NFL Superstars Encourage Kids to Get Movingby Michele Cheplic | More from this Blogger 22 Mar 2009 05:27 AM Washington Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall made a confession before lawmakers this week: His own kids could use more exercise. The NFL star, who volunteered to promote children's fitness legislation, admitted that like many kids their age, his sons play way too many video games and eat way too much fast food. Hall, who called childhood obesity an epidemic, is one of seven NFL players devoting their off-season to lobby lawmakers to pass the FIT Kids Act. The bill would require schools, districts and states to report on students' physical activity, and to give children and their parents, access to important health and nutritional information. Hall and his fellow NFL teammates, including Jared Gaither, Jameel McClain, Troy Smith, Marcus Maxwell, and Fred Smoot joined lawmakers, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank, health advocates, NFL cheerleaders and dozens of schoolchildren for a mini pep rally on the West Lawn of the Capitol on Thursday. In addition to speaking out about the need for advanced physical fitness classes, the football players led the students in jumping jacks, stretching and running-in-place exercises and signed autographs. The players also used part of the pep rally to plug NFL PLAY 60, a youth health and fitness campaign aimed at getting youngsters active for an hour a day. "It's insane that kids go to school and we work on their minds, but we don't work on their bodies," said Baltimore Ravens special teams standout Brendon Ayanbadejo. "We need to get kids playing 60 minutes a day." Sen. Tom Harkin, of Iowa, who chairs the Agriculture Committee and sponsored the bill in the Senate, told students that they could live shorter lives than their parents if they didn't develop healthy eating habits and exercise more. Harkin's message may have seemed harsh, but it paled in comparison to what Rep. Zach Wamp of Tennessee had to say about our nation's youth. Wamp argued that kids these days are "overmedicated," adding that "the best antidepressant is sweat." "The human body was made to move," he said. What do you make of Wamp's argument? Related Articles: Study Shows Most Bullied Kids are Overweight Exercise Helps Overweight Kids Manage Anger Better Kids and Fitness---One Sport or Many? Learn more about Michele Cheplic  Michele Cheplic was born and raised in Hilo, Hawaii, but now lives in Wisconsin. Michele graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a degree in Journalism. Relevantfitness tags holidays | weight loss | ideas | parenting | relationships | Kids | pregnancy | children | Food | family User Comments plawler (5) 22 Mar 2009 03:08 PMGreat Article - our nation better start waking up the reality of our nations childhood obesity crisis. When this generation of overweight children grow up, our nation will be facing a bigger financial crisis than we are presently facing. Wamp and Harkins both made powerful statements but both maybe have understated the reality of the long term impact of childhood obesity www.pe4life.org - a solid organization with proven solutions to childhood obesity  Michele Cheplic |
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