May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. Never before in the history of our nation have there been so many children with health problems.
A lot of the causes of these problems can be attributed to obesity because of poor diets and lack of physical activity. Here are some facts from the American
Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance:
The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than tripled since 1980.
Children and adolescents who are overweight by age eight are 80 percent more likely to become overweight or obese adults.
Approximately 60 percent of obese children age five to 10 years have at least one cardiovascular disease risk factor.
Among children and teens age six to 19 years, 16 percent (over nine million young people) are overweight.
Four in 10 Mexican-American and African-American youths ages six to 19 are overweight or at risk of being overweight.
More than a third of young people in grades nine to 12 do not regularly engage in vigorous physical activity
Participation in physical activity declines as children get older.
Overall, among high school students, males are more physically active than females and white students are more active than black and Hispanic students.
Learning Activity: Pathfinder
Select the Subject Headings option > type "Exercise" in the Search box > click the subject link "Exercise for Children"
Assign students to write a report of at least 100 words (or a PowerPoint of at least five slides) that addresses the following essential questions for critical thinking
(you can add or substitute others):
How does exercise help you to improve and maintain your health?
How does proper diet support exercise in losing or maintaining weight?
What form of exercise do you think is the healthiest for you and why?
What form of exercise do you enjoy the most and why?
How would you change the physical fitness program in your school to improve it?
