Published: May 09, 2008 02:56 pm            

Get moving! Spring prime time to promote fitness

The sun is out, the weather’s warm. And there’s no better time to get up, get moving, get out of the house and begin promoting healthy activities in children.

With the school year drawing to a close, now is the time to encourage our youth to participate in physical activities.

Soccer, softball, swimming, gymnastics, jump rope, hopscotch, running, walking, skipping. It doesn’t matter what exercise children are engaged in. The important thing is that they are not spending their spare time sprawled on the couch, eating fat- and calorie-laden snacks, while playing video games or watching TV.

Responding to a report by the International Journal of Pediatric Obesity several years ago, Dr. Phillip Thomas, a surgeon unconnected to the study, provided an ominous quote to the Associated Press: “This is going to be the first generation that’s going to have a lower life expectancy than their parents. It’s like the plague is in town and no one is interested.”

We are interested. And worried, concerned and frightened.

In West Virginia the trend is even more alarming: Among the distressing statistics published in recent years:

— Twenty-nine percent of West Virginia high school students are overweight or are at risk of becoming overweight, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The CDC also notes 28 percent of low-income children between the age of 2 and 5 are overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

— Almost half of more than 30,000 fifth graders in the state screened for a coronary artery risk project from 1999 to 2005 were overweight or obese, guidelines for the Institute of Medicine show.

— In southern West Virginia, McDowell County ranked fourth in the state in obesity prevalence, 29 percent, from 1995 to 1999, according to the Department of Health and Human Resources.

And it’s not just our state’s children who are impacted by this epidemic. CDC reports have consistently placed West Virginia among the top states in the nation for obesity in adults.

The cycle has to stop.

Lifestyles changes are difficult, and rarely do they happen overnight. But with preservation and a commitment to change, we can set our youth on a path to a healthier future.

And there’s no better way to do this than with parents, family members, friends and loved ones leading the way.

Don’t just ask your children to go outside and play — go with them. Play hide and seek, tag or toss a baseball around in the backyard.

Don’t just give healthy snacks to your kids — make them a part of your entire family’s daily diet.

And don’t set a bad example. Can a child be inspired to go on a nature walk, ride a bike or take up a new sport when they see mom and dad spending all their free time in front of the television or computer screen?

We encourage parents across the two Virginias to make the commitment now to inspire a healthier lifestyle among our region’s youth.

Start with baby steps — a walk around the neighborhood, an afternoon spent bird watching or an overnight family camping trip. Then, most importantly, keep the fitness momentum going.

Our children’s health must become a top priority in West Virginia and across the nation. But it’s not going to happen unless we wake up and take the initiative to make it happen.

        

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