A new report card from the Pennington Biomedical Research Center assessing the level of physical activity and sedentary behaviors in Louisiana's youth and teenagers has given the state an overall grade of D. The grade reflects the conclusion that children are not engaged in an adequate amount of physical opportunities because there is an insufficient amount of programs or other physical prospects available to them.
John L. Ory Communication Arts Magnet School students Madison Garrett 14, and Kayla Perilloux, 14, scream together as they roll down a hill during a Physical Fitness Expo Friday, March 13, 2009 at Regala Park in Reserve. Students had to earn tickets for positive behavior over a nine week period to participate in the expo. More than 280 students enjoyed playing flag football, softball, and sack races. (Photo by BRETT DUKE/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE) The study says a child's "built environment" is a primary feature in facilitating good health habits and behaviors. Human-made features, such as parks, sidewalks, community centers, neighborhood conditions, supportive neighborhoods and children's safety in those neighborhoods play key roles in developing behaviors that promote healthy lifestyles.
Louisiana ranks below the national average in all of those categories, the report concludes.
Only 24 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 met the standard federal physical activity recommendation, which comprises of 60 minutes of physical activity every day, including 20 minutes of vigorous physical activity as well as 3 days a week of muscle and bone strengthening activities.
According to the report, males are overwhelmingly more active than females. 35 percent of males meet the federal guidelines while less than 14 percent of their female counterparts meet those same criteria.
Peter Katzmarzyk, the associate executive director at the research center said Louisiana's grade has remained unchanged in the five years since they began putting out the report card.
"But these things take a lot of time to turn around. Like the prevalence of obesity in kids, these are not things that you can fix overnight. It took a couple of generations to get where we are today. These are long term goals to improve health," he said.
The Research Advisory Committee, which assigned the grades, gave the state an even lower grade for neighborhood characteristics, such as safety and access to recreation areas. The grade, a D minus, concludes that almost half of the state's students, 40 percent, spend more than the recommended screen time limits watching TV and a third, 34 percent, exceed screen time limits for video and computer games.
The report cites a 2005 study that concluded children growing up in unsafe neighborhoods spend approximately 20 more minutes a day watching TV than when compared with children who live in safe locations.
Louisiana scored lowest when it came to overweight and obese children. 41 percent of children between the ages of 2 and 19 were considered obese or overweight.
"We are ranked in the top 10 obese states for both children and adults. Those are the facts," Katzmaryzk said.
The state was also given a D minus for overal fruit and vegetable consumption, saying less than 12 percent of students get an adequate amount of fruit and vegetables daily.?
One of the most important lessons to take away from the report card is that physical activity declines throughout adolescence. Younger kids are more physically active than middle and high school students, who are in turn more active than adults, Katzmarzyk said.?
"That's where we need to maintain the focus so we don't get that drop," he said.
He said he supports a statewide effort to encourage increase in physical activity, such as policies that requires physical education or active living. One simple solution would be to put in sidewalks so that children can walk to school, he said.
"Using policies and health policies are a very viable avenue to address this problem," he said. "They can improve the health of the entire state."?
Source: http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/10/research_center_gives_louisian.html
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