I’ve been talking a lot about our youth fitness program (a.k.a. boot camp) lately. It’s been a lot of fun and I’m excited about continuing the program.

While this program was aimed at those involved in competitive sports, and helping them condition during the “off-season”, it’s easy to see the benefit for any kid.

Childhood obesity, though not a new issue, is clearly becoming a priority issue for our nation. You’ve probably seen the recent advertisements that featured First Lady Michelle Obama talking about the problem. She’s made it her top mission.

Here’s some scary information from the CDC:

“Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years. The prevalence of obesity among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% in 1980 to 19.6% in 2008. The prevalence of obesity among adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 18.1%.” (original source)

While I don’t have specific stats about Indiana children, it’s likely that we’re worse than most given that our stats related to adult obesity are so negative. Childhood obesity has immediate consequences but it is the long term consequences that are the most serious. Simply put, most obese kids stay that way thru adulthood. At the very least it makes healthcare more expensive, at worst it’s a fatal problem.

There are genetic and physiological factors that influence childhood obesity but most kids are fat simply because they consume more calories than they use. (no different than adults)

Kids need education about exercise and nutrition, and they need to do it. Schools haven’t been much help with this and that’s not going to get any better, especially with so many budgets getting cut. Fitness isn’t complicated but kids have to be coached.

This isn’t just about how they look, though that can have a major psychological impact on a child. Exercise also improves cardio and brain health by improving blood flow and getting more oxygen to the brain. It also improves joint and bone health.

The benefits are obvious. The responsibility of parents to care for their kids’ fitness should also be obvious. What are you doing about it?