Fitness and Fatness Trends

Research from Mark S. Tremblay and J. Douglas Willms tells us since 1981 the BMI has been increasing at the rate of nearly 0.1 kg/m per year for both sexes at most ages. In children aged 7 - 13, from 1981 to 1996, the prevalence cof overweight among boys increased from 15% to 28.8% and among girls from 15% to 23.6%. The prevalence of obesity in children more than doubled over that period, from 5% to 13.5% for boys and 11.8% for girls.

In CMAJ 2000; 163(11): 1435-40 Peter T. Katzmarzyk et al. note that two-thirds of Canadian are physically inactive. They calculate that 21,000 lives in Canada were lost prematurely in 1995 at a direct cost of $2.1 billion.

From Canadian Fitness and Lifestyle Research Institute we learn

Over half of children and youth aged 5-17 are not active enough for optimal growth and development. For the purposes of this analysis, the term "active enough" is equivalent to an energy expenditure of at least eight kilocalories per kilogram of body weight per day (KKD). For example, a half hour of martial arts plus walking for a total of at least one hour throughout the day would be sufficient activity for a child.

Girls are less active than boys: 38% of girls and 48% of boys are considered active enough for optimal health benefits. This sex difference appears in both grade-school children and teenagers. For children aged 5-12, 44% of girls versus 53% of boys are considered active enough. Similarly, 30% of adolescent girls and 40% of adolescent boys are considered sufficiently active.

From Peggy Edwards at CAAWS-ACAFS we learn

In 1988, a National Task Force on Young Females and Physical Activity defined the problem of self-esteem and physical activity this way:

Females, beginning at an early age, under-value and underestimate their capacity (and potential) for competency in physical activity. This view is shared by others in society, including male peers. As a result, a girl’s competency in physical activity constantly falls further behind her male peers. She may select only activities that are traditionally female, or worse, be turned off physical activity altogether.

There is good evidence to suggest that sport, active living and physical education can have a positive effect on self-esteem in adolescent women. Indeed, we have a moral responsibility to offer programs with ethical leadership that foster feelings of self-worth.

and from Suzanne Robins writing in the Ottawa Citizen

Research shows that girls who are physically active have a reduced risk of developing depression, heart disease, adult-onset diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. They’re less likely to smoke, and to abuse drugs and alcohol. They wait longer to have sex and are more likely to use contraceptives. And they generally do better in school.

From the CDC in Atlanta, Georgia

So, generally we and our children are becoming less active and fatter. The costs to society are enormous but the costs to us a individuals in terms of reduced productivity and reduced length and quality of life are enormous.

In terms of the martial arts, particularly TaeKwonDo, with its large physical fitness component this means that the number of people who really need an activity is increasing. This means space in the recreational activity pie is opening up. But the willingness to participate is going down. This cries out for leadership and surely represents opportunity knocking on someone's door.