PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

The Impact of Leading a Physically Active Lifestyle from an Early Age

Dylan Miller
Global Studies and World Languages Academy
Tallwood High School

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

Abstract
This paper analyzes the impact of leading a physically active and healthy lifestyle
compared with the effects of a sedentary lifestyle. Physical activity can help lose and maintain a
healthy weight. The correct exercises can improve a persons cardiovascular fitness. Physical
activity has a grand impact on a person mentally as it leads to improved concentration, better
sleep patterns, and energy. Physical activity can have two different effects emotionally on
children; physical activity often leads to an increase in self-confidence, however, it could also
lead to frustration for the child if they not do not perform as well as they would like at first. It is
never too late to start exercising as the effects play a major role in a persons health in an
advanced age. Physical active is an immense part of leading a healthy lifestyle, but so does
nutrition. Eating foods with the correct nutrients is another way of improving ones health, and
introducing fruits and vegetables at an early age builds healthy habits for life. The issue that
keeps kids from being physically activity is called sedentarism. Sedentarism takes many forms in
the modern day United States including hours spent using electronic devices, inactive schools
and education programs, improper community infrastructure, and an incorrect diet. These all
have damaging effects on a person mentally, physically, and emotionally. Sedentarism is
prevalent in the United States but it is an epidemic plaguing people around the world. This
results from a decline in the safety for kids to play in their communities or even a complete
absence of places to play. There are many methods used to improve physical activity among kids
including improved support and contribution from the community and parents involvement with
their children in the physical activity. As technology becomes more and more an essential part of
American society, the inclusion of technology in physical activity would also increase
participation. For example, Spark PE recommends physical education teachers include physical

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

activity apps in their classrooms. Sedentarism is the issue, but physical activity and correct
nutrition is the easy fix with countless benefits.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction

Literature Review

Limitation of Study

Discussion

Conclusion

14

Appendix

15

References

17

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

Introduction
This study considers how starting a physically active and healthy lifestyle at an early age
impacts our lives both now and at an advanced age. The main subject of this project is American
children. It is no secret that physical activity is not a priority in the everyday lives of American
children today. Kids spend their days sitting in desks at school and then go home where they
continue their sedentary life by watching television and playing on other electronic devices such
as, video games, cell phones, and iPads. We see advertisements and PSAs about getting children
to play sixty minutes a day, but what are the real effects of spending part of our days performing
a physical activity? What are the pros to leading an active lifestyle, and the cons to living a
sedentary lifestyle like many Americans lead now? The other main health issue is diet. We dont
always eat the healthiest foods and dont always get the nutrients essential to living a healthy life.
This paper will discuss all of this and ways to improve and live an active, healthier lifestyle.
There isnt just one giant way to improve your health, but instead dozens of tiny things a person
can change in a sedentary lifestyle that makes a giant impact. The goal of this project is to inform
the reader of the many ways that an active lifestyle benefits ones life and health. The ultimate
goal is to create positive habits that can be continued for the rest of your life.
Literature Review
The goal of this paper is to evaluate the impacts of an active and healthy lifestyle from an
early age, and to compare it to the impacts of a sedentary lifestyle. The resulting data and
information collected was gathered from a variety of sources such as from government agencies,
articles, research journals, and organizations. These sources can be divided into five categories:
the benefits of a physically active lifestyle, the impact of nutrition on health, physical activity in

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

foreign states, the role community plays in a citizens health and activity levels, and the negative
effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
The majority of these sources analyze the effects of active lifestyles. The overall message
from these sources: an active lifestyle is good for you! The Center for Disease Control talks
about how physical activity can prevent diseases later in life. The Presidents Council on Fitness
discusses the effects of physical activity on weight loss. Help Guide wrote an article, called
Exercise and Fitness as You Age, that evaluates how exercise aids older people. The Official
Journal of the International Society for Physical Activity and Health from Human Kinetics talked
about the positive effects of an active lifestyle as well. The University of Maryland Medical
College produced an article promoting exercise with easy ways to get started and be involved in
exercise, leading to an active lifestyle.
There are more factors than just exercise and physical activity that play into a healthy
lifestyle. The greatest impact among these is nutrition. To live a healthy lifestyle you have to do
more than just a few exercises every now and then. Getting the right amount of nutrients from
foods such as fruits, vegetables, dairy, and meat is a huge part of a healthy lifestyle. Multiple
sources found discussed nutrition, including the Better Health Channel by the Victorian State
Government of Australia that talks about how parents can prepare healthy, nutritious meals for
their children. The Journal of School Health analyzes the dietary behavior and general nutrition
of second-grade and third-grade students. Family Doctor discussed the benefit of general
nutrition and exercise.
The main focus of this study was American children, but to get a comparison the health
and physical activity in other countries was analyzed. The main area of focus in the world was
Europe because of the accessibility of data and the relative comparison of similar lifestyles to

