National Wildlife Federation: Time Outdoors Improves Nation's Health

Newswise — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this week held an inaugural conference on obesity prevention and control. The CDC's Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity convened in Washington, D.C. to chart ways to improve access to healthy places, discuss opportunities for obesity prevention, and plan physical education standards in schools through federal policy.

Obesity is a risk factor for a number of chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart problems, osteoarthritis, and sleep apnea. Furthermore, the health cost of obesity in the U.S. could be as high as $147 billion annually, according to a study from Research Triangle Institute and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Regular time in nature is a critical tool that can be used to prevent obesity and encourage physical activity, at no cost. Getting kids outdoors can improve our nation's physical and mental health. Kids who spend time outdoors reap the benefits of greater school readiness, creativity, self-sufficiency, and confidence.

Kevin Coyle, National Wildlife Federation's Vice President for Education and Training, said today:

"To raise a healthier generation and implement effective federal obesity prevention legislation—it takes a range of strategies including outdoor time. National Wildlife Federation applauds the CDC's inaugural Weight of the Nation conference, an effort to combat obesity in adults and prevent it in future generations.

"To support these efforts, the Federation has developed a Be Out There parent education program which includes its Green Hour Activities Guides—designed to help parents and children get an hour per day—whenever possible—of outdoor time. The NWF Green Hour is in keeping with the CDC policy for children to have an hour per day of light to moderate physical activity daily to control obesity.

"Today's children have less contact with nature and outdoor play than any generation in human history. They are spending on average 44 and one half hours a week in front of a screen: watching television, surfing the internet, and playing video games, the equivalent of a full-time work week. This 'indoor childhood' has significant implications for our children's mental and physical health.

"Outdoor play is key to the intellectual, emotional, and physical health of our children. Providing them with quality opportunities to directly experience the natural world improves students' overall readiness to learn, as well as aids health, self-esteem, personal responsibility, community involvement and understanding of nature."

To learn more about getting your Green Hour, visit www.greenhour.org.

To learn where to get outdoors, visit NatureFind at www.nwf.org/NatureFind. This newly relaunched online tool maps outdoor activities and places ranging from nature trails, campsites, aviaries and zoos to wildlife preserves and local, state and national parks.

To learn more about the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's inaugural conference on obesity, visit www.weightofthenation.org.

National Wildlife Federation is America's largest conservation organization inspiring Americans to protect wildlife for our children's future. NWF's BE OUT THERE campaign encourages families across America to get outside on a daily basis to improve their physical and mental health. The benefits of outdoor play are real: healthier kids with a life-long appreciation of wildlife and nature.