The following program presents principles 00:00:01.98\00:00:02.95 designed to promote good health and is not 00:00:02.96\00:00:04.88 intended to take the place of personalized 00:00:04.89\00:00:06.94 professional care. The opinions and ideas 00:00:06.95\00:00:09.77 expressed are those of the speaker. 00:00:09.78\00:00:11.88 Viewers are encouraged to draw their own 00:00:11.89\00:00:13.88 conclusions about the information presented. 00:00:13.89\00:00:16.52 Hello and welcome to Wonderfully Made. 00:00:37.02\00:00:39.85 My name is Don Morgan and I'm an exercise 00:00:40.57\00:00:43.32 physiologist and I teach at Middle Tennessee 00:00:43.33\00:00:46.68 State University. This is the sixth program 00:00:46.69\00:00:50.37 in a series that is devoted to promoting 00:00:50.38\00:00:53.04 the health benefits of adopting and 00:00:53.05\00:00:55.62 maintaining of physically active lifestyle. 00:00:55.63\00:00:58.52 In our last program we discussed the epidemic 00:00:59.56\00:01:03.48 of adult obesity in the United States. 00:01:03.49\00:01:06.07 And examined the role of physical activity 00:01:06.96\00:01:10.05 in combating this chronic lifestyle disease. 00:01:10.06\00:01:13.33 Today, I want to turn our attention to the 00:01:13.97\00:01:17.40 prevalence of childhood obesity in America. 00:01:17.41\00:01:20.42 Identify some of the factors which contribute 00:01:21.01\00:01:23.89 to sedentary living in the overweight child. 00:01:23.90\00:01:26.82 And then offer some practical strategies 00:01:27.53\00:01:30.27 that can be used to promote and encourage 00:01:30.28\00:01:32.93 home and school based physical activity. 00:01:32.94\00:01:36.90 As mentioned in the previous program, 00:01:38.14\00:01:40.52 the United States has the highest incidents 00:01:40.53\00:01:43.95 of obesity in the world. Adult obesity has risen 00:01:43.96\00:01:48.40 steadily over the past 20 years. 00:01:48.41\00:01:51.11 With about 30 percent of the United States 00:01:51.12\00:01:54.08 population classified as obese. 00:01:54.09\00:01:57.21 And another 35 percent or so classified as being 00:01:57.22\00:02:01.92 overweight. It should be noted that the 00:02:01.93\00:02:06.14 prevalence of obesity varies from 25 to 51 00:02:06.15\00:02:10.52 percent. With higher values reported in 00:02:10.53\00:02:13.39 Mexican Americans, African Americans 00:02:13.40\00:02:16.41 and Native Americans. In addition, the financial 00:02:16.42\00:02:21.35 burden that is associated with being overweight 00:02:21.36\00:02:24.67 and obese has been paid at a 117 billion 00:02:24.68\00:02:28.68 dollars per year. With over 39 million work 00:02:28.69\00:02:32.36 days being lost annually to obesity related causes. 00:02:32.37\00:02:37.64 Paralleling the alarming increase in adult obesity 00:02:39.06\00:02:42.16 over the past 15 years, recent childhood 00:02:42.17\00:02:45.76 surveys have revealed that the prevalence 00:02:45.77\00:02:48.63 of overweightness for all age groups has 00:02:48.64\00:02:52.05 increased markedly over the last 25 years 00:02:52.06\00:02:55.32 to reach their highest levels ever. 00:02:55.33\00:02:58.00 As shown in our first graphic, the incidence 00:02:58.01\00:03:01.91 of obesity in children between the ages of 00:03:01.92\00:03:04.72 6 to 11 depicted in the light blue bars, 00:03:04.73\00:03:08.68 and adolescents ages 12 to 19 depicted 00:03:08.69\00:03:13.31 in the purple bars, was relatively stable from 00:03:13.32\00:03:16.89 the 1960s to the 1980s there was not 00:03:16.90\00:03:19.80 a lot of change. However from 1980 00:03:19.81\00:03:24.25 on you can see that the rate of increase 00:03:24.26\00:03:27.83 in obesity in both age groups has risen 00:03:27.84\00:03:30.69 dramatically. And currently 16 percent 00:03:30.70\00:03:34.66 of children aged 6 to 19 are obese. 00:03:34.67\00:03:39.24 This rate is quadrupole the percentage seen 00:03:40.42\00:03:43.21 in the 1960's. More over another 31 percent 00:03:43.22\00:03:48.82 of youngsters having classified as being 00:03:48.83\00:03:51.50 at risk for obesity. What this means 00:03:51.51\00:03:55.48 when you put it all together, is that 47 00:03:55.49\00:03:58.74 percent or nearly one out of the every 00:03:58.75\00:04:01.64 two American youth are either obese 00:04:01.65\00:04:05.29 or at risk of becoming obese. 