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

Americans. European states and the United States are both more developed, yet they have very
different levels of obesity, health issues, and sedentary lifestyles. The World Health Organization
provided a PDF on physical activity in Europe. The World Health Organization also provided
another PDF that evaluates physical activity in Sweden.
The community plays a major role in the levels of physical activity. The sources provided
by the community, or available to the citizens, is a major factor in people leading active or
sedentary lifestyles. An article published by US News talked about how a community helped its
citizens lead a more active lifestyle. The Health Education Journal talks about health promotion
activities and coach motivations.
The reader should learn the negative effects of an inactive lifestyle to help enforce
previously stated facts on active lifestyles. There were many sources that discussed the effects of
a sedentary lifestyle as well. P.T. Katzmarzyk discussed sedentary lifestyles and their effects in
his journal Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Health: Paradigm Paralysis or Paradigm
Shift. HealthDay News The Sedentary Bunch talks about the effects of sedentary lifestyles in
children and schools, and how to get them more active. BMC Public Health also discussed
sedentary lifestyles. The World Health Organization discussed emerging issues with sedentarism
in children. The European Food Information Council talks about the barriers to the enjoyment
and participation in physical activity.
Limitation of Study
The intention of this project is to improve the health of Americans, by bringing to light
the impacts of a sedentary lifestyle as compared with the effects of living an active and healthy

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

lifestyle beginning at a young age. To begin, the researcher needs to look at how individuals live
now and the effects on current health now and the effects later in life.
The primary limitation in this research is time. Due to the limited amount of time to
complete this paper the researcher was not able to conduct any original research. The researcher
had to rely on other sources and research conducted by other people, through literature review.
Some of these sources were posted a few years ago and so the data presented may be
inaccurate. To see newer data, the researcher will need to continue the investigation and find
more reliable sources.
The researcher uses personal experience with sedentary children to develop the subject of
this paper. The researcher also uses their own experience with children who lead physically
active lifestyles to contrast the differences between a sedentary lifestyle and an active, healthier
lifestyle.
Increased value and relevancy of information can be attained by the researcher continuing
the research with the use of reliable resources. The ability to conduct a study of children and the
impact of physical activity on health over years of time would also benefit their research and this
paper.
Discussion
An active lifestyle from an early age can end and prevent the negative effects of an
unhealthy life. That is not a secret anymore. But what is the impact of leading an active lifestyle
while getting the right nutrients from a healthy diet? What are the effects of leading a sedentary
lifestyle?

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

There are multiple factors that play in a role leading a healthy life. Exercise is an easy
way to getting on the path to leading a healthier life. Obesity is one of the leading health issues in
the United States and in American children. The simple fact is that exercise helps maintain a
healthy weight. People gain weight when they consume more calories than they burn. So to lose
weight a person would have to use and burn more calories than they eat. The number of calories
needed to be burned varies greatly from person to person. An individual may need to do more
activity than someone else to burn calories.
To maintain your weight the Center for Disease Control recommends 150 minutes of
moderate-intensity activity each week to maintain your weight once you lose it. But as with
losing the weight, maintaining weight varies from person to person. You may have to do more
exercise than the person sitting next to you.
Weight loss is not the only benefit gained from exercise. The effects of physical activity
on children include improved cardiovascular fitness, improved posture, better sleep patterns,
increased self-esteem and confidence, improved concentration, help with relaxation,
strengthening bones and muscles, better balance, the development of motor skills, improved
flexibility, and the opportunities of building relationships.
Improved cardiovascular fitness means improving the ability of the heart, blood cells and
lungs to supply oxygen-rich blood to the working muscle tissues and the ability of the muscles to
use oxygen to produce energy for movement. This, of course, is a fantastic thing as it benefits the
overall function of our body. In other words, the transportation of oxygen-rich blood throughout
our bodies is what keeps us running, and the fact that exercise helps improve this has longlasting impact.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

