In today's technology-driven society, children often sit for hours in front of a screen (e.g., computer, TV, video game), exercising only their fingers as they manipulate the keyboard, remote control, or game controller. This sedentary lifestyle contributes to the growing problem of childhood obesity. Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control…

America has a serious weight problem. Two-thirds of adults and nearly one-fifth of children in the United States are overweight, placing them at greater risk for heart disease, diabetes, and other chronic diseases including cancer and arthritis. Furthermore, obesity and its related health problems are placing a major strain on the U.S. health care…

The American College Health Association estimates that three out of every 10 college students are overweight or obese. Both terms denote ranges of weight that are greater than what is considered healthy for a given height and have been shown to increase the likelihood of diseases. Over the past two decades, the number of American children who are…

Childhood obesity is on the rise across the country and in North Carolina, with four times as many children exhibiting signs of obesity now as they did 20 years ago. The costs in terms of medical expenses are staggering, with one estimate putting the cost to North Carolina at $16 million a year. Some North Carolina legislators have expressed…

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, research indicates that today's children are not getting enough physical activity. One solution to this problem is to integrate other subjects into physical education. This article describes a successful physical education program for Pre-K children implemented at the Sheboygan Area…

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently reported that 16-33% of children and adolescents in the United States are overweight or obese, making this the number one nutritional disease of this group. The prevalence appears to be increasing annually, as are the associated consequences. Moreover, the CDC estimates that less than…

American kids are fat and getting fatter. In the late 1970s, about 7 percent of U.S. children between the ages of six and 11 were considered obese, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control. The percentage now is more than 13 percent, even higher among teens and in certain demographic groups. The reasons why are no surprise. Children…

Recent evidence indicates that the near-epidemic growth rate of adult obesity in the United States has spread its pernicious tentacles to our youths. The overweight rate among school-age children in the United States tripled from about five percent to more than 15 percent between 1980 and 2002 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2002).…

The nature of a healthy lifestyle and its significance to quality of life is examined. Following a discussion on what is involved in a healthy lifestyle, major health problems are described: (1) smoking; (2) alcohol and drug abuse; (3) sexually transmitted diseases; (4) diet and obesity; (5) stress; and (6) inadequate sleep. Recommendations are…

In 1975, a joint committee on physical fitness, composed of the Measurement and Evaluation, Physical Fitness, and Research Councils of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) studied its Youth Fitness Test to determine the need for revision. Study results called for: (1) alteration in traditional…

Diabetes among American Indians has become epidemic since World War II, due to dietary changes and a possible genetic predisposition. Innovative community-based programs teach prevention and management of diabetes through exercise, diet, and blood sugar monitoring. Traditional American Indian lifestyles and diets prevented diabetes. Sidebars…