Get the kids moving again

Obesity rates are at an all-time high among U.S. youth and teens. A recent trip to Disney evidenced this fact; I couldn't get over the number of overweight children who were visiting the park. I truly hate to sound so critical, especially of kids, but ignoring the problem can't possibly be the answer, either.

Generation I is becoming more and more sedentary. The internet offers interactive entertainment that vastly outshines the passive form of viewing offered by TV, making it a round-the-clock obsession for some kids. Consequently, this physical inactivity is making youth and teens heavier and more out of shape in greater numbers than ever before.

Parents and guardians must battle back against the lure of websites like Second Life by offering kids more of a real life. Get them playing outside with friends. Push them to play in sports leagues. Sign them up at a gym. Maybe even throw in a few sessions with a personal trainer to help them along. The key is to get the future of this country motivated and to get them moving again.