10

The mental impact of exercise is no small matter. As previously stated, physical activity
improves concentration. Better sleep patterns, another bonus of physical activity, is a big part of
this. The ability to concentrate would help immensely as information produced by the University
of Michigan shows that American children and teens spend about 32.5 hours in school, along
with another 4 hours of homework, each week. The improved energy from more sleep and better
concentration helps children excel in school. With the improved productivity, energy, amount of
sleep, and concentration gained from physical activity, children are not only physically stronger,
but mentally as well.
Physical activity has a great impact on a childs emotions as well. With physical activity
comes an increase in self-confidence. The belief that you can do anything as a child is immense,
and physical activity improving that is incredible. There can be negative emotional aspects to
physical activity for children. A child will not be perfect at the activity when they begin
participating, and the child may get frustrated or angry with the activity, but they just have to
keep practicing to get better. A child may also be insecure if they are not successful in a physical
activity.
Is it ever too late to start exercising and being active? Of course not! According to an
article by Help Guide, exercise helps older people lose and maintain weight; just as it does with
children. Adults over the age of 50 that exercise have an improved immune system, better heart
health, better bone density, and better digestive functioning. Then there is the improvement in
strength, flexibility, and mobility just as with children and adults.
Physical activity is only one part of living a healthy lifestyle. Eating the correct foods and
getting the necessary nutrition is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. The benefits of nutrition
go hand in hand with the benefits of physical activity. According to Family Doctor, eating a

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

11

healthy diet helps you maintain a healthy weight, helps with your ability to concentrate, boost
your energy level, and even help you heal faster. As with physical activity, eating the right foods
and getting the correct nutrients has multiple benefits that play a huge part in living a healthy
life.
Children may not like eating fruits and vegetables, but there are a few ways of
introducing the right foods into their meals. The Journal of School Health conducted a study in
2005 conducted with 1,100 second and third grade students in which the test group exhibited
significantly greater dietary behaviors and nutrition knowledge after a nutrition education
program. According to the Victoria State Governments Better Health Channel, recommends
using fruits and vegetables as substitute snacks in lieu of junk food such as chips and cookies.
So why do children not participate in physical activity? The issue is sedentarism. In Chris
Wooltons, M. S., The Sedentary Bunch we see the causes of sedentarism in American youth.
According to the National Association for Sports and Physical Education, children between 5 and
12 need at least one hour of moderate intensity activity every day. Only 20 to 40 percent of
American children get this. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, an average American
child spends more than 5 hours of the day, or 40 percent of their waking hours, at home playing
video games, sitting in front of a computer, or watching TV.
Children are not only laying around at home, but at school as many of our nations
schools have become more and more sedentary. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention
reported that participation in daily physical education classes has declined 12 percent between
1991 and 2007. Today only two states, Illinois and Massachusetts, require daily physical
education classes from kindergarten to twelfth grade, and even some schools in those states have
exceptions. As more and more academic instruction is pushed into elementary schools, recess is

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

12

pushed aside and deemed unimportant. Recess allows kids to burn energy their own way and is
often more physically demanding than instruction in gym classes.
A large number of American children live a sedentary lifestyle, yet this is not solely an
issue in the United States. The World Health Organization produced information from a Scottish
study that only 2% of monitored hours among age three years, and 4% of monitored hours
among age four years, consisted of moderate to vigorous physical activity. In the United
Kingdom, annual mileage traveled by foot and by bicycle among school children has declined by
over 25% in the 1980s and by over 40% in the 1990s.
Further study of sedentary lifestyles by Peter T. Katzmarzyk has only reinforced the
negative impact of a life void of physical activity. In his journal Katzmarzyk includes a study
performed by the Canada Fitness Survey that showed a correlation between the amount of sitting
time and a persons mortality. The more you sit, the higher your mortality rate. This is easy to
understand as a sedentary lifestyle has a direct correlation with the development of a chronic
disease. The Nurses Health Study showed that people watching forty or more hours of television
a week were 95% more likely to be obese and 70% more likely to develop type 2 diabetes.
What has caused this increase in sedentary lifestyles? Many factors play into this decline in
physical activity. In the case of the decline in biking and traveling by foot in the United
Kingdom, the decline in the safety for children to freely walk around a city has prevented them
from traveling by that method. In less developed mega-cities children do not always have a place
to play. These children may play in spaces that contain sewage, hazardous waste, and other
serious environmental hazards that does mean they are being physically active but in an area that
will only cause further harm.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

