But kids need exercise. Those schools that have cut back on these PE programs should reinstate them. Many children don t go out much after school, noted Dr. Parrott, because they live in unsafe neighborhoods or because their parents may not be home. To compensate for these factors, it s important to have after-school and daycare programs that include exercise in their routine. And, she adds, families need to spend time together doing things that require physical exertion.
Adults don t exercise enough, either.
If parents would go out and do something energetic with their kids, it would be good for everyone. The right kind of food should be available at home and in school, she said. Kids are drinking a tremendous amount of soda, which is not filling, so they eat just as much food as they would without the soda. A supersize soda can easily add 400 to 500 calories to a child s daily diet, and over time cause a 40 or 50 pound jump in weight, she said. There s a hyperabundance of food, so people have to learn to eat selectively.