By Ken Reed
A new study in the American Journal of Medicine, has found that on a national level, physical inactivity prevalence is unacceptably high and has not appreciably improved over the past decade.
In the report, researchers state:
“Specifically, on a national level, physical inactivity prevalence is unacceptably high … The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may have worsened the situation, as social distancing and stay-at-home orders to contain the virus caused people to move even less. We are now watching to see if the lower COVID-19-era physical activity levels persist. In either case, the physical inactivity crisis itself represents an ongoing pandemic. A prolonged post-pandemic re-calibration to an even lower level of physical activity will worsen the chronic disease crisis we face.”
The physical inactivity crisis in the United States is even worse among children and adolescents. Despite this, schools continue to drop physical education classes, cut recess time and eliminate intramural sports programs.
“Research has shown that lack of physical activity may be a more significant factor in contributing to childhood obesity than even bad diet,” according to former Rhodes Scholar, Congressman, NBA player and former co-chair of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Tom McMillen. He adds:
“Other research in adults indicates that poor fitness is a more significant predictor of death than obesity generally, diabetes and other causes. In other words, the most important thing we can do for the health of our kids is to get them up off the couch.”
Now, more than ever.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
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