How Much Exercise Do Kids Need?

Girl playing dog

There was a time when no one worried about kids getting enough exercise. Before the invention of television, computers and video games, children often spent much of their time participating in physical activities. They played tag with friends, organized impromptu basketball games and rode their bikes. But today, the abundance of inactive pursuits for children has led to a decrease in their activity level. The dangers of an inactive lifestyle are many. When an adult has a sedentary lifestyle, it increases his risk of serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure and heart … [Read more...]

Childhood Obesity

baby boy

The number of overweight children and adolescents has significantly increased during the past decade. There are times during childhood and adolescence where one is more susceptible to weight gain, but these times also offer prevention opportunities for obesity. Obesity is defined by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) according to body mass index (BMI). Several health risks arise from a child being overweight, such as type-2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and heart disease. Fortunately approaches to counter childhood obesity have been clinically recognized, including behavioral, … [Read more...]