Unit 5 Statistics Essay

Which five statistics surprised you the most and/or caused you to be most concerned and ? 1. 16 percent of children and teens aged 6 to 19 were overweight in 1999-2002, triple the proportion in 1980. Fifteen-percent of children in the same age group are considered at-risk for overweight. The percentage of overweight African American, Hispanic, and Native American children is about 20%. 2. Only 25 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 engaged in moderate physical activity for at least 30 minutes on 5 or more of the previous 7 days in 2003. 3. Only 28 percent of students in grades 9 through 12 participated in daily school physical education in 2003, down from 42 percent in 1991. 4. Nearly half of American youths aged 12 - 21 years are not vigorously active on a regular basis. 5. About 14 percent of
young people report no recent physical activity. Inactivity is more common among females (14%) than males (7%) and among black females (21%) than white females (12%). - These statistics surprise me the most and cause me to be concerned because they show that very small amounts of teenagers are getting physical activity, even during school.
Also, the fact that females are more physically inactive is surprising because girls are usually moving all the time; it also surprises me because females are more at risk for several diseases that physical activity can cure. Physical fitness used to be a big deal in school systems and now it is hardly reinforced. Which of the statistics listed in #1 affects you personally and ? 1. 16 percent of children and teens aged 6 to 19 were overweight in 1999-2002, triple the proportion in 1980. Fifteen-percent of children in the same age group are considered at-risk for overweight. The percentage of overweight African American, Hispanic, and Native American children is about 20%. - This statistic affects me personally because I am an overweight teen and have been overweight for much of my lige. Suggest ways that our society as a whole could reverse or improve the statistic in a positive way for of the statistics listed in #1. (You should list a minimum of 5
suggestions.) 1. Make school meals healthier, encourage physical fitness in teens and children. 2. Discover new, fun ways to incorporate activity into daily life. 3. Make P.E. A requirement among ALL students, with no exceptions. 4. Campaign for a healthier U.S. And encourage healthy lifestyles. 5. Discover certain activities that are geared toward certain sexes and encourage each sex to utilize their resources.