"She'll just tell us to go outside," says Will, 11.

Go outside, and just do … something … anything!

"You can swim, you can jump on the trampoline, you can play sports, you can just run around and have fun," 13-year-old Lacey says.

That's exactly what a new campaign, sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is encouraging kids to do. The fast-moving 30-second spots feature an animated character who runs, jumps, swims and plays accompanied by the tag line, "VERB, it's what you do."

The CDC hopes kids aged 9 to 13 will see the advertisements and become inspired.

"In a sense, we're creating a brand that makes positive activity, mostly physical activity, something cool that kids want to be a part of," CDC spokesman Mike Greenwell says.

Experts say the way to get kids to become more active is for parents to do the same.

"It might be just walking, or it might be biking. It doesn't have to be a sport. It's just something that would increase the amount of activity in their lives," Greenwell says.

The other key is to find activities that your children enjoy.

"When you're having fun, you don't think about getting tired. But when it's not very fun, all you think about is getting tired and you just get tired," says Joe Byrd, 11.

Because childhood obesity has tripled in the past two decades, experts say they hope the "verb" campaign can help reverse that trend.

And Lacey says it's not just about being in good shape. It's also about having a full life.

"If you stay inside all day, you're having your very short life just go out the window. All you're doing is watching television and doing nothing. You need to make the most of your life; you have to, you know, enjoy it. You have to have fun and play," she says.

By Kim Ogletree
CWK Network, Inc.

To combat the nationwide obesity epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at convincing America's youth to follow the advice of such action words as "twist," "jump" and "run." The new "verb" campaign, which targets children aged 9 to 13, combines computer animation and grammar lessons to inspire kids to exercise. One commercial includes a voiceover that chimes in: "Everywhere you go, everywhere you look, there are verbs out there just waiting for you to get into."

The CDC, which plans to broadcast the ads on stations with heavy child and teen programming, says it may branch out its message to include encourage healthy eating. But for now, the agency wanted to keep the ads simple so that children wouldn't become confused.

The CDC's push for televised health alerts comes at a time when childhood obesity is soaring and children's levels of physical activity are faltering. Consider these statistics about obesity and physical activity from the U.S. Surgeon General's Office and the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services:

• Approximately 300,000 deaths each year in the United States are associated with obesity.
• In 1999, 13% of children aged 6 to 11 years and 14% of adolescents aged 12 to 19 years were overweight. This prevalence has nearly tripled for adolescents in the past two decades.
• The increases in being overweight and obese cut across all ages, racial and ethnic groups and both genders.
• Being overweight and obese are associated with heart disease, certain types of cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, arthritis, breathing problems and psychological disorders, such as depression.
• The economic cost of obesity in the United States was about $117 billion in 2000.
• Only 25% of young people (aged 12-21 years) participate in light to moderate activity (walking, bicycling, etc.) nearly every day. About 50% regularly engage in vigorous physical activity. Approximately 25% report no vigorous physical activity.
• About 14% 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%).
• Participation in all types of physical activity declines strikingly as age or grade in school increases.
• Only 19% of all high school students are physically active for 20 minutes or more, five days a week, in physical education classes.
• Daily enrollment in physical education classes dropped from 42% to 25% among high school students between 1991 and 1995.
• Forty-three percent of adolescents watch more than two hours of television each day.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), various factors influence the likelihood of a child becoming overweight or obese. A family history of obesity increases your child's chances of weight problems later in life. A child who is physically inactive is more likely to have a weight problem. If your family's meals tend to emphasize high-calorie foods, that can cause excess weight gains. Although certain metabolic and endocrine disorders may contribute to obesity, they are the culprits in only about 5% of obese children.

The AAP says that stress can also play a role in some overweight problems. Children have less control over their lives and thus have fewer options with which to respond to emotional peaks and valleys. They may be prone to changing the way they eat as their moods and behavior change, for instance, when they are bored, anxious, depressed or even extremely pleased.