13

The community plays a vital role in reducing the amount of sedentary lifestyles. For
example, the World Health Organization recommends urban designers, transport planners,
environment and health professionals collaborate more closely in the design of active
community environments that support childhood physical activity and mobility (Killingsworth
and Lamming 2001). The development of planned, mixed use and medium density
neighbourhoods, with good sidewalks and cycling networks, can be a critical element permitting
children to move about more safely and easily on their own (Kenworthy 2002). We have seen
some cities in the United States improve their communitys role in obesity prevention. In its 2014
American Fitness Index report, the American College of Sports Medicine found that America's
healthiest cities were those that provided a mixture of infrastructure, community assets and
policies that encourage healthy lifestyles. From walking paths and bike lanes, free fun runs to
childhood obesity programs, communities must make encouragement of healthier lifestyles a
priority.
Parents also play a big role in their childs activity levels. By getting involved with their
childs physical activity, the child is more likely to enjoy it and continue the activity longer. By
turning off their television, getting them away from their phones, computers, and other electronic
devices, and having their children participate in a physical activity, parents are lowering their
childs chance of developing chronic diseases and leading a sedentary lifestyle. The key is to
start slow, make time for the activity, and to do an activity the child enjoys and has fun with.
There has been a giant decline in the levels of activity in American children. This
increase in sedentary lifestyles is caused by the lack of activity in schools, at home in lieu of
electronic devices, and due to a lack of encouragement by teachers and parents. Getting kids to
participate in sixty minutes of moderate-intensity activity a day leads to countless benefits.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

14

Eating nutritious food instead of the junk food and fast food goes hand in hand with physical
activity and is a giant part of leading a healthy lifestyle. Its never too late to lead an active and
healthy lifestyle. Anyone can make the choice to lead a happier, healthier life.
After compiling and analyzing research, the researcher would suggest the inclusion of
technology into workouts for children. For example, Spark PE produced an article called The
Best Apps for Keeping Kids Active which lists five apps that children or physical education
teachers could download to improve physical activity for the child or student. The listed apps
include Super Stretch Yoga HD, Strava, Iron Kids, Smash Your Foot HD, Keep Moving!, and
Fitness Kids. Downloading one of these apps is an easy way to include technology in an effort to
lead a more active lifestyle.
Conclusion
An active lifestyle from an early age can end and prevent the negative effects of an
unhealthy life. The issue that plagues Americans today is sedentarism. Sedentarism leads to
many negative effects such as the development of chronic diseases and increased mortality.
There are many ways to fix and avoid sedentarism. Physical activity leads to countless physical,
mental, and emotional benefits that provide the foundation for a long and healthy life. An
improved diet with more nutritious foods also helps people live a healthier lifestyle. The
community can help decrease sedentarism for their citizens by supporting physical activity with
the inclusion of things such as public parks and bike lanes. Parents can promote physical activity
for their children. With an increase in the use of technology there has been an increase in
sedentary lifestyles. However, there are ways of including technology in physical activity to
increase the participation in physical activity and the continuation of those activities as
Americans, and people around the world, depend more and more on technology. As the issue of

