Why Exercise Helps Prevent Childhood Obesity

Way Back When:Our younger daughter came home from a friend’s house and had a strange look on her face. It was as if she was seeing me for the first time. She said, “Mom, you’re older than DOS.” Her younger friend had just had the same revelation about her own mother.That’s true. When I was growing up, the television had three channels that might work if you put enough tinfoil on the rabbit ears or climbed up and turned the antennae just right. There were no computers, cell phones, laptops, kindles or game devices.What did we do for entertainment? In good weather, we went outside and played. We rode our bicycles, played ball, had races and otherwise…gasp…exercised. We just didn’t know that’s what it was.Most of the people in our area gardened. I’m not talking a hanging basket of tomatoes or a few herbs as a border, I mean rows and rows of fruits and vegetables. That takes a lot of work, and we kids did our share of weeding, hoeing, watering and otherwise took care of the plants. When they got ripe, we helped harvest and preserve it.If you’ve never had a fairly good sized garden, you may not know all of the physical work that goes into growing one, then preserving the produce. Trust me, it’s a full time job with very few breaks.NowadaysLet’s look at the average school day of a youngster. On the way to school, he or she may text message friends. Once there, the cell phone has to be put away, or it gets confiscated till the end of class (sort of like passing notes…). In class, many schools use laptop computers with text disks instead of books. The child stares at the screen until gym class.Wait a minute, did I say gym class? Many schools are dumping these classes in order to encourage more book learning and lessen liability if someone should get hurt. That means about the only break all day comes at lunch time.When the students gets home, he or she will naturally have homework. A larger computer may be needed for that…yet another screen. When that’s done it’s play time.Unfortunately, playtime doesn’t mean going outside. It usually means a Wii, game boy or other electronic device. Text messaging is also likely to be going on at the same time. Also, many children live in areas where going outside to play is impossible, either due to potential violence or the fact that there’s no place to play.What’s wrong with this picture? If we want to help our children avoid a lifetime of weight issues, we need to make some changes. Ask your child’s school offers gym and whether it is optional or mandatory. Mandatory would be better. Then, start looking for after school and summer sports that your child may be able to enjoy.You may also want to set an example. Even if you’re bushed after working all day, a family walk around the block or to a neighborhood park would be good for all of you. We can work exercise into our busy, screen filled lives and prevent childhood obesity.