Children, video games, obesity & other

What are your children doing tonight?  Are they gaming, playing a Xbox or finding games on the internet?  Did you know 87% of 8 to 17 year old children play video games at home. More than nine out of ten (92%) boys play video games at home, while 80% of girls say they play at home. (http://www.mediafamily.org/hot_topics/brain_development.shtml) Think about that...87%.   No wonder we have a childhood obesity epidemic on our hands.  Our children sit in school for 8-9 hours of which PE classes may not exist due to budget cut backs and lack of prioritizing funding.  Then they come home and yes, you guessed it sit for another 2 hours playing games.   After that, of course homework needs to be done.  Where does that happen these days?   Well of course on the computer.  This angers me the longer I think about it and hear stories of kids with diabetes at age 10, 11, 12 and up.  The burden this will have on our already costly health care system will be enormous if we do not change it now!

So, if you have children, grandchildren, nephews, nieces are they gaming?  How much?  Have you set limits?  I have started to take the approach they need to earn it.  My son and I made a pact that if he is going to play he needs to pay with exercise!  He commits to time on our eliptical trainer, will do sit ups or pushups to earn time playing a game.   Like many parents we struggle with managing this, but are able to implement pay to play often. 

Our children's bodies are not the only thing being reshaped by computer games, X-box and Playstation.  It is widely accepted that young children’s brains are extremely malleable. One look at a two year old shows us that early childhood is a time of incredible developmental change. However, new brain science is shedding light onto our understanding of how children's brains grow and develop over time. Contrary to long-standing belief, the adolescent brain is not a finished product. In fact, it is in the midst of a period of dynamic growth. And during this important developmental stage, an adolescent brain can be very powerfully affected by the experiences they have. Again reference http://www.mediafamily.org/hot_topics/brain_development.shtml


Neuroscientists agree: when the brain is in the midst of major rewiring, it is extremely susceptible to outside influences. In other words, the experiences our kids have when their brains are developing have a profound impact on the mental map they will use as adults. This research not only explains a lot about the baffling behavior of teenagers but also reminds us that media is a powerful force in the lives of kids of all ages. In other words, if we believe that Sesame Street is teaching our four year olds something, then we better believe that Grand Theft Auto Vice City is teaching our fourteen-year olds something as well.

So a couple of recommendations.  Encourage participation in almost anything else!  As a trainer of course I prefer sport and recreation activites.  National standards found at http://www.aahperd.org/naspe/standards/nationalGuidelines/PA-Children-5-12.cfm are as follows:

Guideline 1.


Children should accumulate at least 60 minutes, and up to several hours, of age-appropriate physical activity on all, or most days of the week. This daily accumulation should include moderate and vigorous physical activity with the majority of the time being spent in activity that is intermittent in nature.

Guideline 2.

Children should participate in several bouts of physical activity lasting 15 minutes or more each day.

Guideline 3.

Children should participate each day in a variety of age-appropriate physical activities designed to achieve optimal health, wellness, fitness, and performance benefits.


Guideline 4.

Extended periods (periods of two hours or more) of inactivity are discouraged for children, especially during the daytime hours.

ACT NOW!