Childhood Obesity – Facts and Causes

Racing Up the Stairs by Neeta Lind/flickrThe CDC survey seemed to show that childhood obesity was caused by two main things: modern technology and lifestyles. No one faction is to blame, and our time is so much better spent working toward solutions.
Ways to Make a Difference

A Race to the Finish by OakleyOriginals/flickr
1) Obstacle Course: Every kid loves an obstacle course. It’s great because the kids don’t think about exercise when they’re engaged in the activity – they’re just having fun crawling through tunnels or jumping over different objects. It doesn’t have to be fancy, either. You can use simple materials like a jump rope, an exercise mat, a “bouncy” ball, and any other object that you can think of. Have the kids do three somersaults on the mat, jump rope for ten seconds, and bounce the ball for a minute. You could then have them repeat this exercise a certain number of times, you can create a myriad of routines and they’ll enjoy them all.
The Perfect Jump by David Goehring/flickr
2) Mini-Olympics: Get the kids in your neighborhood to compete in a mini-Olympics event; be sure to include a Special Olympics category for physically challenged kids too. This could be held at a local park, and you could have different events like the 100-yard dash, long jump, and relay races. The great thing about this event is that it will bring out their competitive spirit, motivating them to do their best.
3) Xbox Kinect: Since so many kids love to play video games, why not use that love to start an exercise class? The Xbox Kinect is a great video game system that uses the motion of your body to complete tasks in the game. Since you have to actually get up and move to play the games, you’re exerting more energy than you would with a typical video game. Games like Kinect Sports have running events where you have to run in place to move the character. A local YMCA or youth center would be happy to have you hold an Xbox Kinect class in their facility.
As a Certified Personal Trainer, you can help kids overcome childhood obesity and become healthier, all while pursuing your life’s work. Use your training to design exercise programs for kids that are fun, exciting, and want them coming back for more.
About the author
Anthony Jefferies is fitness instructor who also contributes content for playground equipment companies providing imaginative structures for kids, so they can spend more time outdoors in active play.