| During
the last decade, spurred by the release of the Surgeon General's
Report on Physical Activity and Health 91, promotion
of physical activity has become a public health priority in the U.S.
Despite wide recognition of the importance of regular physical activity,
data from public health surveys indicate that most American adults
fail to meet recommended physical activity guidelines. American children
and youth are more physically active than their adult counterparts,
but surveys show that activity levels are consistently lower in girls
than boys and decline precipitously with increasing age in both genders.
These observations point to the need for large-scale efforts to promote
physical activity in young people.
Physical activity is a complex behavior that is influenced
by multiple demographic, personal, psychological, social, and physical
environmental factors. Societal changes, including increased dependence
on motorized transportation and increased use of electronic entertainment
(television, video games, computers), have operated to decrease
physical activity in American youth. In addition, participation
in school-based physical education programs has declined, particularly
at the high school level. These trends, combined with adverse changes
in dietary practices, may explain the pronounced increase in the
prevalence of obesity seen in America's young people.
| "Effective
promotion of physical activity in children and youth will require
widespread adoption of policies and practices that change the
social and physical components of the "physical activity environment"
in which our children grow up." |
Effective
promotion of physical activity in children and youth will require
widespread adoption of policies and practices that change the social
and physical components of the "physical activity environment" in
which our children grow up.
Effective promotion of physical
activity in children and youth will require widespread adoption
of policies and practices that change the social and physical components
of the "physical activity environment" in which our children grow
up. Some school-based interventions have been effective, but more
knowledge is needed concerning the ways in which physical activity
can be promoted in young people in home, school, and community settings.
Likewise, health-care providers including physicians, nurses, and
dietitians must become skilled in counseling youth concerning the
adoption of physically active lifestyles (Table 8). Our changing
society has reduced the physical demands of daily living, but our
bodies still require regular physical activity. Our challenge is
to identify and implement strategies for insuring that our children
engage in the physical activity that they need to develop into fit
and healthy adults .
| Table
8: Recommendations for Promoting Physical Activity
in Young People by Dietitians and Other Health Care Providers
|
-
Provide
assessments of children's physical activity levels
- Screen
children for overweight/obesity status, non-insulin
dependent diabetes mellitus, and other diseases or
risk factors
- Refer
children to high quality school or community physical
activity programs whenever appropriate
- Advocate
for school environments that are conducive to physical
activity (Table 7A)
- Advocate
for community environments that are conducive to physical
activity (Table 7B)
- Advocate
and create home environments that are conducive to
physical activity (Table 7C)
- Counsel
children on how and why they should be physically
active
- Understand
and be sensitive to cultural practices or beliefs
that may interfere with physical activity
- Promote
physical activities and programs that do not offend
or ignore cultural beliefs
- Set
reasonable, attainable short-term and long-term physical
activity goals
|
| Modified
from Guidelines for School and Community Programs to Promote
Lifelong Physical Activity Among Young People (18, http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dash/physact.htm
) |
|
|