00:04:05.30\00:04:08.25 In terms of the economic cost of 00:04:09.31\00:04:11.69 childhood obesity, yearly obesity related 00:04:11.70\00:04:15.35 hospital costs for children ranging in 00:04:15.36\00:04:18.32 age from 6 to 17 years more then 00:04:18.33\00:04:21.41 tripled between 1979 and 1999. 00:04:21.42\00:04:26.27 What are some of the health risks 00:04:28.38\00:04:30.35 that are associated with obesity in youth? 00:04:30.36\00:04:33.89 Adolescents who are obese can develop 00:04:34.89\00:04:37.47 a negative self image and a low-self esteem 00:04:37.48\00:04:41.05 that can persist into adulthood. 00:04:41.06\00:04:43.74 The observation that heavier children are 00:04:43.75\00:04:47.65 at greater risk for type II diabetes 00:04:47.66\00:04:50.30 and the fact that hospital discharges 00:04:50.31\00:04:53.17 of obesity related diabetes, nearly 00:04:53.18\00:04:57.08 doubled between 1979 and 1999, 00:04:57.09\00:05:00.85 this suggests that the disease effects 00:05:00.86\00:05:03.67 of recent increases in obesity prevalence 00:05:03.68\00:05:06.56 have already stated. Children who are obese 00:05:06.57\00:05:11.18 are more like to display an unfavorable lipid 00:05:11.19\00:05:14.02 profile. Featuring higher cholesterol, 00:05:14.03\00:05:17.27 triglyceride and low density lipoprotein 00:05:17.28\00:05:20.27 levels, as well as lower high density lipoprotein 00:05:20.28\00:05:24.53 values. Persistently higher blood pressure 00:05:24.54\00:05:28.17 levels have also been found to occur 00:05:28.18\00:05:30.22 9 times more frequently among obese youth. 00:05:30.23\00:05:34.42 Orthopedic complications like pain and range 00:05:35.69\00:05:39.29 of motion limitations can be a problem for 00:05:39.30\00:05:42.39 the overweight child. While sleep apnea 00:05:42.40\00:05:46.15 or the temporary stoppage of breathing 00:05:46.16\00:05:48.67 during sleep is thought to be present in 00:05:48.68\00:05:52.01 about 7 percent of obese children. 00:05:52.02\00:05:55.04 What is the likelihood that an obese child 00:05:56.82\00:05:59.44 would become an obese adult? 00:05:59.45\00:06:01.06 According to published data, about one third 00:06:02.29\00:06:05.67 of obese pre-school children become obese 00:06:05.68\00:06:08.30 adults. While 50 percent of obese 00:06:08.31\00:06:11.68 school age children carry their obesity 00:06:11.69\00:06:14.47 into adulthood. Unfortunately, 00:06:14.48\00:06:18.22 this figure rises even higher with age, 00:06:18.23\00:06:21.60 with 80 percent of obese adolescents, 00:06:21.61\00:06:24.76 remaining obese as adults. 00:06:24.77\00:06:27.57 To me these findings provide a strong 00:06:27.58\00:06:31.67 rationale to launch aggressive measures 00:06:31.68\00:06:35.49 early in a child's life to promote healthy 00:06:35.50\00:06:38.57 eating and an active lifestyle. 00:06:38.58\00:06:41.14 Since being overweight and obese is linked 00:06:41.15\00:06:46.00 to a number of adverse health consequences. 00:06:46.01\00:06:48.76 It is important to determine how 00:06:48.77\00:06:51.24 these variables are calculated? 00:06:51.25\00:06:53.35 Well many laboratory based methods exist 00:06:54.36\00:06:56.77 to quantify body composition. 00:06:56.78\00:06:58.87 The use of the Body Mass Index or BMI, 00:06:58.88\00:07:02.93 has become wide spread in the past few years, 00:07:02.94\00:07:06.19 because it is fairly easy to determine 00:07:06.20\00:07:08.97 all you need is height and weight and 00:07:08.98\00:07:11.44 they are very easily measured. 