Environmental Influences on Physical Activity
An individual’s health is affected through numerous different aspects of life these days, and in the United States the leading causes of death now are physical inactivity and poor diet. This is because most activities of daily living are required movements or Physical activity, now require almost no effort and affect health, fitness, and body weight because of new Technology. We can examine the decrease in the required daily energy that expenditure as a result of modern- day conveniences that lull us into Physical Inactivity, and like we see today people used their cars to replace walking or riding a bike that decreases energy by 50 to 300 calories per day. Today people have jobs that require them to sit most of the day, they do not even get up to walk a short distance to talk to a coworkers. Instead, they use a phone, e-mail, or text message to communicate because of their laziness. Even after work when people get home what is the first thing they do stop by the kitchen for a box of crackers or chips and sit down to watch a favorite show for 3 to 4 hours. Watching television, using the computer, and playing video games occupy a large percentage of children’s leisure time, influencing their physical activity levels. It is estimated that children in the United States are spending 25 percent of their waking hours watching television and statistically, children who watch the most hours of television have the highest incidence of obesity. Overweight and obesity are associated with increased risk for many types of cancer, including cancer of the breast, colon, endometrium, esophagus, kidney, pancreas, gall bladder, thyroid, ovary, cervix, and prostate, as well as multiple myeloma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma. This trend is apparent not only because little energy is expended while viewing television but also because of the concurrent consumption of high-calorie snacks. Overweight in children and adolescents is generally caused by a lack of physical activity, unhealthy eating patterns resulting in excess energy intake, or a combination of the two. Genetics and social factors socioeconomic status, race/ethnicity, and the physical environment also influence energy consumption and expenditure. Most factors of overweight and obesity do not work in isolation and solely targeting one factor may not going to make a significant impact on the growing problem. In addition to sitting most of the day at work and at home, we sit in our cars. We are transported or drive everywhere we have to go. On the other hand some communities aren't much help either. Walking, jogging, and bicycle trails are too spare in most cities. Places for safe exercise are hard to find in many Metropolitan areas, motivating many people to remain indoors during leisure hours for fear of endangering their personal safety and well-being. Safety concerns also keep people in cars instead of on sidewalks and in parks. And communities are designed around the automobile. City streets make driving convenient and walking, jogging, or cycling for people difficult, impossible, or dangerous.
http://www.academia.edu/1505432/ENVIRONMENTAL_INFLUENCES_ON_EATING_AND_PHYSICAL_ACTIVITY
http://www.academia.edu/1505432/ENVIRONMENTAL_INFLUENCES_ON_EATING_AND_PHYSICAL_ACTIVITY