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Dillon Haynes
Professor Douglas
ENG 112-78
October 18, 2016
Lack of Physical Activity in the United States
In todays society the lack of physical activity is increasing every year, while in ones
everyday life its common to get caught up in a busy schedule between work, college, social life
and trying to squeeze sleeping in there somewhere. Sometimes staying active seems to fall on
the back burner. This is leaving one more susceptible to health issues later on down the road.
With this being such a growing problem in the United States it should be a number one priority
for a person to strive for a healthier life, because nothing is more important than ones health.
Physical inactivity has been a major issue in the United States over the past few decades,
while obesity continues to rise it has sent the country into an unhealthy tail spin. According to a
study done by Dr. Rick Ferkel shows that nearly 60% of adults do not get enough physical
activity during their everyday routine.(Ferkel) that number continues to increase, with it already
over half of the adult population in America.
Later on in the article Ferkel informs the readers that out of the remaining forty percent
that are at a healthy weight only 27% actually train with weights or exercise on a regular basis.
(Ferkel) that leaves the remaining thirteen percent who are still highly susceptible to falling into
an unhealthy lifestyle. While everyones body metabolizes food differently, it is still imperative
to get the proper amount of fitness levels so the body can perform at its highest level. Being
inactive also increases the chances of various diseases such as; diabetes, heart disease, and raises

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blood pressure. While these health problems cant always be prevented, being active daily and
keeping fitness levels up helps ones body substantially.
One group that struggles with fitness is college aged adults. As they try to achieve their
four year degree, it becomes less important to focus on maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and more
important to focus on school. That being said while school should be a number one priority so
should the health and well-being of a person. An article done by Journal of American college
health shows that the college years are high influential in shaping adult behaviors through
dieting and exercise.(Desai) in addition because obesity is not easily reversible its important to
be aware of the significance of being healthy.
Another growing health problem is in the youth of America. Young people are not
making exercise part of their daily regiment, partially because children growing up in this day in
age have tablets, game console, and cell phones while getting up and being active continues to be
less and less of a priority. An article done by Dr. Terrence Dwyer shows that obesity alone is up
13% since 2002. (Dwyer) and thats not the only issues on the rise, type 2 diabetes is becoming
more common in young adults aging 17-25 which has been linked to the poor fitness levels that
occurred during childhood. These findings indicate that programs that encourage physical
activity earlier in life are also likely to be important, because a fit child is more likely to be a fit
adult partaking in more physical activity in adulthood.
In addition, a study done by Andrew Hills of the British Journal shows the correlation
between puberty and weight gain. Hills discovered that 37% of children begin having weight
fluctuations during puberty. (Hills) With all the changes the body goes through during puberty
it is common for a childs metabolism to change drastically, sometimes a childs metabolism will
slow down as they go into their teenage years, yet eating habits might not change, this raises the

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likely hood of obesity in youth. These findings show the importance of the early stages in a
persons life and how it shapes ones future.
The problems is not entirely on the youth either, it is also falls on parents instilling proper
knowledge on the importance of health and fitness and being active in their child's everyday life.
Studies have shown that parents who get involved in physical activity with their kid raises their
child's chance of being physically active into adulthood. While most families are leaving the
house by 8 A.M. and not returning until 6 P.M. it makes it difficult to squeeze some form of
exercise in after homework, dinner, and various after school commitments. Yet when families
make it a priority it allows the families not only to bond but, to be more active on a daily basis.
In addition parents are key to developing a home setting that fosters healthy eating and
physical activity among children and adolescents. An article written by Ana Lindsay shows the
direct correlation between childhood obesity and parenting, parents who fail to instill daily
fitness in their child's life allow their child to be at risk to health issues later on in life. That being
said; studies have shown that children who are obese have a 40% higher chance of continuing
their unhealthy lifestyle into adulthood (Lindsay) Parents shape their Childs dietary practices,
anywhere from what they eat, to their eating habits, by instilling decent eating habits paired with
healthy eating it lowers the risk of obesity all together. That being said a parent is an important
role for they shape the future of a child's life and instilling good eating habits and the importance
of being active is one of many ways to help the future of a healthier America.
In Conclusion, the various fitness problems take place in many different times in peoples
lives, whether it occurs during childhood due to factors like puberty or not being active enough,
or during adulthood with not exercising on a daily basis the fact remains the same. Obesity is a
serious issue for the United States, and it is continuing to grow as the years pass.

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Works Cited
Barker, Jill. "Child's Play can be Family Fitness; without the Support of Parents, Kids Unlikely
to Embrace Exercise." Edmonton JournalMay 30 2016. ProQuest. Web. 13 Oct. 2016 .
Desai, Melissa N,M.D., M.P.H., et al. "Risk Factors Associated with Overweight and Obesity in
College Students." Journal of American College Health 57.1 (2008): 10914. ProQuest. Web. 3 Oct. 2016.
Dwyer, Terence,M.D., M.P.H., et al. "Decline in Physical Fitness from Childhood to Adulthood
Associated with Increased Obesity and Insulin Resistance in Adults." Diabetes care 32.4
(2009): 683-7. ProQuest. Web. 17 Oct. 2016.
Ferkel, Rick C., et al. "Importance of Health-Related Fitness Knowledge to Increasing Physical
Activity and Physical Fitness." Physical Educator 71.2 (2014): 218-33. ProQuest. Web.
27 Sep. 2016
Hills, Andrew P., Lars Bo Andersen, and Nuala M. Byrne. "Physical Activity and Obesity in
Children." British journal of sports medicine 45.11 (2011): 866. ProQuest. Web. 1 Nov.
2016.
Lindsay, Ana C., et al. "The Role of Parents in Preventing Childhood Obesity." The Future of
Children 16.1 (2006)ProQuest. Web. 27 Sep. 2016.

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