-work on science task: steps we can take to reduce our carbon footprint and global warming
-work on money & youth handout: where's your money going? create your pie graph using percents
-work on health/language response: sedentary lifestyle as outlined below:
Google a
news article (i.e. CP24, Global TV, Toronto Star etc.) that deals with
“sedentary lifestyle/inactivity”.
Copy &
paste the text into MS Word to print.
On a
separate sheet stapled to it, provide the following:
· a definition
· what factors contribute to developing
a sedentary lifestyle
· how early is it starting?
· can you relate to anything in the
news story?
· what steps can we all take to reverse
the effects?
Response to
Australian news headline: Inactivity is putting kids as young as 15 at risk
of obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
A sedentary lifestyle is one that involves
inactivity, that is, little to no movement, recreational activities, or
exercise. Screen-time addictions (i.e.
television, video games, social media) all contribute to this lifestyle. As a child in the 1980s, I was always out and
about after school well into the evening.
Now, children are not – they are either indoors, in a community program
or at a playdate. I rarely see children
playing freely in the neighborhood. The
notion of “play” seems to be scheduled and bubbled by overprotective parents at
some particular location. As a child, I
never learned that inactivity could lead to diabetes, heart disease and obesity
in adulthood – these ideas were far from my mind. Now, with all the different media platforms
we’re bombarded with everyday, the effects of a sedentary lifestyle become all
too clear. It's incredible that we cannot even "unplug" when we are walking or driving! We were designed to move:
work and play need to be balanced with proper eating habits. I fear this could become the global epidemic of
the 21st century.
Article:
Inactivity is putting kids as young as 15 at risk of obesity, heart disease and Type 2 diabetes
Consequences ... Children as young a 15 are facing the health consequences of inactivity. Picture: Thinkstock Source:Supplied
EXCESSIVE screen time and the inactivity that goes with it is putting kids as young as 15 at greater risk of obesity and chronic disease, new research shows.
And researchers are demanding a long term national policy to get children moving to avert the health consequences.
The effects of poor exercise habits can be seen as early as the age of 15 a Sydney University study published in Pediatrics has found.
The long term study of 4,600 children found those who are more active in late childhood have lower body fat and reduced risk factors for cardiovascular disease.
Healthy kids ... Children who are active have lower body fat and reduced risk factors for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Picture: ThinkStock Source: Supplied
The good news is an increase of 60 minutes of daily activity in childhood was linked to two per cent less body fat, the study found.
Motion sensors were used to measure children’s physical activity levels at 11 years of age, which was compared to their health outcomes at 15 years of age.
Lead researcher Associate Professor Emmanuel Stamatakis from the University’s Charles Perkins Centre says just one in five Australian children move enough to meet the national guidelines of 60 minutes moderate to vigorous activity a day.
And 70 per cent exceed the recommendation they spend less than two hours a day engaged in front of a screen.
In the study the children spent an average of just 25-30 minutes doing such activities which include walking, cycling, playing and taking start in sport.
They spent just 5-7 minutes a day in vigours sporting activities.
Not good ... Only one in five Australian children do the recommended 60 minutes exercise a day. Picture ThinkstockSource: Supplied
Getting children moving is a job that can’t be left to parents alone, he says.
A national strategy is needed to combat the problem and prevent the long term consequences of inactivity, he said.
“With technology today meaning excessive sitting and screen time, we urgently need a serious long-term health policy which promotes strategies in schools and communities to give young people more opportunities for walking, cycling, play, and sports on a daily basis,” he said.
“If inactivity patterns persist into adulthood, which is very likely, we expect an increased risk for developing heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.”
Professor Stamatakis says we need to make it easy for children to be active.
Schools should be turned into car free zones to encourage children to walk to school and walking buses should be promoted to get kids to school.
Changes needed ... We need to make exercise the easy option for kids says Professor Stamatakis. Picture: News Corp.Source: News Limited
Cycle paths need to be improved around schools, he said.
A side benefit of the extra activity would be fewer cars on the road, he said.
The study provided clear evidence that the negative effects of inactivity in childhood are evident well before adulthood, he said.
The research is the longest running study to objectively measure children’s physical activity and sedentary behaviour against measures relating to heart health, obesity, and diabetes.
The study did not show any association between sitting time and negative health consequences; however the researchers speculate that a longer-term follow up into adulthood could reveal different results.
