Less than half of 12- to 15-year-olds in the U.S. are close to physically fit, according to the CDC, which released new data on the subject Wednesday.
Being aerobically fit means having an “adequate” level of cardiorespiratory fitness, which is crucial for sports as well as overall health.
Dr. Dyan Hes, medical director of Gramercy Pediatrics, specializes in obesity and calls the findings “so sad.”
“Children in the U.S. are not getting enough exercise,” she said, adding that in New York City public schools grades K-5 get one 45-minute gym class per week. Recess is not mandatory. She also noted that a skinny child isn’t automatically synonymous with a fit child — genetics come into play.
Fifty percent of boys were found to have adequate cardiovascular health, as were 34% of girls, per the study.
The numbers are down from 52% of young people in 1999 to 2000, the last time the survey was conducted, regardless of race and family income, which Dr. Hes finds interesting.
“In all of our obesity studies we see there’s a disparity in minority communities and children (with lower) socioeconomic status are more likely to be obese, but in this study all the kids were equally poorly fit.”
For parents of children who would rather play video games or watch TV, Hes said that they need to remind their children “who’s in charge.”
“I have my kids — I have to literally take the iPads and hide them,” she said.
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