Topic of Choice_RC

                 I've truly enjoyed the discussions in this class and am interested in exploring material further. One thing I've been thinking about is how early behaviors can impact US healthcare outcomes. This has led me to research how trends have shifted over the years regarding children's health. Children are less active these days than they were ‘back then’ with one study reporting that on average children become less active by the age of eight. When I was younger, I got exercise in gym and recess at school, and I remember how I looked forward to field day. Afterschool my siblings and I played with neighborhood kids, and we’d ride our bikes, jump rope, race, and play tag. I can’t help but realize that children in my family don’t get as much physical activity as I did as a child and it’s pretty sad. Researchers propose that the introduction of high-speed internet and electronics have a lot to do with this and I suspect that this trend will continue.

              My first cell phone didn’t have internet capabilities but it’s very common for phones to be internet compatible these days. Also, electronics are more kid friendly than they were back in the day. I was only allowed to use my family computer for schoolwork and we didn’t own one until High School. But these days many children own personal devices such as cell phones, tablets, and game consoles. I have little cousins who don’t know how to jump rope or how to ride a bike, instead they prefer to sit inside and stare at their screens for hours. I have noticed sex differences in my family where the boys are more interested in playing video games and the girls are more interested in social media such as watching Youtube and TikTok videos. I appreciate that times change and even see some benefits in the increased accessibility to the internet, but it makes me wonder about the future health of this country.

              Childhood obesity increased from 5% in 1978 to 18.5 in 2016 and a sedentary lifestyle puts children at risk for developing diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiac disease later in life. These trends will ultimately increase the costs of health care expenditures and likely increase prescription drug use. Researchers suggest that regular physical activity improves children’s concentration, confidence, and ability to cope with stress. With parents working longer hours due to college debt, expensive childcare, and rising cost of living some parents don’t have time to encourage their children to be active. Incorporating fun activities that involve light exercise such as bike riding, walks, or swimming can go a long way to helping kids get active again. Additionally, organizations that promote healthy behaviors in kids such as Girls on the Run and the YMCA are great resources that many families take advantage of.

 

https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/stories/how-childhood-obesity-rates-have-changed-over-time/

https://www.abc.net.au/news/health/2017-03-07/kids-physical-activity/8328920

https://newsroom.clevelandclinic.org/2019/05/10/young-children-are-getting-less-exercise-than-we-thought/#:~:text=Experts%20previously%20thought%20most%20children,those%20children%20reached%20age%2011.