So how can you determine if your child is on the path to becoming obese? The AAP says that first, you need to determine if your child is overweight. Talk with your pediatrician, who will consult growth charts to determine the most appropriate target weight range for your child. This ideal range will depend on a number of factors, including your child's sex, age, height and body build. Obesity is usually defined as more than 20% above ideal weight for a particular height and age. Children who are greater than 40% overweight are generally recommended for a physician-guided weight-loss program.

However, it is important to remember that children tend to gain weight at a fairly steady rate through the middle years, with an increase in weight gain and growth during, and just prior to, puberty. Your child's need for calories rises during times of rapid growth, gradually increasing as he or she moves through middle childhood into puberty. The AAP cautions that you should not become alarmed by this increase in weight and initiate dieting at this time.

If your child is overweight or obese, the most important thing you can offer him or her is what every child needs - love and support. The Mayo Clinic says that obese children are often shunned both by peers and by adults, so it is extremely important for parents to treat them as equals to other children. You can help your child conform to a healthier lifestyle by following these suggestions:

• Be a role model. Parents play a vital role in the development of their children. Take notice of lifestyle habits that can contribute to overeating and inactivity in your child, then set an example for him or her. You can make subtle lifestyle changes to help your child be healthier. Don't order French fries if you don't want your child ordering them. Don't buy Oreos if you don't want your child sneaking a few of them from the cookie jar.
• Make eating an activity in itself. Eating is a significant event, and it should be enjoyable. Kids, especially overweight kids, should not eat while watching television, riding in a car or walking through the kitchen. They should sit down just to eat, enjoy the meal and then get up and do something else fun.
• Try not to "love" with food. Instead of rewarding your child with snacks, teach him or her to use food for energy. Model alternative ways of celebrating. Perhaps spend some quality time with your child by taking a walk, going to the bowling alley, playing a game of cards or going on a long bike ride.
• Limit television, video and computer time. There is a clear link between television time - especially when combined with eating - and obesity. Your child should not have a television in his or her bedroom, and all children should limit television, video or computer game time to no more than an hour or two a day.
• Focus on positive goals. Overweight children should focus on achieving goals they want to achieve. Your child may set his or her sights on running laps with, instead of behind, the class, or being able to bike for more than 20 minutes without getting tired. It is much better to choose these kinds of positive goals rather than to focus on more negative sounding goals like losing weight.
• Take small steps as a family. Make sure changes are subtle and involve the whole family. For example, it is better to substitute fruit in place of dessert rather than to omit desserts altogether. That way, your child and his or her siblings won't feel like there's been a revolution.

According to the Surgeon General, Americans should accumulate at least 30 minutes (adults) or 60 minutes (children) of moderate physical activity most days of the week. More may be needed to prevent weight gain, to lose weight or to maintain weight loss. If your overweight child's physician recommends that he or she get more exercise, the National Safety Council suggests the following ways in which to motivate your child to become physically active:

• Make exercise fun. Find activities your child enjoys like walking around the zoo, or teach him or her a new activity such as tennis.
• Set a good example. Parents who are 20 to 30 pounds overweight send mixed messages to their children about the importance of fitness.
• Exercise as a family. Try participating in unstructured activities with your child, such as bike riding, tossing a football and playing basketball.
• Look beyond organized sports. Many team sports don't fulfill the requirements for aerobic activity. For example, it's OK to play baseball, but except for a few short bursts, your child may spend most of the time standing around. Take your child in-line skating, play badminton in the backyard or encourage your child to jump rope.
• Talk to your child's physical education teacher. Ask about your child's P.E. program and how you can provide support. If your child does not have P.E. or the current program is not enough, encourage your school board to make it a priority.
• Remember that physical activity and proper nutrition go hand in hand. Not only do kids spend many sedentary hours watching television, but they are also exposed to thousands of junk-food commercials each year. If you make exercise and good nutrition a part of your lifestyle, chances are your child will follow suit.
  

American Academy of Pediatrics
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Mayo Clinic
National Safety Council
U.S. Surgeon General's Office
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services