Children exercise less as they reach teen years

Oh no! It’s as much as everyone fears. Children do lesser physical activity as they grow older, a study reveals.

Children are getting more lethargic, and falling behind on the recommended amount of physical activity of one hour or more each day. Girls have it worse than boys but both ages are still in peril of declining activity by the time they reach age 15.

Unfortunately, it’s harder to establish fitness once a child has gotten so used to being unfit when they were younger. Blame it on the video games and television all day long, I say. But the researchers say there’s more blame to go around – a school system that cut back on PhysEd, less recreational facitilies per square miles (and dangerous places too, if there were), couch-potato parents, and less time or permission to go outside and play.

I remember growing up that  we can go out of the house when the sun rises, play outside the whole day and come back in time for lunch, out again and then back home again for dinner. Everyday all summer. These days, the fear of predators and skin cancer (and rightly so) have kept our children indoors, where there may not be enough space to play.

How do we get our children moving and spending active play outside? That’s the question that parents, researchers and lawmakers probably need to address to keep childhood obesity at bay.

The study was published by the Journal of Medical Association on July 15, 2008.