Children Worldwide Isn`t Getting Enough Physical Activity

A new report in the United Kingdom has brought to light some problems within children worldwide. The report mentioned that many women often get less physical exercise than their male counterparts, perhaps due to a lack of availability of fitness plans. Experts say that this rising global issue requires a multi-layered approach to resolve. The problems highlighted within the report were obesity, inactivity and sedentary lifestyles, and the lack or irregular intensity and frequency of physical activity.

The first area is where we all start to see the problem. Globally, there are two million obese children and an additional eight million obese children in developing countries. There is also an alarming trend of mothers not getting enough physical activity during pregnancy, which affects their child physically, mentally, emotionally and socially. Children living in such conditions are prone to health problems and behaviors that are the result of a lack of motivation or interest in getting involved in physical activity.

One way to encourage mothers to get more active would be to reduce the amount of fat they eat while increasing their physical activity levels. If you looked around yourself, wouldn`t you think that it is unlikely that you would have a car without air conditioning, a fridge with a freezer and drinks in it, a television set that uses less energy than your old CRT unit, and a walk-in wardrobe? In short, most families don`t have high-quality, low-calorie foods. Children from such households are less likely to be physically active and are more likely to suffer from obesity and poor health.

Dr. Michael Kahan, a professor at the University of Michigan Medical School and an assistant professor at the Center for Obesity Prevention and Policy Research, says, “The link between obesity and childhood obesity is robust, particularly among siblings. Children who are obese do not have greater chances of becoming obese adults.” Dr. Kahan states, “Siblings may have different coping mechanisms to handle stress…and they may differ genetically in areas of behavior, such as physical activity.”

In an email to Yahoo! readers, pediatrician and advisor to the American Heart Association Dr. David Ruth Gurwitz say “While obesity is the underlying cause of many childhood illnesses and diseases [such as diabetes and heart disease], inadequate physical activity may exacerbate or even cause some of these conditions…for example, by making the problem worse through excess weight gain and potentially leading to other medical conditions like asthma, colitis, or sleep apnea, or by causing poor growth and development.” Dr. Gurwitz goes on to add that children who do not get enough physical activity are at risk for future weight problems and disorders. He also said, “Excessive weight gain is a known indicator for high blood pressure, diabetes, cancer, and heart disease, while little to no physical activity is associated with these conditions.” Children Worldwide aren’t getting enough physical activity because the majority of them don`t have transportation and often have to walk to school and daycare and don`t get around as much as they need to to be productive.

Getting children involved in physical activity is something that every parent should be doing for his or her child, regardless of whether the child is healthy or not. Children Worldwide are getting more active, and while this does not always equate to good health, it does show that children are working harder to stay healthy. As a parent, it is vital to make sure that your children are getting enough exercise so that you can be sure they are as healthy as they can be.