Physical Inactivity Among Adolescents

The number of adolescents who are unhealthy and overweight have increased in great proportions in the United States. While adolescents are less healthy today compared to adolescents 40 years ago (Gao, Newton, & Carson, 2008). The increase in obesity among adolescents is partially due to a decrease in physical activity (Gao et al., 2010). Multiple guidelines suggest that children and adolescents participate in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity for a minimum of 60 minutes a day to improve their health and well-being (Lee, Kuo, Fanaw, Perng, & Juang, 2011). While it’s evident that consistent physical activity is beneficial to one’s health, there continues to be a problem associated with inactivity (Agbuga, 2011). Adolescents do not follow the suggested 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (Ning, Pope, & Gao, 2015). The lack of physical activity has ultimately led to life-altering diseases such as; coronary heart disease, cancer, Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, and multiple forms of depression (Agbuga, 2011; Duncan, Birch, & Woodfield, 2012). As a result, encouraging adolescents to participate in physical activity has become a major task and challenge in the United States. …show more content…
Given the fact that 95% of adolescents attend school, physical education is viewed as an important means of encouraging students to participate in physical activity. For instance, adolescents enrolled in both school and physical education have a greater chance of achieving the suggested moderate-to-vigorous physical activity compared to adolescents who are not enrolled in school. In addition, prior studies revealed that consistent participation in physical education class can increase health and physical activity levels significantly (Ning, Pope, & Gao,