00:07:11.45\00:07:13.05 And it's been shown to correlate reasonably 00:07:13.06\00:07:15.77 well with direct measurements of body fat. 00:07:15.78\00:07:18.87 The following graph shows how to calculate 00:07:18.88\00:07:22.92 BMI for a 13-year-old boy who weighs 141 00:07:22.93\00:07:27.36 pounds and is 5 foot, 3 inches tall. 00:07:27.37\00:07:31.30 In this example the first step is to convert 00:07:31.31\00:07:35.80 height through inches. And we can do that 00:07:35.81\00:07:38.66 by multiplying 5 feet by 12 inches per foot. 00:07:38.67\00:07:42.51 And adding the extra 3 inches to arrive 00:07:42.52\00:07:46.14 at a height of 63 inches, next you 00:07:46.15\00:07:50.72 take the 63 inches and you square it. 00:07:50.73\00:07:53.59 All that means is that we will multiply 00:07:53.60\00:07:55.61 63 by itself. In this case 63 multiplied by 00:07:55.62\00:08:01.09 63 gives you 3969. The next step is to divide 00:08:01.10\00:08:08.48 the child's weight which in this example is a 00:08:08.49\00:08:11.48 141 pounds by his squared height value, 00:08:11.49\00:08:15.51 which is 3969. And when you do all of that 00:08:15.52\00:08:21.07 the number you get, is a very small one. 00:08:21.08\00:08:23.96 In this case 0.0355253. 00:08:23.97\00:08:29.33 The last step is to multiply this very 00:08:29.34\00:08:33.27 small number by 704.5, now this number acts 00:08:33.28\00:08:39.32 simply is a constant value and it's always used. 00:08:39.33\00:08:42.06 And when you multiply that small number by 00:08:42.07\00:08:44.99 704.5 you will get your BMI value, which in 00:08:45.00\00:08:50.00 this example is 25.0. Notice that the units 00:08:50.01\00:08:55.45 of this number are kilograms per meter 00:08:55.46\00:08:58.13 squared, in the abbreviation that 00:08:58.14\00:08:59.97 it's kg/m2 but that's what that means. 00:08:59.98\00:09:03.38 Kilograms of body mass per meters of height 00:09:03.39\00:09:06.62 squared. Now, I know that for some all of 00:09:06.63\00:09:10.92 this might have been a little complicated, 00:09:10.93\00:09:13.76 so the next graphic shows you how you 00:09:13.77\00:09:16.08 can determine BMI using tools found on 00:09:16.09\00:09:18.79 the internet. Simply go to www.cdc.gov/growthcharts 00:09:18.80\00:09:28.43 once you're there, just click on tools to 00:09:28.44\00:09:31.93 calculate BMI and then once you there click 00:09:31.94\00:09:35.85 on BMI Web Calculator and then simply follow 00:09:35.86\00:09:39.97 the instructions to derive your child's BMI value. 00:09:39.98\00:09:44.19 At this point what you need to do is to 00:09:47.70\00:09:50.05 translate your child's BMI value to BMI 00:09:50.06\00:09:53.52 percentiles that are adjusted for age and sex. 00:09:53.53\00:09:56.34 And you can see this in this graphic here, 00:09:56.35\00:09:58.32 what you do again is you go to 00:09:58.33\00:10:00.33 www.cdc.gov/ growthcharts, 00:10:00.34\00:10:05.33 then you click on Clinical Growth Charts, 00:10:05.34\00:10:09.12 then scroll down to children 2 to 20 years 00:10:09.13\00:10:13.60 and then finally click on boy's BMI-for-age 00:10:13.61\00:10:18.75 or girls's BMI-for-age. When you follow these 00:10:18.76\00:10:23.19 steps you will see a plot of BMI percentile 00:10:23.20\00:10:27.03 curves that can be use to determine 00:10:27.04\00:10:29.65 your child's BMI percentile based 00:10:29.66\00:10:32.50 on their age and sex. Once you have this 00:10:32.51\00:10:36.40 information, you'll want to find out where they 00:10:36.41\00:10:39.77 fit in relation to existing BMI standards 00:10:39.78\00:10:42.89 for youth. If your child's BMI for age percentage 00:10:42.90\00:10:47.49 is equal to or greater then the 95 percentile, 00:10:47.50\00:10:51.60 your child would be considered obese. 00:10:51.61\00:10:54.61 If their BMI for age percentile is equal to 00:10:54.62\00:10:58.55 or greater then the 85th percentile 00:10:58.56\00:11:01.65 but less then the 95th percentile they would 00:11:01.66\00:11:05.14 be classified as being overweight. 00:11:05.15\00:11:07.93 If your child's BMI for age percentile lies 00:11:08.92\00:11:11.68 between the fifth and the 85th percentiles 00:11:11.69\00:11:14.89 it is considered to be in the normal range. 00:11:14.90\00:11:18.34 Youngsters with an age and sex adjusted 00:11:19.33\00:11:21.90 BMI in the 5th percentile or lower 00:11:21.91\00:11:24.51 would be considered underweight. 00:11:24.52\00:11:27.17 When one looks at variables that underlie 00:11:28.35\00:11:30.73 obesity and weight gain, heredity is often 00:11:30.74\00:11:34.24 mentioned as a potential contributing factor. 