Washington, DC (April 29, 2014) ? At a Congressional Fitness Caucus briefing on Capitol Hill today, the National Physical Activity Plan (NPAP) Alliance in collaboration with its organizational partner, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), released the first-ever?United States Report Card on Physical Activity for Children and Youth, and Uncle Sam could not possibly be proud of the 2014 grades.
Russ Pate, Ph.D., Chairman of the NPAP Alliance, revealed the inaugural Report Card results, and Peter Katzmarzyk, Ph.D., Chairman of the 2014 Report Card Research Advisory Committee, explained the research methodology of the 10 indicators evaluated.? Fitness Caucus Co-chairs ? Reps. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) and Ron Kind (D-Wis.) ? kicked off the briefing, which included remarks from representatives of Designed to Move; SHAPE America ; Ken Harvey, four-time Pro Bowl Washington Redskins linebacker; and Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Olympic gold medalist.
“Physical activity levels in American youth fall far below the recommended level, with only about one-fourth of children aged 6-15 meeting the current guideline of 60 minutes of moderate physical activity per day,? said Pate,? professor in the Department of Exercise Science in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina.? ?Fifty percent of waking hours are spent in sedentary activity for children and youth, and this percentage rises with age.?
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