Sedentary Lifestyle Starts Young
Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at 6:15AM
Kids these days spend much too much time in front of screens - computers, video games, television, whatever. A new study from Oregon State University found that parents, and not the presence of electronic devices, are key to whether or not kids become sedentary. The researchers compared four parenting styles, authoritative (high warmth and control), authoritarian (controlling, less warm), permissive (warm, low control), and neglectful (low control and warmth) and found that regardless of parenting style, overall children age two to four were sitting from four to five hours a day. The researchers noted that the preschool years set a pattern for activity - or not - and that it is natural for little kids to have bursts of activity during the day. Once they get to school, their physical activity decreases and continues to decline throughout life. The remedy: support and promote active play (playing with your kids has the most impact, the researchers said). They added that parents can make a difference just by encouraging their kids to be active, even if all that means is watching the kids play or driving them to an activity.
Reader Comments (1)
HAVING STARTED MY WEBSITES OVER FOUR YEARS AGO...IT'S TIME TO BLOOM!...I SO AGREE WITH DR. WEILL THAT THE FLOWERS...FROM EVERY COUNTRY IN THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD...ADD TO OUR ENTHUSISAM AND JOY. LIKE ALL THE PEOPLE...THEY COME IN VARIOUS COLORS AND SIZES. JUST LIKE THOSE...'SCATTERED SEEDS'...LANDING IN AN UNUSUAL PLACE...THEY TAKE ROOT/ACCEPT WHERE THEY WERE BLOWN OR PLANTED...AND GROW WITH NOURISHMENT FROM THE SUN AND RAIN/NATURAL FOODS AND WATER...AND BECOME SOULMATES...TO EACH OTHER. PICK AND CHOOSE...THE VARIETIES/COLORS/CULTURES/LANGUAGES ARE ENDLESS. BREATHE DEEPLY...ENJOY THE BEAUTY THAT SURROUNDS...90% OF US, AND DECIDE TO ENJOY EACH DAY...LIVING 90% IN THE NOW...WITH 5% REMEMBERING THE PAST...AND 5% DREAMING OF THE FUTURE. I CAN DO THIS...PROGRAM UP IN YOUR MIND...NEVER GIVE UP. CAROLE E