00:11:34.25\00:11:36.92 Studies of families have shown that about 00:11:37.77\00:11:40.31 25 to 40 percent of the variability and human 00:11:40.32\00:11:44.27 obesity is related to genetic factors. 00:11:44.28\00:11:47.68 While acknowledging the influence of heredity 00:11:48.95\00:11:51.28 on weight gain, much of the increase in obesity 00:11:51.29\00:11:55.48 over the past two decades has been linked 00:11:55.49\00:11:58.50 instead to a variety of lifestyle and 00:11:58.51\00:12:01.60 environmental influences including 00:12:01.61\00:12:04.26 less physical activity. What are some of the 00:12:04.27\00:12:07.92 factors that contribute to a sedentary lifestyle 00:12:07.93\00:12:11.15 for the obese child. Well there is no simple 00:12:11.16\00:12:15.00 answer to this question. Let me offer a few 00:12:15.01\00:12:17.96 suggestions. First, children and adolescents 00:12:17.97\00:12:22.62 who are overweight are often the object 00:12:22.63\00:12:25.19 of teasing, jokes and ridicule. 00:12:25.20\00:12:27.56 All of which can help to reinforce a negative 00:12:27.57\00:12:30.92 body image. This in turn may help foster 00:12:30.93\00:12:35.80 the self perception that they are clumsy 00:12:35.81\00:12:38.44 or unskilled which then further detracts 00:12:38.45\00:12:42.09 from any joy or incentive that they might have 00:12:42.10\00:12:44.86 to participate in physical activity. 00:12:44.87\00:12:47.42 Second, just as very young children are 00:12:48.46\00:12:52.32 much more likely to engage in physical 00:12:52.33\00:12:54.99 activity if their parents are active, 00:12:55.00\00:12:57.93 parental inactivity has been shown to be a 00:12:57.94\00:13:01.65 strong predictor of child inactivity. 00:13:01.66\00:13:05.21 Third, obese children tend to perceive a given 00:13:06.39\00:13:10.19 exercise level has been more strenuous 00:13:10.20\00:13:13.26 then a non-obese child, consequently 00:13:13.27\00:13:16.55 they maybe reluctant to participate in physical 00:13:16.56\00:13:19.79 activity. Television viewing, Internet surfing, 00:13:19.80\00:13:24.46 video games and the accompanying sedentary 00:13:24.47\00:13:27.57 behavior they spawn are additional factors 00:13:27.58\00:13:31.39 that have been linked to reduced activity levels 00:13:31.40\00:13:33.90 in children. Finally, more states are reducing 00:13:33.91\00:13:38.39 the physical education requirement, at the 00:13:38.40\00:13:40.95 elementary, middle, and high school level. 00:13:40.96\00:13:43.96 Where daily physical education was once 00:13:44.87\00:13:47.18 the norm, many schools now offer PE 00:13:47.19\00:13:51.00 instruction only once or twice a week. 00:13:51.01\00:13:53.69 The unfortunate result of this decision 00:13:54.56\00:13:57.25 is that many students now receive fewer 00:13:57.26\00:14:00.40 opportunities to be physically active during 00:14:00.41\00:14:03.25 the school day. Given the potentially 00:14:03.26\00:14:07.29 damaging affects of childhood obesity. 00:14:07.30\00:14:09.86 How do we begin to develop strategies 00:14:09.87\00:14:12.67 to help you offend off the accumulation of 00:14:12.68\00:14:15.40 extra weight? Before I discuss some specific 00:14:15.41\00:14:19.72 ways to address this question, 00:14:19.73\00:14:21.56 I would like to talk first about a few basic 00:14:21.57\00:14:24.65 concepts regarding physical activity 00:14:24.66\00:14:27.30 in children. Young children are inherently 00:14:27.31\00:14:31.23 active, as you parents know all too well. 00:14:31.24\00:14:35.03 Consequently if you provide opportunities 00:14:36.00\00:14:39.13 for children to be active it's a good bet that 00:14:39.14\00:14:43.19 they would take advantage of them. 00:14:43.20\00:14:44.73 Unfortunately, the inverse of this statement 00:14:45.82\00:14:48.89 is also true, in other words children and 00:14:48.90\00:14:52.72 youth will learn to be sedentary if they 00:14:52.73\00:14:55.86 are not given chances to play and to be active. 00:14:55.87\00:14:59.54 Second, many skills use an adult recreation 00:15:00.27\00:15:04.29 and leisure time activities are acquired 00:15:04.30\00:15:07.19 during the school age years. 