Friday, Dec. 27, 2002 | 4:07 a.m.
WEEKEND EDITION
December 28-29, 2002
With obesity up and exercise down, the federal government has launched a nationwide effort to get 9- to 13-year-olds more physically and socially active.
The -- "VERB. It's what you do." --- features websites with suggestions and ideas for activities for parents and kids developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
One of the websites, www.verbparents.com, is touted as a resource for busy parents looking for ways to support social and physical activities. Suggestions on the site include snowball toss games and walks through the neighborhood.
The youth-targeted website, www.verbnow.com, includes links to other youth sites and suggestions for activities such as hiking.
"The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and we are seeing serious related complications, including dramatic increases in Type II diabetes in adolescents," Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson said in a prepared statement. "The campaign will send the message to children that being active is an important part of being healthy." A goal of the VERB campaign is to decrease youths' "screen time," which is time spent in front of television, computers and video games. American children spend an average of 4.5 hours in front a screen daily, according to a CDC statement.
Dr. Jim Marks, director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health promotion at the CDC, said experts suggest parents limit a child's total screen time to no more than one or two hours of quality programming a day. Children need to be active, he said.
"Children not only need to burn energy for healthy development, but also need to interact with peers, parents and other role models in a safe, supportive environment to learn life skills, such as setting and achieving goals, competing fairly and resolving disputed peacefully," Marks said.
"Experts recommend children participate in at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day, such as walking or playing hopscotch," a VERB statement noted.
Tala Gharaballi, director of the Lied Memorial Boys and Girls Club in Las Vegas, advocates new programs that get children to be more active.
"With obesity rising and with a lot of kids being diagnosed with attention deficit disorders, it's a good thing to get people on the bandwagon and be more active," he said.
Mike Lubbe, president and CEO of the YMCA of Southern Nevada, said studies show children are "sitting around more than they used to" and so it's important to encourage physical activity.
Lubbe said at the YMCA they use games such as dodge ball and basketball to give children a fun way to exercise.
"We're not telling them to walk on the treadmill. They're having fun and getting exercise too," Lubbe said.
Information on the VERB campaign is also available at www.cdc.gov/ youthcampaign.
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