There Are Mny Pros to Physical Activity in the Preschool Classroom

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English 1101 11/27/12 There are many PROS to encouraging physical activity in Preschools In the United States today obesity among youth has reached epidemic levels. The Centers for Disease Control state that 16% of children and teens are obese. Obesity has increased the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, sleep disorders and more. Some argue that children mimic their parents. If the parents are obese their children will be obese. According to Web MD, children become obese for many reasons: genetics, inactivity, unhealthy eating habits or a combination of these factors. (Web MD) I argue that a child does not have to become obese even if the parents are obese. Children who are exposed to healthy eating and regular exercise even outside of the home can decrease their risk for obesity. The earlier a child is exposed to physical activity and healthy eating, the better the outcome. Physical activity behaviors established in early childhood relate to physical activity behaviors in later years. However, research has shown that children who are sedentary develop sedentary behaviors that last into adulthood. Incorporating structured and planned physical activity breaks into classroom transition times is an inexpensive and effective technique to increase children’s physical activity during school hours. The obesity prevalence among preschool-age children has increased from 5 to 12.4% in recent years. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] 2010). Although the exact etiology of this increase has not been established, physical inactivity in children is a contributing factor. (Hedley et al.2004). Preschool aged children spend approximately 80 percent of their day stationary. Even when allowed to engage in outdoor free play, preschoolers spend most of their time engaged in sedentary or stationary activities such as

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