Study: Parents Undervalue Physical Activity for Children

When I was growing up, I played for hours outside with my friends.

Roller skating, bicycling and playing a game called Kick the Can – those were our favorite activities. I can remember maybe one kid in school who needed to lose weight.

Sadly, it’s a different story today.

From parks to playgrounds, about 17 percent of American children from the ages of 2 to 19 are overweight, according to federal health statistics.

Health officials say a link between weight problems and poor life-long health can begin as early as age 2.

It’s pretty easy to blame it all on food choices. But as a new study indicates, it’s not that simple.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and All Children’s Hospital in Florida found that parents of preschoolers “are generally well aware of dietary risk factors that fuel childhood obesity,” according to a news release.

“Childhood obesity is a complex, multi-factorial phenomenon but our findings reveal that, for the most part, lack of parental awareness of nutritional risk factors is not one of the drivers behind it,” said Dr. Raquel Hernandez in the release. Hernandez, a pediatrician at Hopkins Children’s Center, was lead investigator of the study.

Instead, it appears that parents undervalue physical activity in an age group often perceived as “‘active enough,” according to Dr. Janet Serwint, of Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

So how much physical activity should preschoolers get?

Federal health officials say children and adolescents need one hour daily of physical activity.

If you’re a parent, ask yourself: does my child play outside everyday?

Alice Warchol is a freelance health blog writer and fitness instructor.

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