American Kids Fall Short on Fitness
Too many American kids aren’t physically fit, researchers say. They studied results from nearly 200,000 first- through 12th- grade kids at more than 700 schools that participated in a nationwide fitness program. In all, less than 60 percent of the youth met recommended levels for body mass index (a measure of weight to height), upper body strength, flexibility, or endurance and strength in the abdomen and limbs. The proportions meeting more than 80 percent of those measures ranged from just 16.5 percent of fourth-grade girls to 21.6 percent of ninth-grade boys. Fitness typically begins to decline around middle school, so that’s when parents should especially make sure their kids are getting regular exercise.
Source: The Journal of Pediatrics, published online July 15, 2015