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A primary and growing concern across America is the large percentage of the population categorized as obese, especially among school-age population. Statistics show a marked decline in physical education program participation and in after-school physical activities with an attendant rise in overweight children. Data from two national surveys conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that the prevalence of overweight children is increasing at alarming rates. For children aged 2-5, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 13.9%; for those aged 6-11, it increased from 6.5% to 18.8%; and for those aged 12-19, prevalence increased from 5.0% to 17.4%.
Overweight children and adolescents are at risk for health problems during their youth and as adults. For example, during their youth, overweight children and adolescents are more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents. Overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at age 10-15 were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before age 8, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe. The March 2004 Journal of the American Medical Association reported that poor diet and physical inactivity soon could overtake tobacco is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States.
This issue must be solved for the long-term health of the US population. The best way to initiate behavior change in children is to change media that promote participation in physical activity. This can include physical education classes, after school activities, and community organizations that promote the use of physically-based clinics and camps. New efforts that focus on today's youth must help the public to recognize that physical activity and exercise are keys to improvement. The American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD), The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and the American Association of Health Education (AAHE) presented a letter to the governors of all 50 US states that noted children would be left behind, "if they do not learn how to achieve and maintain physical fitness and healthy lifestyles or have the opportunity to explore their unique talents." |
