stlmomsworld.com - Kay Quinn

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Keeping Kids Active: A Call To Action

Have you ever watched a six, seven or eight year old play? Most don't stop moving. Many go from riding their bikes, to swimming, to playing on a swing set. I have personal experience: an active six year old.
Chances are if you watch a teenager, you'll see them text messaging on a cell phone, then tapping on a computer keyboard and then watching TV. I know I'm generalizing. Some teenagers I know play lacrosse and tennis, and my six year old watches his share of TV.
But one of the largest studies of its kind just came out showing that once kids hit the teen years, their physical activity slows down a lot.
The study was published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association. It tracked 1,000 U.S. kids of various ages from 2000 to 2006.
It shows 90 percent of nine-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise a day and only three percent of 15 year-olds do.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Philip Nader, a pediatrician at the University of California at San Diego calls the finding a crisis for kids.
I agree, but it should be a call to action for parents. Whether its organized sports or going out for regular family bike rides, physical activity should be a part of our day just like brushing our teeth.
I ran track, took ballet classes, and played soccer in my teens and early 20's. It wasn't always pretty. I certainly didn't win awards or get picked for select teams. And I know I would have been distracted by texting friends and playing on a computer had it been available when I was younger.
But it's important to keep active through all stages of life.
It sounds easy, and in reality, I know it's hard to achieve. But I'm a fan of doing things in moderation. You don't have to train for a marathon, but you can certainly jog or walk around the block a couple of times a week.

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/3/295

Labels: children, exercise

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Name: Kay Quinn

Location: St. Louis, MO

ABOUT ME

Health and medical issues make up one of the most exciting beats in the newsroom. Few other areas of news touch each and every one of us so closely and so often.

Whether you're a senior worried about paying for prescription drugs, a parent concerned about the health of a child or waging your own fight against cancer or heart disease, you can usually find health news that applies to you in my daily reports.

I always tell St. Louisans they are so fortunate when it comes to health care. Our city is home to two research hospitals.

Doctors and scientists at Washington University School of Medicine and St. Louis University School of Medicine are involved in some of the most critical research underway in medicine today.

Work is bring done right at this moment, right in our area, that could lead to a vaccine for bird flu or better ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease.

I enjoy staying on top of those stories, as well as bringing you health and medical news you can use.

Along with the latest medical breakthroughs, you'll frequently find information on low-cost exercise programs right around the corner from where you live, or details on where to get this year's flu shot.

Many viewers want to know whether I have a medical background. I don't, but my mother was a nurse and I know her health background made a big impression on me as a child.

It's the lifelong curiosity and interest I have in health issues that serves me well in my work as health reporter.

Staying on top of what you need to know to stay fit and healthy is a job I love.