Physical Activity and the Health of Young People

Benefits of Regular Physical Activity

• Helps build and maintain healthy bones and muscles.¹
   

• Helps reduce the risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.¹
   

• Reduces feelings of depression and anxiety and promotes psychological well-being.¹

Long-Term Consequences of Physical Inactivity

• Overweight and obesity, influenced by physical inactivity and poor diet, are significantly associated with an increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, asthma, arthritis, and poor health status.²
   

• Physical inactivity increases the risk of dying prematurely, dying of heart disease, and developing diabetes, colon cancer, and high blood pressure.¹

Obesity Among Youth

• The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6–11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years and among adolescents aged 12–19 has more than tripled.^3,4
   

• Children and adolescents who are overweight are more likely to be overweight or obese as adults;⁵ one study showed that children who became obese by age 8 were more severely obese as adults.⁶

Participation in Physical Activity by Young People

• During the 7 days preceding the survey, 77% of children aged 9-13 reported participating in free-time physical activity.⁷
   

• Thirty-six percent of high school students had participated in at least 60 minutes per day of physical activity on 5 or more of the 7 days preceding the survey.⁸
   

• Sixty-four percent of high school students participated in sufficient vigorous physical activity, and 27% participated in sufficient moderate physical activity.⁸
   

• Participation in physical activity declines as children get older.¹

Percentage of High School Students Participating in Physical Activity and Physical Education, by Sex, 2005⁸

Type of Activity Girls Boys At least 60 minutes/day of physical activity(a) 27.8% 43.8% Attended physical education class daily(b) 29.0% 37.1%

^a) Any kind of physical activity that increased heart rate and made them breathe hard some of the time for at least 60 minutes per day on 5 or more of the 7 days preceding the survey
^b) Attended physical education classes 5 days in an average week when they were in school
 

Participation in Physical Education Classes

• Over half (54%) of high school students (72% of 9^th grade students but only 39% of 12^th grade students) attended physical education classes in 2005.⁸
   

• The percentage of high school students who attended physical education classes daily decreased from 42% in 1991 to 25% in 1995, and has remained stable at that level until 2005 (33%). In 2005, 45% of 9^th grade students but only 22% of 12^th grade students attended physical education class daily.⁸
   

• Among the 54% of students who attended physical education classes, 84% actually exercised or played sports for 20 minutes or longer during an average class.⁸

References

1. CDC. Physical activity and health: A report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1996.
    
2. Mokdad AH, Ford ES, Bowman BA, et al. Prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and obesity-related health risk factors, 2001. Journal of the American Medical Association 2003;289(1):76-79.
    
3. Ogden CL, Flegal KM, Carroll MD, Johnson CL. Prevalence and trends in overweight among U.S. children and adolescents, 1999-2000. Journal of the American Medical Association 2002;288:1728–1732.
    
4. Ogden CL, Carroll MD, Curtin LR, McDowell MA, Tabak CJ, Flegal KM. Prevalence of overweight and obesity in the United States, 1999-2004. Journal of the American Medical Association 2006;295(13): 1549-1555.
    
5. Ferraro KF, Thorpe RJ Jr, Wilkinson JA. The life course of severe obesity: Does childhood overweight matter? Journal of Gerontology 2003;58B(2):S110-S119.
    
6. Freedman DS, Khan LK, Dietz WH, Srinivasan SR, Berenson GS. Relationship of childhood obesity to coronary heart disease risk factors in adulthood: the Bogalusa Study. Pediatrics 2001;108(3):712-718.
    
7. CDC. Physical activity levels among children aged 9–13 years—United States, 2002. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report August 22, 2003; 52 (SS-33): 785-788.
    
8. CDC. Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance—United States, 2005 [pdf 300K]. Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report 2006;55(SS-5):1–108.

 

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