Active Healthy Living Prevention of….pdfVIP

POLICY STATEMENT Organizational Principles to Guide and Active Healthy Living: Prevention of Define the Child Health Care System and/or Improve the Health of All Children Childhood Obesity Through Increased Physical Activity Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness and Council on School Health ABSTRACT The current epidemic of inactivity and the associated epidemic of obesity are being driven by multiple factors (societal, technologic, industrial, commercial, financial) and must be addressed likewise on several fronts. Foremost among these are the expansion of school physical education, dissuading children from pursuing sed- entary activities, providing suitable role models for physical activity, and making activity-promoting changes in the environment. This statement outlines ways that pediatric health care providers and public health officials can encourage, monitor, and advocate for increased physical activity for children and teenagers. INTRODUCTION N 1997, THE World Health Organization declared obesity a global epidemic with Imajor health implications.1 According to the 1999–2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (/nchs/nhanes.htm), the prevalence of overweight or obesity in children and youth in the United States is over 15%, a value that has tripled since the 1960s.2 The health implications of this epidemic are profound. Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, obstruc- tive sleep apnea, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, poor self-esteem, and a lower health-related quality of life are among the comorbidities seen more commonly in affected children and youth