward flexion motion. International Journal of Obesity, 31(2), 267-271. Retrieved June 11, 2008 from EBSCOhost Database.

If your goal is weight loss. (2005, March). Natural Health, 35(3), 84. Retrieved June 11, 2008, from EBSCOhost Database

Mink, R. (2008, March) A New Grip on Talent. The Washington Post, p. E01. Retrieved June 11, 2008, from http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/03/06/AR2008030603982.html

Obesity can increase the chances of injuries. (2005, July). The American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Retrieved June 2, 2008, from www.bio-medicine.org/medicine-news/Obesity-Can-Increase-The-Chance-Of-Inuries-4024-1/

Orange County Jiu Jitsu and MMA. You will change with our training. Retrieved June 11, 2008, from http://www.ocjj.com/index

Sherman, A. J. (2006, September). Strong in the knees. Natural Health, 36(8), 45-48. Retrieved June 11, 2008, from EBSCOhost Daabase.

Walter, D. F. (2003, December). Mixed martial arts: ultimate sport or ultimately illegal? Retrieved Jun 11, 2008, from http://www.grapplearts.com/Mixed-Martial-Arts-1.htm

Here I am! Really.

I am back. And about to spam you, oh blogosphere.

On training and obesity

I was looking for some articles, studies, or SOMETHING to help me build on. See? I promised a couple of people I would write about training for MMA when one is severely overweight. All I can find is the general consensus that martial arts are great for combating the obesity epidemic, especially in children, and can keep you from getting fat. Also, cardio kickboxing is a good aerobic workout. Really? Who knew?

So, where does that leave those of us who are ALREADY significantly overweight? For now, I suppose that leaves us with my own, sometimes humiliating story. I hope you're okay with that! The thing is, training martial arts - ANY martial art - is a great way to work out. It's fun, it burns a LOT of calories, and eventually, if you stick with it, it WILL get you into shape. As a bonus, you're learning to defend yourself, which is especially beneficial to us girls! Another bonus? Since each class and each training session is different, it never gets boring the way getting on a treadmill does. I find that I am actually LOOKING FORWARD to working out, which has NEVER happened before! I miss it when I don't go.

Yeah, my size makes me a little self-conscious, okay, a LOT self-conscious, but that's okay. I need to learn to deal with myself anyway. This is just another way for me to do that! And while I am learning to accept my limitations and my size, I am finding that I am shrinking and more mobile. I have more energy, and I have more confidence. In fact, I am doing so well that I went completely insane and signed up to run a 5k at the end of June. I start training for THAT today as well!

So, here you go, my fellow obese women who want to fight. Here's where to start.

You'll find some schools that guarantee us they will get the weight off. But here, we have to be cautious, because, let's face it, we're fat and out of shape, and martial arts of any sort carry a risk of injury, perhaps even higher than the risks associated with just going to the gym, getting our fat butts on the treadmill, and sweating it off the old fashioned way.

On the flip side, we'll find some schools that are of the opinion that sports like muay thai and jiu jitsu are NOT for "heavyset people." Why? Well, with muay thai, there is again that risk of injury. With jiu jitsu, a lot of instructors are afraid that we will basically LITERALLY crush our opponents. This is also complete crap.

So the first step is finding a school or an instructor that will work with you where you are and help you get where you want to go. Make sure they're certified, and definitely tell them about any mobility problems you may have. Ask them specifically if your weight poses any problems with the classes, and don't be offended if it does. I've been learning jiu jitsu since NOVEMBER, and I still can't participate in the "rolling" portions of the classes. The only time I get hands-on jiu jitsu training is when I visit my boyfriend once a month (note: he is a trained instructor. I am not just sparring willy-nilly there!!) I have been learning muay thai for the same amount of time, and I am still not allowed to spar in my school, and mostly because of my size. This is NOT because I am fat and stupid, but because, the heavier one is, the greater the risk of injury they have.

Also, discuss your personal goals with the instructor. Do you want to lose weight? Do you want to learn self-defense? Are you a psycho like me who ACTUALLY wants to get in a ring and fight? Talk these things over with them so that they know what you are aiming for and can help you achieve your goals.

