Childhood Obesity: The Importance of Physical Activity
I realize this is the time of year children return to the classroom, the days become shorter (at least in terms of actual daylight), and the time spent performing some physical activity may decrease, but I just came across something I find quite disturbing. A study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that as children get older, their level of physical activity decreases...and quite dramatically. And in light of the childhood obesity epidemic we are currently facing, this is something that needs to change right now.
Now what the researchers found is that at age 9, children participated 3 hours per day on both weekdays and weekends in moderate to vigorous physical activity. But by the time these children reached 15 years of age (certainly of high school level), similar levels of physical activity were reduced to less than 1 hour per day on weekdays and just over 30 minutes per day on weekends...well below the recommended guidelines of at least 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day.
My first impression from this is unless these students are participating in activities through their high school (whether on a sport team, cheerleading, dance, etc...), physical activity is probably hard to come by. And I accept the fact that not all teenagers are meant to play varsity football or lead the cheerleading squad, but it certainly should NOT imply these students not be physically active. Now I wish our schools would step up and accept the challenge of keeping our children physically fit. But I realize that's not going to happen any time soon. Many of our schools feel the pressure to just make sure our children perform well on those standardized tests. And others...well...they're just trying to keep their students in school.
But we all know the potential consequences of childhood obesity...the increased risk of developing a variety of lifelong physical and mental health issues including diabetes, heart disease, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal-related disease, and the list goes on. And along with proper nutrition, the complementary approach in tackling this epidemic is to increase our children's physical activity. I refer you all back to an earlier blog of mine regarding what we can do as a family unit (http://dailystrength.org/blog/106-childhood-obesity-we-can) and ask all parents who are reading this to help your children find time for daily physical activity. It's something I discuss in all my well child care visits and something you should be doing at home as well.
Dr. Jeremy
Categories: News, Personal Opinion
Support Groups: Breastfeeding, Diets & Weight Maintenance, Eating Disorders, Family Issues, Fitness Goals, Gastric Bypass Surgery, Gay Parenting, Grandparents Raising Children, Home Schooling, Homeschooling, Interfaith Relationships, Interracial Relationships, Military Families, Obesity, Parenting 'Tweens (9-12), Parenting Big Kids (5-8), Parenting Newborns & Infants (0-1), Parenting Preschoolers (3-5), Parenting Teenagers (12-18), Parenting Toddlers (1-3), Single Dads, Single Parenting, Twins, Triplets & More
5
These days we have to become aware of the different diseases. Eating nutritious foods such as fruits and vegetables will provide you a strong immune system to fight the illnesses and diseases. The United States has become the fast food nation. We have so many things right at our fingertips that we take for granted, like drinking water, fast payday loans, and food surpluses. In Haiti, many of their people have taken to eating dirt cakes (I’m not joking) and instead of choosing what to feed their children, they have to decide which of their children to feed. Starvation has become a pandemic, while here in America the food problem is of a different sort. Due to the high fat content of the American diet, the rates for obesity have skyrocketed, especially childhood obesity. The mantra for Americans is cheap and convenient; the fast food chains fill this idea to the tee, and they love letting you know that they do. The natural foods that are so much healthier for our families are more expensive, which is the barrier for many, as their budgets get crunched. Fast food is far more appealing for people who can’t afford a large grocery bill, and need to feed everybody right away. If you encounter an unexpected expense, and you have little ones that need to be fed, fast payday loans might be something for you to shop for. Click to read more on Fast Payday Loans.
By PLisa November 28, 2008 4:24am
4
Parents must train their kids on how to discipline their self when it comes on eating the right food. Obesity is one of the major health problems here in America. Parents must give extra attention to their children while they are growing because they are prone to any diseases. Health care is very important in order for them to keep healthy. Health problems could leave a major strain on your budget. If you are unable to cover those unexpected doctor bills, payday installment loans can get you the immediate cash you need to accommodate you on your journey to recovery. Read more on Payday Installment Loans.
By Davidjohnston November 25, 2008 1:30am
3
Children are prone to diseases, especially the children of America. Hence, they must always do physical activity to boost their body and avoid any illness. The issue of the declining health of Americans has been a news item for at least the last twenty years. Certain conditions have become pandemic, such as allergies, obesity, diabetes, and now, perhaps the most painful condition of all, kidney stones. Kidney stones are on the rise in children, some as young as 5 or 6. This recent article in the New York Times outlines the dramatic rise in occurrence according to pediatric practitioners. Some hospitals and clinics have taken to opening pediatric kidney stone centers to keep up with demand. The best medicine is preventative, and with kidney stones the best method of prevention is through diet. (Kidney stones are a condition that is almost universally environmental rather than genetic.) You must keep up the calcium, keep hydrated, and don’t over consume salt or oxalates. You obviously can’t watch the children all the time, and sometimes they just won’t listen. Not only is a kidney stone harmful, they are also the most excruciating pain a person can experience. We all know that treatment is costly, and sometimes we don’t know where are going to turn to. If your child gets stricken with a stone, or other medical malady, and you can’t afford to get them better and keep your car running, I recommend payday installment loans, which might be the prescription your budget needs.
Post Courtesy of Personal Money Store
Professional Blogging Team
Feed Back: 1-866-641-3406
Home: http://personalmoneystore.com/NoFa...
Blog: http://personalmoneystore.com/mone...
By Davidjohnston November 4, 2008 3:54am
2
Running--the cheapest sport that can be taken up.
The cost is essentially a new pair of good running shoes.
Instructions:
1. Put on a T-shirt, shorts, socks, decent pair of running shoes.
2. Open the door.
3. Go outside.
4. Stretch.
5. Run
(It can even be done as a family!)
I dragged Jaquelin out every other day or so to run. Sadly, she was much faster than I with more stamina. Now I is broke, so I use her scooter while she runs. (A really great spectacle...)
By DLR77 September 7, 2008 1:33am
1
As a teacher in Southern Cal...this concerns me as the budget got cut and now, no PE teachers...Couldn't help this cause...teachers are bombarded with test scores, etc...and now we need to get the students to exercise too. Its an uphill battle which needs attention! Just my two cents...
By livinthedream September 6, 2008 11:23pm