Home Dee Dee Health Tip – Aug. 28 – Sedentary Life Style Starts Young

Health Tip – Aug. 28 – Sedentary Life Style Starts Young

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Kids these days spend much too much time in front of screens – computers, video games, television, whatever. A new study from Oregon State University found that parents, and not the presence of electronic devices, are key to whether or not kids become sedentary.

The researchers compared four parenting styles, authoritative (high warmth and control), authoritarian (controlling, less warm), permissive (warm, low control), and neglectful (low control and warmth) and found that regardless of parenting style, overall children age two to four were sitting from four to five hours a day.

The researchers noted that the preschool years set a pattern for activity – or not – and that it is natural for little kids to have bursts of activity during the day. Once they get to school, their physical activity decreases and continues to decline throughout life.

The remedy: support and promote active play (playing with your kids has the most impact, the researchers said). They added that parents can make a difference just by encouraging their kids to be active, even if all that means is watching the kids play or driving them to an activity

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