Physical Activity

U.S. SURGEON General David Satcher's recent report about an obesity epidemic - with 60 percent of American adults and nearly 13 percent of children overweight - reminded me of my own warning six years ago about our country's fat kids. As co-chairman of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, I told a Senate panel in 1995: "Children in the United States are the fattest in the world, and we have no one but ourselves to blame. As a nation, we have done little more than pay lip service to grassroots sports opportunities, particularly for our kids."

We are constantly reminded that 30 minutes of exercise several times a week is crucial to good health and long life. But what happens if you're one of the millions of older Americans who suffer from arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, osteoporosis or some other physically limiting condition? You may be trapped at home, shut out of traditional gyms and health clubs, too discouraged or too depressed to challenge yourself with movement. "They're the forgotten people," said Karl G. Knopf, president of the Fitness Educators of Older Adults Association.

The announcement at Navy's annual football banquet stunned Jake Bowen. "All of a sudden, they had adopted the redheaded stepchild," said the Navy linebacker of his selection as a team co-captain last winter. "I had started in the Class of 2000 [which was about to graduate]. "I had been in Brazil for almost two years while the guys who chose me had been bonding through plebe summer and everything else. I was shocked. It was the best thing that has happened to me so far at the academy." Bowen's life at Annapolis has spanned the spectrum.

Recreational athletes are accustomed to following the leaders -- elite athletes -- in how they swing a golf club, shoot a basket or run a race. Same goes for any new equipment, clothing or shoes. We see it, we want it, we think our games will be better. The sports nutrition link between top athletes and the rest of us mere mortals is less continuous, sort of like using an older-model cellular telephone on a road with tunnels and viaducts. Sometimes the reception is loud and clear, other times nothing but static.

Every child needs to move, but not every child likes sports. Some don't welcome yet another rules-dominated, adult-run activity. Some lack athletic talent. Some have parents who can't afford the fees or can't chauffeur them to practice. But sports or no sports, every child still needs to move -- and it's a need our world conspires to deny. From schools with shrinking recess times to streets without sidewalks to homes filled with mesmerizing screens, today's environment encourages immobility.

What do the Recycled Teen-agers, Babes on Blades, the Tucson Hot Flashes, Still Kicking and the Over the Hill Gang have in common? They're all fitness groups for athletes who are 50 and older. According to a new study done by the Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association, the 50-plus generation is exercising more than any other age group, and they're not just walking -- they're joining health clubs, running, biking, swimming, playing soccer, lifting weights, in-line skating and more. Activities once thought to be the exclusive territory of younger athletes are now being embraced by an older generation of fitness buffs.

Kids plopped in front of the television or computer or furiously playing a video game: It's a typical scene in many American homes. The great outdoors has lost its appeal as technology seduces kids into a sedentary lifestyle.Inactivity and poor nutrition put them at risk as adults for obesity, heart disease and cancer, says fitness guru Dr. Kenneth Cooper in his book "Fit Kids! The Complete Shape Up Program from Birth through High School" (Broadman & Holman Publishers, $14.99)."Most of the risky behaviors for these killer diseases begin in childhood," Cooper says.

Q. I just finished reading your column on helping a sad or depressed child. My 2-year-old grandson shows many of the symptoms you described. Since his sister was born last December, he has lost a lot of weight, experiences frequent fatigue and doesn't seem interested in physical activity -- but he likes reading, videos and quiet activities.He is under the care of pediatric specialists who are doing tests to rule out physical causes of his weight loss. But if the root of this is psychological, how is it treated?

Embarrassed, the woman admitted her indulgence. She ate a cheeseburger and fries last night because she knew I would advise her to give them up forever.She must not read this column! I'm a constant promoter of the "all foods can fit" approach. So I happily helped her figure out how to include these favorites -- occasionally -- and still lose weight.But this "last meal" mentality is not unusual for people who have finally decided to take the plunge and lose weight. Unfortunately, it's an attitude that may make re-gain inevitable.

This year, try evolution instead of revolution as you make your shape-up plans. Far too often, people rush into exercise with a vengeance, do too much too soon, end up exhausted, sore and overwhelmed, then drop out until January of next year.It's better to set more reasonable goals, and actually achieve them.Try exercising 10 minutes every other day for a few weeks. You could walk or jog, use an exercise video, or crank up that dusty exercise equipment hiding in the basement. Then increase to 15 minutes a day. In two or three weeks add five minutes more a day. Keep increasing gradually until you're exercising 30 to 45 minutes every other day. Then start adding a little bit on the alternate days.