00:15:07.20\00:15:09.02 As a result children who don't for example 00:15:09.03\00:15:13.62 learn how to swim or play basketball maybe 00:15:13.63\00:15:17.66 less likely to participate in these activities 00:15:17.67\00:15:20.65 when they become adults. A third point 00:15:20.66\00:15:24.38 to keep in mind is that self efficacy 00:15:24.39\00:15:27.34 or a feeling that you can be successful 00:15:27.35\00:15:30.05 and strongly related to lifetime adherence 00:15:30.06\00:15:33.50 to physical activity. And fourth, children 00:15:33.51\00:15:38.33 who have active parents and family 00:15:38.34\00:15:40.58 members are more likely to be physically active, 00:15:40.59\00:15:44.03 compared to youth whose family tend to 00:15:44.04\00:15:46.59 gravitate towards the sedentary lifestyle. 00:15:46.60\00:15:49.33 Now, using these general principles 00:15:51.33\00:15:53.22 as a foundation it is possible to formulate 00:15:53.23\00:15:57.70 approaches to help families and schools 00:15:57.71\00:16:00.35 promote an active environment 00:16:00.36\00:16:02.02 for youngsters. Let's start by looking at 00:16:02.03\00:16:05.57 ways to foster physical activity at home. 00:16:05.58\00:16:08.30 First off, replace sedentary activities with 00:16:08.31\00:16:12.46 more physical options. Here are some examples, 00:16:12.47\00:16:16.32 instead of allowing your son or daughter 00:16:16.33\00:16:19.56 to chat on the telephone for hours with friends, 00:16:19.57\00:16:22.83 suggest that they get together and do their 00:16:22.84\00:16:26.34 chatting while they walk around the block. 00:16:26.35\00:16:28.57 If your child's playmate doesn't live too far away 00:16:29.73\00:16:33.02 and it's safe have them ride their bike 00:16:33.03\00:16:36.51 or walk to their friends house, instead of 00:16:36.52\00:16:39.39 getting a ride there. And if your child has 00:16:39.40\00:16:44.38 been studying or watching television for a while, 00:16:44.39\00:16:47.21 encourage them to take a physical activity 00:16:47.89\00:16:50.38 break by shooting baskets in the driveway 00:16:50.39\00:16:53.40 or taking a 5 to 10 minute ride around 00:16:53.41\00:16:56.42 the neighborhood. The point here is to 00:16:56.43\00:16:59.71 be creative, and to realize that ordinary 00:16:59.72\00:17:03.21 life is full of fitness and activity 00:17:03.22\00:17:06.37 opportunities. All you have to do is 00:17:06.38\00:17:08.63 just reach out and grab him. 00:17:08.64\00:17:10.18 If you are with your children at the mall 00:17:11.28\00:17:13.55 and you have some spare time, 00:17:13.56\00:17:15.32 take some detours when walking from 00:17:15.33\00:17:17.72 one store to the next. And expand a few 00:17:17.73\00:17:20.57 extra calories, likewise if you have errands 00:17:20.58\00:17:24.79 to run in the neighborhood 00:17:24.80\00:17:26.23 or only need to pick up a few items at the 00:17:26.24\00:17:29.17 local drug store, consider leaving the 00:17:29.18\00:17:32.16 car parked at home and taking the kids 00:17:32.17\00:17:35.29 with you to accomplish these tasks on foot. 00:17:35.30\00:17:38.42 Not only does this provide an opportunity 00:17:38.43\00:17:41.77 for all of you to be physically active. 00:17:41.78\00:17:44.07 You can also give the children a monetary 00:17:44.08\00:17:46.93 bonus out the gas money that you saved 00:17:46.94\00:17:49.70 by waking. In order to help your child address 00:17:49.71\00:17:54.34 their weight problems, it is absolutely essential 00:17:54.35\00:17:57.56 for the whole family to participate in a variety 00:17:57.57\00:18:00.86 of physical activities like walking, bicycling 00:18:00.87\00:18:04.39 or rollerblading that everyone can enjoy. 00:18:04.40\00:18:07.29 You can plan special family outings like hiking 00:18:08.50\00:18:11.45 or skiing or you can join forces with other 00:18:11.46\00:18:14.61 families in the neighborhood 00:18:14.62\00:18:15.94 to play basketball, touch football, soccer 00:18:15.95\00:18:19.44 or even hide and go seek. Closer to home, 00:18:19.45\00:18:23.92 active household duties can be assigned 00:18:24.86\00:18:27.08 to each family member, such as vacuuming, 00:18:27.09\00:18:30.02 washing the car or mowing the lawn like 00:18:30.03\00:18:33.18 my son is doing now. If your children express 00:18:33.19\00:18:37.18 an interest, consider involving them in extra 00:18:37.19\00:18:40.35 curricular activities like basketball, gymnastics 00:18:40.36\00:18:44.50 or swimming that have reasonable 00:18:44.51\00:18:46.81 time commitments. Cutting back on television 00:18:46.82\00:18:50.83 viewing or video game playing as a means of 00:18:50.84\00:18:54.06 reducing sedentary behavior might be a 00:18:54.07\00:18:57.01 tough sell in the beginning. 