As the obesity epidemic rages across the U.S., the one thing everyone agrees with is physical activity is key. It must be increased.

Manual work has been replaced by labor-saving devices; a host of electronic entertainment devices consume hours yet require little but a flick of the wrist.

Americans of all ages are less active by the day. Remote control, electric garage door openers, toothbrushes, escalators, power steering, brakes, windows, etc., have all eliminated the need to engage muscles. 

Almost half of all children do not participate in any regular physical activity. 55-year-old adults are more likely to get regular exercise than 12- to 17-year-old kids are.

(Source: Kelly D. Brownell, Ph.D., author of Food Fight and Director of the Yale Center for Eating and Weight Disorders.)

And there are more reasons to stay indoors (seated) -- cable TV, video games and computers -- in addition to safety concerns.

Nearly half of U.S. kids aged 12-21 years don’t participate regularly in vigorous physical activity.

In 1973, 70% of school kids walked or biked to school. Today, less than 15% do.

TV: A Risk Factor

40% of 1- to 5-year-olds had a TV in their bedrooms. (Source: From a recent study published June 2002 in Pediatrics)

From another study by the Kaiser Family Foundation:

	More than one-fourth of kids under two had a TV in their bedrooms
	More than 33% of kids six and under had a TV in their bedrooms
	70% of kids spend two hours per day with some kind of “screen media” (includes computer use, video games).

TV use is also seen as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (worsening triglycerides, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol and blood sugar control).

Various studies link obesity with TV time and:

	Eating fewer fruits and veggies
	Consuming more pizza, snack foods, soft drinks
	A declining metabolic rate in children

	By high school graduation, kids have logged more hours watching TV than they’ve spent at school.

Sugary Sodas + TV = Obesity

A study of a few hundred 6th and 7th graders in Santa Barbara, CA, found a significant link between BMI (body fat), hours of TV watched and daily soft drink consumption.

	35% of students had a BMI at/above the 85th percentile.
	Half of students had a BMI at/above the 95th percentile.
	Rates were higher for Hispanic students and lower for Asian than non Hispanic white students.