little ones
BY MICHELLE JACKSON, Executive Vice President, Group Insurance, The Argus Group
Active Kids
are Healthy Kids –
Today and for a Lifetime
Obesity, congenital heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep problems
and cancer; this sounds like a list of health concerns for an older person in poor
health but, sadly, these illnesses are now being seen in today’s youth.
A
Health Survey of Adults and
Children in Bermuda 2006,
commissioned by the De-
partment of Health, showed 36 per cent
of children aged five- to 10-years old
were overweight or obese. This is caus-
ing health problems at alarming rates.
Lifestyle choices are a leading cause of
disease, so we need to consider how we
can raise healthy, active children.
Thankfully, children naturally want
to jump, run, dance and climb. In fact,
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it is recommended that children should
only be inactive for an hour at a time,
aside from when they’re sleeping. Un-
fortunately this isn’t happening, which
is part of the problem. Children are not
getting the exercise they need because
neither are many parents. Children
look to adults to teach them how to
talk, socialise, read and write. But adults
also pass on attitudes and behaviours
that will remain with children for life. If
children don’t see their parents being
active on a regular basis, they won’t
consider being active as a priority for
themselves.
With today’s busy lifestyles, many
families find it difficult to include exer-
cise in their daily routine. As a society,
we need to encourage our kids to be
active for optimal health. Health care
organisations, educators, government
and caregivers are focusing on active
children but the best place to start is
at home.
At a minimum, children should get
60 minutes of moderate to vigorous ex-
ercise every day. For young toddlers, ex-
ercise can include supervised, unstruc-
tured play that allows them to follow
their curiosity and learn about the world
around them. Preschoolers with slightly
longer attention spans might enjoy short
games, such as finding things hidden
around the house, mixed in with play
time. Elementary-aged kids and those in
their teens can participate in organised
sports that require more coordination
and a greater attention span.
However, these are simply guide-
lines, and it is important to find activi-
ties that your child enjoys and that fit
their skills and interests. Not everyone
functions well in a team environment.
Some kids may be afraid of a ball,
so pressuring them to participate in
related activities – and expecting them
to enjoy it and stick with it – is not
reasonable. For other children, inde-