Childhood Obesity Worse in Southwestern U.S. But…
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Happy Thanksgiving!!
Having said that, be carefully how much you indulge. Especially if you live in Mississippi. According to nearly every study on childhood obesity, the state of Mississippi has been the hardest hit. Whereas the folks who live in Utah, Colorado and Oregon have the most to be thankful for since each of those states ranks as having the lowest childhood obesity rate, depending on which studies you study.
Fitness and Childhood Obesity Not the Same, But…
Interestingly, the fitness index doesn’t look exactly the same as the childhood obesity index. According to recent findings, Connecticut has the fittest children while Alaska has the least fit. It would appear that childhood obesity and children’s fitness are closely related, but not exactly the same. Mississippi is a good example of this. It is ranked as the worst state when it comes to childhood obesity and 47th (4th to the worst) when it comes to fitness.
Childhood Obesity Studies Focus on Data But…
Childhood obesity figures are determined based on fairly specific bits of factual information such as weight, body fat indexes and height. Most fitness studies, however, focus more on the causes of obesity and poor fitness rather than the results. So a fitness study is more likely to focus on factors such as “availability of safe playgrounds, rates of participation in youth sports, and the number of fast-food restaurants.”
It is important to look at both fitness and obesity figures. In essence, it is highly unlikely that an obese child would be fit, but there is a likelihood that a child who is unfit may not be obese. However, even if a child is not obese, we cannot ignore their fitness needs. Today’s unfit child could very likely become tomorrow’s obese child or adult.
Fitness should be the goal for all children. Fitness is the key to both treatment and prevention when it comes to childhood obesity. If children find the joys of outdoor play in general and trail fitness particularly, they are well on their way to a more active and healthy lifestyle. Let’s fight childhood obesity through fitness, fun and trails.
