April 29, 2008
Since the 1970s, there has been an alarming increase in the rate of obesity among children of all ages in the United States. The epidemic of childhood obesity is widely recognized as an immediate and long-term threat not only to children’s health and quality of life, but also to the nation’s health care system and economy. Changing the environments—homes, schools and neighborhoods—in which children live, learn and play is now seen as an essential strategy for reversing the obesity epidemic. This summary provides a synopsis of the current state of research into the environmental factors and policies related to young people’s physical activity and sedentary behavior patterns, and how these in turn may be linked to obesity. This research identifies potential strategies for addressing physical inactivity among youth and the childhood obesity epidemic
Posted by Gary Holden at April 29, 2008 4:50 AM