 |
|
|
|
|
Children Move Less as They Get Older
|
| | | | Related Healthscout Videos | |
|
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2 Boys stayed more active than girls, averaging an extra 18 minutes on weekdays and 13 more minutes on the weekends. Girls dropped to less than one hour of activity daily on weekdays at about 13.1 years old, while boys didn't reach that mark until 14.7 years.
"This drop-off has always been there. Very young kids are extremely active, and as kids get older, they get into different lifestyles and different activities," said Dr. Goutham Rao, clinical director of the Weight Management and Wellness Center at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh.
"Games like hide-and-go-seek get displaced by homework and computer time," he noted.
Text Continues Below
What's really missing today, he added, is the everyday activity. "Kids don't walk to school anymore, and that's probably the most physical activity they might get. No one uses stairs or rides bikes anymore. And, our environment isn't always suitable for those things," said Rao.
"Parents need to recognize that activity is an important part of kids' routine, just like schoolwork," said Rao.
Nader added that exercise should really be a family affair, and that parents need to model good exercise behavior.
More information
For tips on getting your kids up off the couch, visit the Nemours Foundation KidsHealth.
Page: << Prev | 1 | 2
|
Copyright © 2008 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.
Last updated 7/15/2008
|
|
SOURCES: Philip Nader, M.D., professor emeritus, pediatrics, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla; Goutham Rao, M.D., clinical director, Weight Management and Wellness Center, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh; July 16, 2008, Journal of the American Medical Association
|
.gif)
