Inactive Teens Have More Behavioral Problems
By Dr. Randi Fredricks, Ph.D.
The medical community has been sounding the alarm: America's kids are in worse physical shape than they were 20 years ago.
This is particularly appalling since overweight teens often grow into overweight adults, and overweight adults develop more heart disease,
diabetes, gout, and arthritis. The New England Journal of Medicine reported that obese teenagers in the top 25 percent of their
weight categories have twice the death rate in their 70s as men and women who were thin as teens.
In adolescents, physical inactivity is associated with emotional and behavioral problems, suggests a Finnish study
of more than 7,000 teenagers who took part in a survey that assessed their levels of physical activity and mental
and emotional health.
Boys who reported less than one hour of moderate to vigorous physical activity a week had more symptoms of anxiety,
withdrawal and depression than boys who were more active. Inactive girls had similar problems, and were more likely
than inactive boys to also report sleep problems and rule-breaking behaviors.
Both inactive boys and girls were more likely than active peers to have social and attention problems.
A growing body of evidence suggests that an increase in physical activity helps reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in both adolescents and adults.
Adolescence is already a complicated and sometimes difficult stage of life - emotionally, mentally and physically.
Compounding that with negative mental and emotional effects brought on by physical inactivity does not help young
people ease into adulthood. Physical activity could be a highly effective and relatively easy way to help that
transition and could, in addition, lead to establishment of lifelong healthy habits.
The researchers noted that a growing body of evidence suggests that an increase in physical activity helps reduce
symptoms of depression and anxiety in both adolescents and adults. It seems that there is a psychological and physiological connection that,
when operating together, help explain
the beneficial effects of exercise on mental health.
Most people enjoy a lazy day when they can sleep in and just relax. However, when summer comes, it seems that
some teens take that one lazy day and stretch it over the entire summer break.
If you are a parent, voice your expectations. Let your teen know that you will not accept their staying in bed
all day long. It is not unreasonable to ask that they get up at a decent hour consistently. Explain that you
want them to do more than merely watch television, play console games, or surf the internet on the computer.
References (To view, roll mouse over the "References" heading; to hide, click on the heading)
Kantomaa, M. T., Tammelin, T. H., Ebeling, H. E., & Taanila, A. M. (2008). Emotional and behavioral problems in relation to physical activity in youth. Med Sci Sports Exerc, 40(10), 1749-1756.
Lange, B. J., Gerbing, R. B., Feusner, J., Skolnik, J., Sacks, N., Smith, F. O., & Alonzo, T. A. (2005). Mortality in overweight and underweight children with acute myeloid leukemia. JAMA 293(2), 203-211.
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