Child Obesity - Where Have All the Children Gone?

Fri, 22 Aug 2008

See also:
The Pandemic of Childhood Obesity
Usually when one thinks of obesity statistics, The United States comes to...
3 Reasons For Skyrocketing Child Obesity
A few short years ago child obesity was a rare thing but today it is all too...
Is Your Child Overweight?
In recent times, it is not uncommon to find kids that are below 5 years old...

Where have all the children gone? The simple answer is they have metamorphosed into little computer and high tech geeks.

Back in the day kids would be up early in the morning raring to get outside and play. Playing meant anything and everything depending on the mood of the day.

The kids on our block were tenacious sports and game players. We would play football or baseball in a vacant lot all day long only going home for lunch and supper. We were inventive creating new games of fun on a whim but always with competition and a great deal of physicality involved.

There were those days when the weather just wouldn't cooperate and our playing took us indoors but we never missed a beat. We played marbles, marble baseball, board games, and read and traded baseball cards and comic books.

We were never bored and we couldn't wait for the next day to come so we could get outside.

School was a diversion that we tolerated a necessary evil we thought. School too was fun when neighborhood kids got together to reminisce and plan for after school playtime.

School was also a time for learning and our parents made very sure that we were well grounded in respect for our teachers and the importance of learning.

In today's world, kids are faced with new priorities and new things to do. There are diversions that today's child faces that weren't an issue in my childhood. Life was simple, solid, safe, and secure.

My concern for today's kids is that they are not getting enough exercise. This was never a problem when I was growing up, it was our lifestyle to be physically active. It was who we were, little dynamos of energy.

Unfortunately few kids today have that driven mindset to get outside and play. The exception may be rural kids who have the great outdoors to explore, to build tree huts, hunt, fish, climb trees and a host of games to play such as baseball, basketball, football, sledding, snow ball fights, ice hockey, roof ball, badminton and the list is never ending.

City kids too can be physically active with an array of sports activities. In addition to the above activities there are games such as street hockey, stick ball, 4 squares ball, box hockey, wall baseball, whiffle ball, dodge ball, capture the flag, just to mention a few.

Many kids are sadly overweight and in poor physical shape. They need to get moving, literally.

They're certainly is a time and place for computer time, TV, and other passive activities but to a much lesser degree then most kids do today.

Obesity is a serious problem in our society and our children are not exempt from this insidious lifestyle. That's right obesity with the exception of some legitement medical conditions is a BI product of a lifestyle. Obesity could nearly be eliminated in our culture with a simple lifestyle change. Get your children motivated to get physically active. Going out for sports at school, joining YMCA, YWCA, community centers, church youth groups all offer great fun and interaction.

Parents set a good example for your children by leading the way and becoming physically fit. A healthy fit body can add years to your life and most certainly will increase your stamina, self-esteem, and overall appearance.

Do the fun things in life that require no money just plain and simple fun. Get outside and start playing!

About Author:
Gary Kenneth Archer is a web designer, webmaster, professional woodworker and naturalist
who is a frequent contributor to: Healthy Living With Natural Supplements.com and
All Natural Supplements Blog.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gary_Kenneth_Archer

Health News:

Today's Hair Transplant is not You Father's Plugs
Surgical hair transplants are considered the "gold standard" of hair restoration. The performing surgeon will transplant "donor hair" (generally from the balding...





Related:

Child Obesity and Preventive Measures
It is extremely difficult to remove obesity from the body once it gets established. And therefore, it is advisable to take proper care of all those children who are...

What Causes Child Obesity?
Children become obese generally due to overfeeding or lack of physical activities. Parents must check their wrong eating habits.Many parents make their children obese...

Childhood Obesity and Lack of Exercise - Epidemic Linked to Childhood and Adult Health Crises
Childhood obesity is a health crisis in America and abroad. Lack of exercise, or physical inactivity, is a major contributor to childhood obesity.The problem is much...