Childhood Inactivity Will Cost This Generation 5 Years
A new report from Nike reveals that, for the first time in history, the younger generation is expected to die 5 years younger than their parents. Why? Inactivity.
The research revealed that in just two generations, the rate of active play, physical education and overall physical activity has dropped by 20% in the U.K., 32% in the U.S and 45% in China. Additionally, this year 5.3 million deaths will be attributed to physical inactivity while smoking, long considered the leading killer, is responsible for 5 million deaths per year. Between the ages of 9 and 15, American and European kids’ activity levels drop 50-75%. Focusing on getting kids move active before the age of 10 can significantly alter the trajectory of the next generation.
The official report Designed to Move: A Physical Activity Action Agenda, produced in partnership by Nike, the American College of Sports Medicine and the International Council of Science & Physical Education, was presented last Sunday at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York. The report outlines the risk factors and the economic costs of childhood inactivity and provides a framework for combating the problem. It primarily suggests that governments have significant ability to affect change through innovations in urban planning, and positions physical activity as a competitive advantage.
“5 Extra Years” – the supporting spot created by advertising powerhouse Weiden + Kennedy – emphasizes how significant 5 extra years are by asking children under the age of 10 what they would do with the extra time. The children, set in abandoned play areas, provide an array of 5-year ambitions – create a time machine, have more hamsters, look for aliens – until one kid quite rightly asks “why are you asking me this?” Whether in the eyes of a child or a seasoned adult, 5 years provides endless opportunity.
this is just…. wow… incredible