• The number of overweight youth, ages 6-19, has dramatically increased since 1976.
• Unhealthy diets and too little physical activity are the main reasons for this increase.
• Overweight youth are at a greater risk of developing serious, often life-threatening conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, sleep apnea, arthritis, and cancer -- at an earlier age.

• Popularity of fast foods and super-sized portions
• Lack of physically active recreational programs and activities for teens
• Traffic and safety concerns; lack of sidewalks and bike paths discourage outside play, and encourages reliance on cars for transportation
• Widespread availability of high-fat, high-sugar snacks and beverages where youth gather
• Highly competitive sports that start at a young age and exclude all but the best athletes

What you can do:

• Be active and live a healthy lifestyle; invite your children to walk, bike or do other activities with you.
• Limit the number of hours your children spend on sedentary activities such as watching TV and playing video/computer games.
• Make sure you have healthy foods and snacks available at home.
• Encourage your children to walk or bike, when possible, rather than ride in a car.
• Encourage schools, after-school programs, and youth organizations to provide healthy snacks
     and beverage options.
• Advocate for convenient, safe, and adequate places for young people to play and take part in physical activity programs.
• Promote intramural sports and other non-competitive physical activities for youth.
• Increase public awareness of the safety of neighborhoods; lobby for more sidewalks, bike paths, and recreational facilities.
• Encourage schools to incorporate daily physical activity in to the school curriculum and/or schedule.
  

For more information on TCP's Physical Activity & Nutrition workgroup, contact Joan Bulfer,
Bloomington Public Health, 952/563-8992.