Everyone knows the importance of being fit. Even with this knowledge most people today dont get as much exercise as they should. Studies show students from grade school on get far less exercise than they did 20 years ago. Most of them cannot do five sit-ups, run three laps around a gym, or walk one fourth of a mile home from school without complaining. I think this is mostly related to the advancements in technology.
Twenty years ago computers were just being developed, video consoles were much less advanced and less youth had them, and television wasnt as popular. Then when kids would get home from school they would play baseball, basketball, tag, or other activities requiring physical activity. Today when most kids come home they play video games, watch television, or talk on the phone to their friends. Kids now hate to be outside and they generally get bored inside and then they begin to eat. This attributes to obesity and being over weight.
Im not saying that all kids exhibit this behavior however. Some kids get out and play with their friends daily and when they get bored they go for a walk or ride their bikes. Kids today also do not ride their bikes as much. Twenty years ago you would see kids riding their bikes to school and to friends houses. Today kids want to get rides from their parents or other friends.
Parents who have noticed that their child is acting this way could encourage their child to go outside and walk or play with an animal outside. They could also limit their childs time on things like televisions, video game systems, and computers. Eliminating junk food in the house and replacing it with healthy food like fruits and vegetables would increase their health to. Even If their kid doesnt want to go outside they could use a stationary bicycle or a treadmill and get them to walk while they watch T.V. As you can see there are many ways parents could aid in the fight to increase their young persons health. If a parents suspects that their child is not physically fit hey could take them to a doctor to do tests on them. You could also get a body composition test.
Schools could offer more physical education classes and make the classes more strenuous and make the content more challenging. They could also supply aerobic equipment for the youth when they are in the P.E. classes. School lunches could include healthier food and require kids to take a certain amount of this.
In conclusion there are many ways that parents and teachers can try to increase childrens health but the only way to do it is if the kid I willing to help out in this process. I think that if schools and parents team together they can make a difference in many kids lives and make this percent mentioned at the beginning go down dramatically.
