DENVER — Children in the U.S. spend an average of four to seven minutes outdoors each day in unstructured play, compared to 7.5 hours each day in front of electronic media, according to the National Recreation and Park Association.
The percentage of American children aged six to 11 years who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 18% in 2010, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The percentage of 12 to 19-year-olds who are obese increased from 5% to 18% over that same period, and today, more than one-third of children and adolescents are overweight or obese.
The effects of this sedentary lifestyle represent a troubling trend in the health and wellness of Americans and even the U.S. economy. The NRPA links it to the country's military readiness, saying nearly one in four military applicants is rejected for being overweight or obese.
- Read the National Recreation and Park Association's release below
A new program called Power of Nature was launched in association with the National Park Service to try to get kids outside more. It aims to enable 300,000 youth to engage in national park programming during this school year. This will include classroom activities, virtual and in-person field trips, and first-time experiences in public lands for students in communities that have historically lacked access.
Denver-based The North Face donated $1 million to get the program up and running.
The timing of the new program is no accident. Saturday, Sept. 27, is National Public Lands Day. All national parks, including the four in Colorado, will offer free admission to everyone on Saturday.
It's an annual event, and last year, more than 130 national parks hosted events with 7,600 volunteers logging 41,500 hours of service.
The national parks in Colorado are Rocky Mountain National Park, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, Great Sand Dunes, and Mesa Verde.
Denver7 is committed to making a difference in our community by standing up for what's right, listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the videos above.