00:18:57.02\00:18:58.58 So, start by gradually reducing the time spent 00:18:59.64\00:19:02.87 in these activities. The key is this, if you can 00:19:02.88\00:19:07.68 help your children find active alternatives that 00:19:07.69\00:19:10.75 are enjoyable. They will realize that the 00:19:10.76\00:19:13.76 process of making lifestyle 00:19:13.77\00:19:15.46 changes can be a positive experience. 00:19:15.47\00:19:18.35 Let me share a real life example of 00:19:20.14\00:19:23.34 how adding small amounts of physical activity 00:19:23.35\00:19:26.28 to one's daily routine, led to visible changes 00:19:26.29\00:19:30.33 in a child's appearance and his outlook on life. 00:19:30.34\00:19:33.83 Chad was a young boy who attended 00:19:34.86\00:19:37.70 my son's elementary school. 00:19:37.71\00:19:39.56 He was noticeably overweight and experience 00:19:39.57\00:19:43.24 difficulty keeping up with the other children, 00:19:43.25\00:19:45.73 during recess and physical education class. 00:19:45.74\00:19:49.28 He fatigued easily and tried to avoid physical 00:19:49.29\00:19:53.20 activity whenever possible. 00:19:53.21\00:19:55.54 His mother become increasingly concerned 00:19:56.83\00:19:59.08 about Chad's weight, and decided to make 00:19:59.09\00:20:01.76 some positive lifestyle changes that would 00:20:01.77\00:20:04.39 affect them both. Within a month 00:20:04.40\00:20:07.94 they have moved out of their house 00:20:07.95\00:20:10.44 and found an apartment that was much closer 00:20:10.45\00:20:13.12 to her son's school. They began waking 00:20:13.13\00:20:16.33 up a few minutes earlier each morning 00:20:16.34\00:20:18.47 so that she and Chad could ride their bicycles 00:20:18.48\00:20:21.73 a couple of miles to his school instead of using 00:20:21.74\00:20:24.79 the car. In addition to this change in physical 00:20:24.80\00:20:28.74 activity she also started making healthier food 00:20:28.75\00:20:32.35 selections at the grocery store and began 00:20:32.36\00:20:35.48 preparing meals that were noticeably lower 00:20:35.49\00:20:38.36 in fat content. Within a few months 00:20:38.37\00:20:42.11 it was obvious that Chad had dropped 00:20:42.12\00:20:44.60 a fair amount of weight when people asked 00:20:44.61\00:20:47.87 his mother what she had done to help 00:20:47.88\00:20:49.96 her son lose his weight. She explained that 00:20:49.97\00:20:53.52 just making a few adjustments in their 00:20:53.53\00:20:55.28 lifestyle riding bikes instead of driving, 00:20:55.29\00:20:58.63 making healthier food selections and 00:20:58.64\00:21:01.72 trying to eat in a more healthy manner, 00:21:01.73\00:21:03.87 all of these small changes had made 00:21:03.88\00:21:06.61 a huge difference in how both of them 00:21:06.62\00:21:09.15 looked and felt. What's the moral of the story? 00:21:09.16\00:21:13.50 I believe it's simply this that small changes 00:21:14.68\00:21:18.23 that are carried out and committed to on 00:21:18.24\00:21:21.02 a daily basis can overtime lead 00:21:21.03\00:21:25.05 to positive health outcomes 00:21:25.84\00:21:27.06 and an improved quality of life. 00:21:27.07\00:21:29.43 Another important role that parents can play 00:21:31.39\00:21:34.10 in helping their child lose weight is to 00:21:34.11\00:21:36.82 model a physically active lifestyle. 00:21:36.83\00:21:39.30 You don't have to be an excellent athlete 00:21:39.31\00:21:42.88 or in really, really top-notch condition 00:21:42.89\00:21:45.64 to be a role model for your child, but they 00:21:45.65\00:21:48.86 need to see you participating in some 00:21:48.87\00:21:51.02 form of physical activity on a regular basis. 