How Can Our Children Become More Active?

Why the Decrease in Physical Activity?

Physical activity has essentially been engineered out of our children's lives. Several secular trends are likely causes including, but not limited to:

• Increasing opportunities for sedentary recreation (e.g., TV, computers, video games)

• Increased demands for better academic performance - less recess and PE, reduced time for lunch and other activity breaks

• Increased vehicle travel and less person-powered transport (i.e., walking and biking to school and other short destinations)

• Increased concerns over child safety - stranger danger and high-speed vehicular traffic

• Changes in urban environment and design

• Personal injury litigation and decreased opportunities for physical activity

• More families with two working parents

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