14 DAY TRIAL // Obesity kills over 160,000 US citizens annually. In just 25 years, the number of obese people in the US boomed from 15 % to 33 %. Oppositely, in 1980, 8% of the British women and 6% of men were entered in the obese category. By 2004, this percentage had increased to 24% for both sexes. Obesity is accompanied by two or three of the following issues: diabetes and cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, elevated levels of blood triglycerides (saturated fats) and low levels of the artery-protecting HDL cholesterol.
Infantile obesity has also risen, to 16% in children up to 15 years old in 2003, compared to 10-12% in 1995. High calorie diets and low physical activity are the main causes responsible for all this. Previous generations registered a higher calorie consumption, but they also had more physically demanding job and habits.
Physical activity is known to extend lifespan and protect against important cardiovascular diseases, diabetes type II and colon cancer. An active lifestyle and good physical condition are known to decrease the risk for prostate and breast cancer, depression and conditions of the urinary bladder, besides ensuring mobility for later in life. Even if children may not experience these conditions, the worsening of cardiovascular risk factors and the increase of the rate of diabetes II at young ages are real facts.
The increasing obesity in children also leads to a boost of these risk factors. In fact, lack of physical activity leads to obesity. Physical activity during childhood and at a young age is necessary for the normal development of the body. Moderate to intense physical activity performed during childhood contributes to a better physical profile and decreased risk of becoming diseased as an adult.
There is a strong connection between physical inactivity and increased mortality and morbidity (disease rates). In order to remain healthy, a child must occupy at least 60 minutes daily of their time with moderate physical exercise that can also be part of their daily activities. This includes playing in the open, active playing with the family and genuine sports. Adolescence is a crucial period because of the dramatic decline in periodic exercising. Besides maintaining an active lifestyle, teenagers must engage in vigorous physical exercises, at least thrice a week, combined in sessions of at least 20 minutes. In order to achieve these aims, teenagers must reduce the periods of sedentariness, like watching TV, playing video games, time spent in front of the computer and surfing the Internet.
The physical and social environment are important factors in determining the sedentary habits, and changes made in this environment must be done with the purpose of encouraging physical exercise. 30 years ago, walking to school was normal and general; today, increasingly more parents take their children to school by car, so they don't walk that much anymore. These changes made in the urban movement should boost physical activity, and they would affect school, infrastructure, urban transport, house, sports and recreation clubs. Some parents have come to buy a pet dog for their children just to encourage them to make a daily walk with the animal. Think that just 30 minutes of daily exercise decrease the risk of a heart attack by 31%; over 60 minutes by 42%. 30 minutes of vigorous exercising (running, football / soccer, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, and so on) decrease this risk by 42%; the combination of walking with vigorous exercising by 63%.