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

15

sedentary lifestyles has become prevalent in the worlds societies, the focus on promoting the
countless benefits of physical activity and a healthy diet from a young age have never been more
important.
Appendix
An interview was conducted with Mrs. Lori Morris, Physical Education and Anatomy &
Sports Injury at Tallwood High School and an athletic trainer for CHKD.
As a physical education teacher, do you believe that your students are living an active
lifestyle?
I think that about 40-50% are living a healthy lifestyle overall. Unfortunately, quick food choices
and sedentary lifestyles are much easier than working hard to exercise and eating well. Also,
students don't have as much control over their eating choices as adults have over theirs.
Unfortunately, sometimes a student has only poor food choices at home. Educating them is the
key to changing their future choices.
Do you believe the inclusion of technology in physical education classes in elementary
school would increase participation and interest outside of school?
I believe that if the technology is easy to use and inexpensive, yes it will make physical activity
more desirable and the "cool" thing to do outside of school. The key is to tie the technology to
activities that the students enjoy and feel are accessible to them. Using a GPS with a rockclimbing adventure activity won't be very effective as most don't have access to either piece. But
adding a simple pedometer to a game with little or low cost equipment will work. Again, you
have to make it fun!
What suggestion would you make to the school board for the issue of sedentary lifestyles in
Virginia Beach City Public Schools?
I think we are on the right track to changing the way education works in general in Virginia
Beach. We are working hard to make the education process more student-driven. I think going
forward we need to make wise choices in classroom furniture and building design. If the building
and furniture make standing, walking and general movement easier and a more natural
component of the classrooms at every level, we will see a growth in activity levels in general.
Also, designing physical education spaces that will work to teach students about general fitness
will help. Having a physical education set up where there are multiple smaller rooms to
accommodate all of the components of fitness, such as cardio equipment, weight training, and
yoga will make it easier to get students interested and involved.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

16

What would you say is the main cause of sedentary lifestyles of Americans today?
We tend to work more than we should, eat more than we should and sleep too little. Even at a
young age, students are required to work many hours at school (sitting) and then go home to eat
junk food (easy & cheap) and do more work. We need to make fitness and healthy lifestyles more
of a priority, even at a young age. We also tend to be a reactive culture. We only worry about
things when they go wrong. We don't worry about health until we become unhealthy. Our culture
also wants a quick, easy fix to everything. Working hard at fitness can be challenging and
uncomfortable. If it were more important from a young age, we would see the value in it all of
our lives and potentially work hard to make it a priority.
In your opinion, do you see active lifestyles increasing among Americans in the future? Or
do you see sedentary habits continuing?
I believe that we are increasing the active lifestyles within our culture. I believe that rising health
care costs and increased incidence of major illnesses (cancer, heart disease, etc.) will influence
the younger generations to make health and fitness a priority. People cannot afford to be sick.
The only choice is to prevent this from happening to begin with. Also, the impact of technology
to date has been to create a more sedentary lifestyle, but we are now seeing a surge in use of
technology within the health & fitness industry, which is motivating and driving even the most
challenging clients. We will always have sedentary habits, but I believe that there will continue
to be a growth of active lifestyles. In HPE we have the opportunity to drive this growth through
education at the start.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

