11 Facts about Fitness     

4.Fitness

i.

The percentage of children and adolescents who are defined as overweight has nearly tripled since the early 1970s.

ii.

Currently, more than one in five children between ages 6 and 17 are overweight.

iii.

Only 32% of kids in that age group meet the minimum standards for cardiovascular fitness, flexibility and upper-body strength.

iv.

Another 15% of children and teens ages 6 to 19 are considered at risk of becoming overweight.

v.

The average U.S. child gets approximately 43 minutes of moderate physical activity a day.

vi.

The average U.S. child spends 20% of his/her waking time watching TV.

vii.

By the time they reach high school, 63% of children are no longer physically active.

viii.

These types of trends are causing a sharp rise in Type 2 diabetes among young people, a critical health problem previously viewed as a disease of middle-aged or older individuals.

ix.

Lowered self-esteem is associated with being overweight in girls as young as five.

x.

Obese children, ages 10 to 13, are reported to have 70% likelihood of being obese as adults.

xi.

The health benefits of exercise and physical activity include reducing the risk of diabetes, premature death, high blood pressure, colon and breast cancer, and the reduction of depression and anxiety.