Take Time To Keep Your Children Active (NAPSA)—As_ the cooler weather approaches, it becomes more challenging for many parents to motivate their children to get physically active. A new online tool—My VERBRecorder located at www. VERBnow.com—is encouraging children to get up and get moving. The interactive tracker gives children fun ideas and suggestions on ways to get active and records their activities for a chance to win cool prizes. Why Tweens Need “Extra Action” The U.S. Department of Health and HumanServices’ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) VERB” campaign encourages children to engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity each day. This is especially important for children whoselifestyle habits often involve little or no activity. According to the National Health Action Nutritional Educational Services (NHANES), an estimated 15 percent of children ages 6 through 19 are overweight and at risk for obesity-related diseases and their associated complications, including Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, children who are engaged in physical activities are better able to meet the demands of daily physical activity and gain greater self-esteem, confidence, discipline and school achievement and develop more positive family relationships than their less active peers. Schools can also help reduce childhood obesity. According to the National Association for Sport and Physical Education, however, only 6 percent of middle schools provide daily physical education classes throughout the school year to all of their students. A number of young Americans have attempted to break the world record for dribbling basketballs. The goal of VERB is to encourage tweens to replace more sedentary habits that have become prevalent in their everyday lives with healthy physical activities. To draw attention to the importance of physical activity for children, the CDC hosted events in cities around the country, including an attempt to set a Guinness World Record” for the most people dribbling basketballs at one time. According to James S. Marks, M.D., M.P.H., director of the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion at CDC, “It’s important that we not only encourage youthto increase their daily physical activity but we also should increase the awareness of their efforts. My VERB Recorder provides tweens with a high-tech interactive tool to help them pick an activity they like and discover new waysto get active.” Parents can learn more about VERB by visiting www. VERB parents.com or www.cdc.gov/VERB. Parents also can contact community centers, such as the YMCA (888-333-YMCA), to find out about organized regularactivities.
