The Sedentary Generation

By Becky Roberg

Community Relations Specialist

• Eighteen percent of U.S. children are overweight.

• Twenty-five percent of all vegetables consumed by children are french fries.

• The average 10 to 16 year old spends 10.4 hours of his/her waking hours motionless.

• The average obesity-related hospital costs for children jumped from $35 million in 1979 to $127 million in 1997.

The preceding statements should be alarming to you. If they aren’t, consider this. Today’s youth are called “The Sedentary Generation” and are the first generation in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Over the last several decades, advances in electronics, reductions in funding and support of parks, playgrounds and recreation spaces, and a culture of inactivity have contributed to our nation’s current health crisis – childhood obesity. According to the Institute of Medicine, childhood obesity is a critical public health threat and the prevention of it should be a high priority.

Unfortunately, past and current prevention methods aren’t working fast enough. Obesity rates continue to rise while activity rates plummet. Teens spend more time watching television, checking their Facebook page and texting than they do in vigorous activity. On average, children ages 10 to 16 years only engage in 12.6 minutes of physical activity per day.

There’s more than one reason why today’s youth are facing such an extreme battle with weight – unplanned urban growth, increased television viewing and computer use, safety and crime concerns, reduction of physical education and recess, loss of financial support and commitment to public recreational facilities and lack of knowledge. Many children do not have access to play spaces or available space is unsafe. Schools have reduced their physical education classes, in some cases eliminating them all together. Sedentary leisure time activities such as video games have become increasingly popular because of ease and enthralling graphics.

Some of these factors aren’t easy to change, but some are. Children’s attitudes, values and behaviors are influence by their parents, other caregivers and the community in which they live. Children with obese parents are 80% likely to become obese themselves. And the cycle repeats itself - obese children become obese adults.

By placing value on physical activity, parents take one easy step in preventing childhood obesity. This doesn’t mean taking up marathon running as a hobby. It means going on a hike, playing your favorite sport or taking a nightly walk. If physical activity is a normal part of a parent’s day, it will become a normal part of their children’s day, especially if they share an enjoyment for a similar activity.

There are three major direct benefits of engaging children in physical activity: (1) A direct benefit to their overall health and quality of life; (2) An improvement of the child’s future health as an adult because of disease and illness prevention; (3) An increased likelihood of maintaining an active lifestyle as an adult.

The single easiest and highly effective way to combat childhood obesity is physical activity. The Montrose Recreation District develops and hosts an abundance of youth activities for this reason. We offer the traditional sport leagues throughout the year for boys and girls. In addition, there are programs such as hiking, snowshoeing, ice skating, river rafting, swimming, skateboarding and more.

It’s time for families to make physical activity as normal as eating dinner. Parents can find an activity for the whole family or just for themselves at the Montrose Recreation District. It’s easy, so start playing today.

For more information on all recreation programming at the Montrose Recreation District, call Customer Service at 249-7705. Questions, call Becky Roberg, Community Relations Specialist, 249-7831 x 18 or email broberg@montrose.net.