Topic - Average Teen Is As Sedentary As A 60-Year Old

Think teenagers are an active, vivacious bunch?  Think again.  Today’s average teen is no more active than the average 60-year old.  Over 12,000 people of various ages wore tracking devices for 7 straight days for periods of time between 2003 through 2005.  The results indicated that the older kids got, the less they moved.  Fifty percent of boys and 75% of girls ages 12 through 17 didn’t meet the guidelines for physical activity.  Younger kids were more active, but were still deficit.  By the time the participants reached 19 years of age, they were as active as the 60-year olds in the study.  Being inactive has a global effect on health.  As these kids age, they’re likely to have more serious health problems than if they had gotten off the computer and moved around.