Question

Marta has never been physically active. In high school she didn't enjoy physical education classes because she just wasn't good at competitive sports like basketball and soccer. Now 20 years old and a sophomore in college, Marta typically drives her car to campus rather than walking the six blocks from her apartment. Her idea of a complete meal is a large pepperoni pizza delivered to her door and washed down with a large soda. To relax, she watches TV or chats with friends. Recently Marta heard about the adverse health effects of a sedentary lifestyle and no longer wants to be a couch potato.

Many people develop bad health habits as young children that carry through adulthood. The growth in popularity of television and the advent of video games and personal computers has put more people in front of video monitors and fewer outside exercising. While we are constantly hearing about a fitness craze, all the fitness studies indicate that Americans are more sedentary than ever, particularly young children. And yet we continually hear of state legislatures eliminating physical education requirements in our public schools.

1. Why do you think young people are so inactive?

2. What are the potential long-term effects of their inactivity?

3. Why do you think some people see the elimination of school physical education programs as sending a mixed message to the public?

4. Do you think it's too late for Marta to change her lifestyle?

5. How should she begin?

6. After years of not exercising, with what types of exercises should she begin?

7. Should Marta see her family physician before starting any exercise program?

8. How long will she need to continue a physical activity program before she notices the positive effects of regular exercise?

Answer 1

1. Why do you think young people are so inactive?

Obesity results in the accumulation of excess fat throughout the body. The common causes of obesity include the sedentary lifestyle, eating fatty foods and junk foods, hereditary factors, etc. The rate of metabolism, energy expenditure, differences in brain chemistry is determined by the genes. In a research experiment, identical twins grown in two different regions showed similar patterns of weight gain irrespective of differences in their food intake. This explains that the food habits are dominated by nature in determining the fat distribution.

The common cause of most of the young inactive people is, they are habituated to use the internet, play video games, and watch television. They like the tasty junk food and usually do not mingle with the other children or prefer to spend with the children of the same type. These habits are carried from the childhood to the teenage and adulthood. Also, busy parents and busy lifestyle are the other reasons for decreased activity in young people. Most of the adults in their family cannot be a role model to the children or young people regarding the physical activity because they spend a busy life.