00:21:51.03\00:21:54.42 Be it walking, jogging, playing basket ball, 00:21:54.43\00:21:58.54 weightlifting, working out in the yard or even 00:21:58.55\00:22:01.99 jumping up and down on a rebounder if you want. 00:22:02.00\00:22:04.36 When your children see you enthusiastically 00:22:05.43\00:22:08.13 embracing an active lifestyle this will spark 00:22:08.14\00:22:11.51 their interest in physical activity and speak 00:22:11.52\00:22:14.69 volumes about how important it is for them 00:22:14.70\00:22:17.78 to establish healthy physical habits that 00:22:17.79\00:22:20.96 they can carry with them for the rest 00:22:20.97\00:22:22.94 of their lives. When kids and parents play 00:22:22.95\00:22:27.27 together not only do they receive a good 00:22:27.28\00:22:30.08 physical workout, they also get the chance 00:22:30.09\00:22:33.42 to connect emotionally. What children want 00:22:33.43\00:22:37.22 most is to spend more time with their parents 00:22:37.23\00:22:40.30 and sharing physical activity time is a 00:22:40.31\00:22:43.83 perfect way to make this happen. 00:22:43.84\00:22:45.90 This type of family bounding can be 00:22:46.71\00:22:48.82 especially important for the overweight child, 00:22:48.83\00:22:51.76 because it can satisfy their emotional needs 00:22:51.77\00:22:55.44 and make them less likely to use food 00:22:55.45\00:22:58.35 as a way of ridding themselves of stress 00:22:58.36\00:23:00.85 and then happiness. It is vital for parents 00:23:00.86\00:23:04.62 to let their children know that they're loved 00:23:04.63\00:23:06.91 and appreciated no matter how much they weigh. 00:23:06.92\00:23:10.29 The good news here is that all children can 00:23:11.28\00:23:14.28 learn to make healthy lifestyle choices 00:23:14.29\00:23:16.74 when they receive encouragement and 00:23:16.75\00:23:18.51 support from their parents. 00:23:18.52\00:23:20.43 When not at home children and adolescents 00:23:21.79\00:23:25.24 spend most of their time at school it makes 00:23:25.25\00:23:28.34 sense therefore, for all of us to support quality 00:23:28.35\00:23:31.90 school physical education and internal sports 00:23:31.91\00:23:34.78 programs that are developmentally 00:23:34.79\00:23:37.10 appropriate and that emphasize participation 00:23:37.11\00:23:40.22 in a variety of sport and physical activities. 00:23:40.23\00:23:43.43 Parents should insist that the physical 00:23:44.79\00:23:47.42 education programs at their child's school be 00:23:47.43\00:23:50.34 thought by credential physical education 00:23:50.35\00:23:52.60 teachers whenever possible. 00:23:52.61\00:23:54.48 In addition to the health and fitness benefits 00:23:55.43\00:23:57.85 gained from being in a physical education class. 00:23:57.86\00:24:01.36 Data from a recent study involving over 00:24:01.37\00:24:04.71 950,000 children indicate that higher academic 00:24:04.72\00:24:10.53 achievement is related to improve levels 00:24:10.54\00:24:13.75 of health related physical fitness, 00:24:13.76\00:24:15.62 in other words the more physical fit children 00:24:15.63\00:24:19.87 are the better they perform in school. 00:24:19.88\00:24:23.45 How much physical activity should children 00:24:24.79\00:24:27.06 receive? According to guidelines established 00:24:27.07\00:24:30.86 by the National Association for Sport 00:24:30.87\00:24:33.13 and Physical Education, school age children 00:24:33.14\00:24:36.46 should accumulate at least 60 minutes 00:24:36.47\00:24:38.42 and up to several hours of age appropriate 00:24:38.43\00:24:42.01 physical activity on all or most days of the week. 00:24:42.02\00:24:45.68 These guidelines state that physical activity 00:24:46.63\00:24:49.24 can take place in many short intermittent 00:24:49.25\00:24:51.65 exercise bouts, it does not need to be 00:24:51.66\00:24:54.30 performed in the longer continues exercise 00:24:54.31\00:24:56.98 periods that adults often perform. 00:24:56.99\00:24:59.58 Children should participate in a 00:25:00.67\00:25:02.18 variety of age appropriate physical 00:25:02.19\00:25:04.01 activities such as aerobics, active sports 00:25:04.02\00:25:07.51 and recreational pursuits and muscle 00:25:07.52\00:25:09.89 fitness and flexibility exercises to achieve 00:25:09.90\00:25:12.89 optimum health, fitness and performance benefits. 