It's also a good idea to just have a little chat with each of the instructors and make sure you get along. If there is, say, one out of five instructors that you DON'T mesh with, that's a pretty good thing (unless he's the ONLY one teaching the class you want to take. Then it's time to go elsewhere!).

Okay, let me correct myself. THE FIRST STEP TO TRAINING IS TO CHECK WITH YOUR DOCTOR AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE OKAY TO WORK OUT. This applies to ANY program though.

Once you've talked to the instructors, try a class. Most gyms and schools will give you at least one free day to try them out. If they don't, please go elsewhere. Remember that you will likely be signing up for a YEAR of training, and you don't want to get roped into paying a hundred bucks a month or so on a school that doesn't work for you.

And that's my first post about training. I'll give you more later, but right now, I have to run to the gym to train!

I'll be good this time. I promise!

I am back, and I am going to try to start updating daily. We'll see how that goes over time, but for now, I am back.

Here's the news for you.

A little over a month ago, my ex took a job out of town. In so doing, he actually lost me a very good job, because I had no childcare. So I found a friend to babysit for cheap, and I started cleaning houses. It's REALLY hard to make money when you only have a babysitter sixteen hours a week, though.

He was supposed to be gone for six months. He's back. So today, I hunt for full-time employment.



Last week was FUN. Well, it was fun if you like being totally screwed.

Tuesday night, my truck died the bad death. Which bad death? The blown head gasket, dead starter, and cracked water pump bad death. At eleven at night. In 30-degree cold. With a sleeping baby in the back.

Shit.

Got rescued from the side of the road, and started the search for a new car. Okay, not really in that order. Got rescued from the side of the road. Got Jack to bed. Slept. Woke up. Went to meet the tow truck. Got the bill for the needed repairs. Cried. THEN started the hunt for a new car.

I ended up getting a 1995 Subaru Legacy. She's quirky as hell, but she runs great. I have to take her back over to the dealership tomorrow to get the lights and locks fixed. Also, my temp tag is somehow missing, so I need a replacement for that.

Her name is Zoe. She gives me attitude. Jared's boat is Inara, and she was often towed by the late Kaylee (here I pause for a moment of silence in memory of my beloved truck, Kaylee) .......




Fuel economy is NICE. I still miss my truck though.



Since I had no vehicle, I missed Muay Thai, kickboxing, and jiujitsu until yesterday. And I noticed a few things.

1. When I don't work out, I get migraines. I don't get them as badly when I work out regularly.
2. My appetite increases and I crave junk food when I don't work out. When I DO work out, I crave healthy foods, and my appetite is lower. So I eat right. I lose weight. Good things.

And number three is the BIG ONE.

In week two of kickboxing, I stopped physical therapy. It wasn't working at all, and it costs between $80 and $120 a WEEK. Kickboxing is helping my hip tremendously, and it only costs me $65 a MONTH. It opens the hip up, keeps it moving, stretches it out, and keeps in limber. It stopped hurting ENTIRELY for THREE WEEKS.

Then I took three days off, because I had to. And I could barely walk. So, definitely getting back into the swing of training tomorrow. The trainer helped me take it a little bit easier yesterday, because the pain had me in tears. It's better today, but not perfect.



So I am up this morning with new vigor, I suppose. I went to this health fair and organic food festival on Saturday and I had a blast. I also got signed up on this great program for weight management and healthy living. So we're taking the plunge. We're going organic, and we're going green. Okay, we're going as close to green and organic as my budget can handle - and please note that it was VERY limited before I had to get a CAR. And those things aren't cheap. Even my cheap car wasn't cheap!!

So this morning, I am starting with a fabulous breakfast shake. Yeah, okay, so I am doing the liquid diet cleansing thing for a few days. I have many reasons for it. If nothing else, it tends to help me get my brain back on track for eating right, which I tend NOT to do when I am stressed out and depressed.

So my breakfast this morning consists of fresh, organic blueberries with some (omg vegan! glory!) protein powder and "greens and berries" drink mix. And water, of course. It's SO DELICIOUS. And it's very filling too. Wonders never cease!

Watch my blog if you are interested. I am working on writing some things about training when you are significantly overweight. By popular demand. Because I rock.

And everyone have a good week!