Location and Childhood ObesityLiving in a state where temperatures reach below freezing in the winter months and constant wind, snow, sleet, ice, most people go into hibernation. Physical activity is minimal. People stay indoors and don't get the exercise as they might in the summer months. I live in a state where when its cold school recess remains indoors and physical activity is practically taken away from children. The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance states that the obesity epidemic has increased dramatically in specific areas of the country. Obesity rates for adults rose significantly in 31 states and fell in no states in the past year, according to the fourth annual F as in Fat report, "How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America, 2007", issued by the Trust For America's Health (TFAH). The findings state obesity and inactivity show a strong correlation, "Mississippi led in physical inactivity, with at rate of 31.6 percent, followed closely by Louisiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Alabama (all of whom were in the top seven for obesity)." The report also finds that rates of overweight children, 10 to 17 years of age, ranged from a high of 22.8 percent in Washington, D.C. to a low of 8.5 percent in Utah. Eight of the ten states with the highest rates of overweight children were in the South. This showed the correlation between poverty and obesity. In these areas there are under funded schools where physical education has been cut and nutritional programs aren't enforced. The report also surveyed 1,021 adults, a national opinion survey conducted for TFAH by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, Inc. from July 12-16, 2007. The report found 85 percent of Americans believe that obesity is an epidemic, two-thirds of Americans believe children do not participate in adequate amounts of physical activity during the school day or engage in enough physical activity outside of school, 70 percent of Americans believe proposals to increase physical education in schools would be very useful. Where there is inactivity there is an increase in obesity rates. We must tackle this and encourage ourselves and our children to remain active throughout the year. How can we do that? Here are a few tips to keep you active in the winter: finding small things such as parking further away from the store, eating healthy, and doing physical activity to keep your heart rate up while watching TV such as running in place or jumping rope. It's important to just take a few minutes out of yours and your child's day for physical activity and this will start to bring the percentages down. America is aware of the obesity epidemic--but now is the time to fight it!
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