In an effort to increase physical activity levels of all American youth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services today released the report, Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans Midcourse Report: Strategies to Increase Physical Activity Among Youth (PDF), as a five-year follow-up to the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
The report identifies interventions that can help increase physical activity in youth in a variety of settings. It outlines evidence-based recommendations for focusing more efforts on five key settings, including schools, preschools and childcare centers, community, family and home, and primary care locations.
The trend continues toward decreased physical activity among youth, which increases the risk of several chronic diseases in children 6–17 years of age. The 2011 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that youth are still not getting the recommended 60 minutes of daily physical activity. Research also shows that only 29 percent of high school students are physically activity for 60 minutes or more a day during a 7-day