Genetics | Diet - Nutrition | Physical Activity | Other Activities | Our Social Environment | Sleep

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY

               Diet and nutritional aspects cover intake, but what about output? As expected, children are less active today than before, and this has resulted in less energy expenditure. The increase numbers of families that now live in urban areas likely play a role in this as safety may be an issue. Children are less likely to spend time outdoors or in physical activities in the neighborhood as a result. Also, having working single parents, or dual working parents, reduces the involvement and supervision available for extracurricular activities for may metropolitan families.
        Recent studies demonstrate that communities that invoke the use of activity coordinators after school have a significant success in reducing statistics for overweight children and obesity. It is generally recommended that children get at least 1 hour a day of physical exercise. This can be walking, bicycling, jogging, team sports, etc., but in children receiving this degree of activity, obesity rates are low. Physical activity has other beneficial effects including better sleep and mood, both of which are additional risk factors for overweight children.