17

References
Barriers to adolescent enjoyment of and participation in physical activity. (n.d.). Retrieved
November 1, 2016, from
http://www.eufic.org/article/en/artid/Barriers-adolescent-physical-activity/emergi
Best Apps for Keeping Kids Active | Spark PE. (n.d.). Retrieved November 28, 2016, from
http://www.sparkpe.org/blog/the-best-apps-for-keeping-kids-active/
By being active, you will burn calories that you store from eating throughout the day andit can
be as easy as walking the dog or as rigorous as running a marathon. Providing opportunities for
children to be active early on puts them on a path to better physical and mental health. It's never
too late to jumpstart a healthy lifestyle. (n.d.). President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.
Retrieved October 12, 2016, from http://www.fitness.gov/be-active/why-is-it-important/
By NameBy AgeBy SymptomPrevention & WellnessStaying HealthyFood & NutritionExercise
& FitnessEmotional Well-beingSex & Birth ControlMen's HealthPregnancy & NewbornsYour
BodyFetal HealthLabor & ChildbirthCaring for NewbornsKidsParentingBehavior &
EmotionsFamily & FriendsToiletingVaccinesEating & NutritionHome SafetyTeensPuberty &
SexualityFood & FitnessEmotional Well-beingSafety & PreventionSeniorsStaying
HealthyActive Living . (n.d.). Nutrition: Healthy Eating for Kids. Retrieved October 31, 2016,
from http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/kids/eating-nutrition/healthy-eating/nutritionhealthy-eating-for-kids.html
By planning ahead, you can make sure that your child's lunch box has each of the six key
elements of a healthy lunchbox... (2015). Children keeping them active. Retrieved October 12,
2016, from https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/children-keeping-themactive
By properly warming up the muscles and joints with low-level aerobic movement for 5 - 10
minutes one may avoid injury. Cooling down after exercise by walking slowly, then stretching
muscles, may also prevent strains and blood pressure fluctuation. (n.d.). Exercise. Retrieved
October 31, 2016, from http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/exercise
Caulfield, Gloria (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2016, from http://health.usnews.com/healthnews/blogs/eat-run/2015/06/22/health-by-design-the-impact-of-community-on-wellness
Childrens Environmental Health. Emerging Issues. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2016, from
http://www.who.int/ceh/risks/cehmobility/en/
Health, B. K. (n.d.). Share. Retrieved October 18, 2016, from
http://journals.humankinetics.com/doi/abs/10.1123/jpah.2015-0307
Hoye, A. V., Sarrazin, P., Heuze, J., & Kokko, S. (2014). Coaches' perceptions of French sports
clubs: Health-promotion activities, aims and coach motivation.Health Education Journal, 74(2),
231-243. doi:10.1177/0017896914531510

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY FROM AN EARLY AGE

18

Jackson, E. S., Tucker, C. M., & Herman, K. C. (2007). Health Value, Perceived Social Support,
and Health Self-Efficacy as Factors in a Health-Promoting Lifestyle. Journal of American
College Health, 56(1), 69-74. doi:10.3200/jach.56.1.69-74
Katzmarzyk, P. T. (2010). Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Health: Paradigm Paralysis
or Paradigm Shift? Diabetes, 59(11), 2717-2725. doi:10.2337/db10-0822
Merkel, D. L. (2013). Youth sport: Positive and negative impact on young athletes. Retrieved
October 12, 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3871410/
Most Young Kids Dont Get Enough Exercise. Survey Shows Children Arent Following
Recommendations for Daily Physical Activity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 1, 2016, from
http://www.webmd.com/children/news/20110414/most-young-kids-dont-get-enough-exercise#1
Physical Activity and Health. (2015). Retrieved October 12, 2016, from
https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/pa-health/
Physical activity and health in Europe. (n.d.). Retrieved October 31, 2016, from
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/87545/E89490.pdf
Powers, A. R., Struempler, B. J., Guarino, A., & Parmer, S. M. (2005). Effects of a nutrition
education program on the dietary behavior and nutrition knowledge of second-grade and thirdgrade students. Journal of School Health, 75(4), 129-133. doi:10.1111/j.1746-1561.2005.00010.x
The Sedentary Bunch - HealthDay News. (n.d.). Retrieved October 25, 2016, from
https://consumer.healthday.com/encyclopedia/exercise-and-fitness-18/misc-health-news-265/thesedentary-bunch-646341.htm
Service, B. D. (n.d.). U.S. children and teens spend more time on academics. Retrieved
November 28, 2016, from http://www.ur.umich.edu/0405/Dec06_04/20.shtml
SWEDEN Physical Activity Factsheet - euro.who.int. (n.d.). Retrieved November 4, 2016, from
http://www.euro.who.int/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/288126/SWEDEN-Physical-ActivityFactsheet.pdf?ua=1
Vilchis-Gil, J., Galvn-Portillo, M., Klnder-Klnder, M., Cruz, M., & Flores-Huerta, S. (2015).
Food habits, physical activities and sedentary lifestyles of eutrophic and obese school children: A
casecontrol study. BMC Public Health, 15(1), 124. doi:10.1186/s12889-015-1491-1
WHO | Prevalence of insufficient physical activity. (n.d.). Retrieved November 04, 2016, from
http://www.who.int/gho/ncd/risk_factors/physical_activity_text/en/
11 Ways to Encourage Your Child to Be Physically Active. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2016,
from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/fitness/Pages/Encouraging-YourChild-to-be-Physically-Active.aspx