Intermountain Press Release

Salt Lake City —Experts point to a complex set of reasons for the current epidemic of overweight and unprecedented childhood obesity in America. They include a rise in soft drink consumption; bigger food and beverage portions; the increase in daily screen time – from TV and computers to video games; a decrease in breast-feeding duration and a decrease in recommended physical activity.

Social and environmental changes have also added to the inactive lifestyles of many Americans. Neighborhoods have fewer sidewalks; more neighborhoods feel unsafe; we spend more time in cars and we're eating fewer meals at home. We shop online and few people actually get up to change the channel on the TV when the remote is at hand. Soft drinks and high calorie snacks and foods are readily available in schools, at work, and on supermarket shelves everywhere.

Add the fact that many schools have cut back on physical education and nutrition education programs and it's no wonder the scales have tipped – way over the top.

But Tamara Lewis, MD, Intermountain Healthcare director of Community Health, chooses to accentuate the positive. "It's true," she says. "We live in a different world than our ancestors did, but with some awareness and effort, it's not all that difficult to build activity back into our daily lives." While Lewis points out that everyone can benefit from regular exercise – such as walking, running or working out for at least 30 minutes five days a week – she says, "With a little bit of planning, anyone can build more calorie-burning and strengthening activities into everyday life."

As part of Intermountain Healthcare's "LiVe" campaign, an educational program designed to give kids, teens and families "8 Healthy Habits to Live By," Lewis offers these tips for meeting the challenges of today's sedentary lifestyles:

• Shopping at the mall? Walk around it three times on foot before you begin your spree.
• Invite kids to help you wash the car, by hand.
• Mow the lawn with a non-power mower.
• Pull weeds by hand and get the whole family involved in raking leaves and putting them in bags.
• Ride bikes to and from school with your kids.
• Don't drive when you can walk – to shops, school, and work. If you do drive, park farther away from your destination.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• If you work in a big office building, use the restrooms on a different floor, and take the stairs.
• Exercise or stretch while watching TV.
• Put the TV remote away in a drawer.
• Stand up while talking on the phone. Go ahead and pace!
• Make social occasions more active. Instead of just dining out, walk to and from the restaurant, or plan on going dancing, bike riding, or hiking.
• Start a family tradition of a neighborhood walk before or after dinner. Invite kids to bring their scooters or bikes along.
• Create a "walking carpool." Take turns walking your kids and your neighbor's kids to and from school.
• Take up juggling, hacky-sack, or jump rope – all activities you and your kids can do at home, any time.

Parents and teens can find more expert advice on diet, activity and attitudes about weight management at:

• IntermountainLiVe.org