Teen-age Girls Become Less Active

Girls tend to engage in less physical activity as they grow older, something that may help explain part of the growing trend in obesity among young people in the United States, researchers stated. The findings, published in 2002 in the New England Journal of Medicine, were based on studies of teen-agers from schools near San Francisco, Cincinnati, and in the Washington area.

“We documented a precipitous drop in levels of activity during adolescence among both black girls and white girls, and the drop was particularly marked among black girls,” said the research team led by Sue Kimm of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. By age 16 or 17, 56 percent of the 1,213 black girls in the study did no regular physical activity, compared to 31 percent of the 1,166 white girls. By 18 or 19, most of the girls of both races did virtually no regular physical exercise other than at school.

The researchers did not explore the reasons for the decline in activity among teen-age girls or compare their findings to earlier generations. But they speculated that the results may contribute to the growing trend in obesity among young people. According to Richard Troiano of the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland about 15 percent of young Americans are overweight. The study’s findings, combined with other research, illustrate the importance of increasing physical activity among young people in general and among black girls in particular, Troiano said in a separate analysis published in the journal.

In a related study, a research team led by JoAnn Manson of Harvard Medical School concluded that walking and vigorous exercise dramatically reduce the risk of heart attacks among women, both black and white. “Women who either walked briskly or exercised vigorously at least 2.5 hours per week had a risk reduction of approximately 30 percent,” they said.

TIP: Let us not forget the importance of exercise in the fight for health. Encourage your children to get outside and exercise!

In health,

Thomas Von Ohlen. MS, NC

Thomas Von Ohlen MS, NC, is a clinical nutritionist and co-author of the book, “101 Great Ways to Improve Your Health.” He is also the developer of Plasma Pro software, a blood test analysis program for doctors. His free weekly newsletter is available at his website www.HealYourBodyNow.com