00:25:12.90\00:25:16.60 This varied approach reduces monotony 00:25:17.54\00:25:19.91 and increases the likelihood that they 00:25:19.92\00:25:22.09 will find physical activity fun and enjoyable. 00:25:22.10\00:25:25.02 It is also recommended that children avoid 00:25:25.03\00:25:28.20 prolonged periods of inactivity, lasting two 00:25:28.21\00:25:31.49 hour or more, especially during daylight hours. 00:25:31.50\00:25:34.67 Well, our discussion up to this point at least 00:25:36.83\00:25:39.34 has addressed the need to promote 00:25:39.35\00:25:41.10 health enhancing physical activity among 00:25:41.11\00:25:43.47 school aged children. There has being 00:25:43.48\00:25:46.16 growing interest in encouraging physical 00:25:46.17\00:25:48.21 activity in youth under the age of five to 00:25:48.22\00:25:51.19 counter increasing levels of obesity in 00:25:51.20\00:25:53.66 pre-school children. The position taken by the 00:25:53.67\00:25:57.30 National Association for Sport and Physical 00:25:57.31\00:25:59.79 Education on this issue is that all children from 00:25:59.80\00:26:03.75 birth to age five should engage in daily 00:26:03.76\00:26:06.87 physical activity that promotes health 00:26:06.88\00:26:09.11 related fitness and movement skills. 00:26:09.12\00:26:11.37 As a member of the task force that wrote this 00:26:11.38\00:26:14.16 document it became clear to me how important 00:26:14.17\00:26:17.47 it is for very young children to safely explore 00:26:17.48\00:26:20.57 and move about in different environments. 00:26:20.58\00:26:22.88 With respect to infants, physical activity can 00:26:22.89\00:26:26.30 promote the development of such basic skills 00:26:26.31\00:26:28.84 as reaching, grasping, sitting and crawling. 00:26:28.85\00:26:31.83 Once walking is possible a whole new list of 00:26:31.84\00:26:35.69 movement in physical activity possibilities 00:26:35.70\00:26:38.12 emerge for the young child. 00:26:38.13\00:26:40.37 From the ages of 1 to 4 children began 00:26:40.38\00:26:43.98 to acquire the fundamental motor 00:26:43.99\00:26:45.72 skills that will be the building blocks for 00:26:45.73\00:26:48.28 more complex movements, such as running, jumping, 00:26:48.29\00:26:51.14 throwing and kicking. Hence it is critical for 00:26:51.15\00:26:54.95 parents, caregivers, and pre-school teachers to 00:26:54.96\00:26:58.25 provide structured and unstructured physical 00:26:58.26\00:27:00.51 activity time for children to develop 00:27:00.52\00:27:03.26 and refine these motor skills. 00:27:03.27\00:27:05.53 Physical activity is a natural way of 00:27:06.58\00:27:08.84 preventing and reducing childhood obesity, 00:27:08.85\00:27:11.54 therefore the needs and interests of the 00:27:11.55\00:27:15.21 child rather than the desires of adults 00:27:15.22\00:27:18.27 should be preeminent in the selection of 00:27:18.28\00:27:21.09 fitness and sport pursuits. It is also 00:27:21.10\00:27:24.98 important to remember that whether we're 00:27:24.99\00:27:27.10 talking about a child or adult the process of 00:27:27.11\00:27:30.39 engaging in physical activity means being 00:27:30.40\00:27:33.10 involved, doing your best and participating 00:27:33.11\00:27:36.39 regularly. Finally, let me again highlight the 00:27:36.40\00:27:40.81 importance of being an active role model 00:27:40.82\00:27:42.75 for your child. As a parent of two children 00:27:42.76\00:27:46.04 my wife and I try to model many behaviors 00:27:46.05\00:27:48.43 that we want our children to emulate, honesty, 00:27:48.44\00:27:50.99 diligence, and respect for others. 00:27:51.00\00:27:53.04 So, that they will be able to function effectively 00:27:53.05\00:27:55.50 when they become adults. Viewed against 00:27:55.51\00:27:57.76 this backdrop, modeling physical activity is 00:27:57.77\00:28:01.78 one of the most enduring legacies that 00:28:01.79\00:28:03.66 we can leave our children. So, in closing, motivate 00:28:03.67\00:28:07.82 your kids to be active and until next time 00:28:07.83\00:28:10.82 keep moving step by step 00:28:10.83\00:28:12.76 towards greater health and fitness. 00:28:12.77\00:28:14.80