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Health Topics
Physical Activity
Physical Activity and the Health of Young People
Benefits of Regular Physical Activity
-
Helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles.1
-
Helps reduce the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases
such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.1
-
Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety and promotes
psychological well-being.1
Long-Term Consequences of Physical Inactivity
-
Overweight and obesity, influenced by physical inactivity and poor
diet, are
significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high blood
pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status.2
-
Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely, dying
of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood
pressure.1
Obesity Among Youth
-
The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6�
has more than doubled in the past 20 years and among adolescents aged
12� has more than tripled.3,4
-
Children and adolescents who are overweight are more likely to be
overweight or obese as adults;5 one study showed that
children who became obese by age 8 were more severely obese as adults.6
Participation in Physical Activity by Young People
-
During the 7 days preceding the survey, 77% of children aged 9-13
reported participating in free-time physical activity.7
-
Thirty-six percent of high school students had participated in at
least 60 minutes per day of
physical activity on 5 or more of the 7 days preceding the survey.8
-
Sixty-four percent of high school students participated in
sufficient vigorous physical activity, and 27% participated in
sufficient moderate physical activity.8
-
Participation in physical activity declines as children get older.1
Percentage of High School Students
Participating in Physical Activity and Physical Education, by Sex,
20058
Type of Activity |
Girls |
Boys |
At least 60 minutes/day of physical activitya |
27.8% |
43.8% |
Attended physical education class dailyb |
29.0% |
37.1% |
|
a Any kind of physical activity that
increased heart rate and made them breathe hard some of the time for at
least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more of the 7 days preceding the survey
b Attended physical education classes 5 days in an average
week when they were in school
Participation in Physical Education Classes
-
Over half (54%) of high school students (72% of 9th grade
students but only 39% of 12th grade students) attended physical education
classes in 2005.8
-
The percentage of high school students who attended physical
education classes daily decreased from 42% in 1991 to 25% in 1995, and
has remained stable at that level until 2005 (33%). In 2005, 45% of 9th
grade students but only 22% of 12th grade students attended physical
education class daily.8
-
Among the 54% of students who attended physical education classes,
84% actually exercised or played sports for 20 minutes or longer during
an average class.8
References
-
CDC. Physical activity and
health: A report of the
Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services, 1996.
-
Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, et al. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related
health
risk factors, 2001. Journal of the American Medical Association
2003;289(1):76-79.
-
Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in
overweight among U.S.
children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of the American Medical
Association 2002;288:1728�32.
- Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ,
Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004.
Journal of the American Medical Association 2006;295(13): 1549-1555.
- Ferraro KF, Thorpe RJ Jr, Wilkinson JA. The life course of severe
obesity: Does childhood overweight matter? Journal of Gerontology 2003;58B(2):S110-S119.
- Freedman DS, Khan LK, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS.
Relationship of childhood obesity to coronary heart disease risk factors in
adulthood: the Bogalusa Study. Pediatrics 2001;108(3):712-718.
- CDC. Physical activity levels
among children aged 9� years桿nited States,
2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report August 22, 2003; 52 (SS-33):
785-788.
- CDC.
Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance桿nited States, 2005
[pdf 300K]. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2006;55(SS-5):1�8.
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October 2007
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