ATLANTA – September 2, 2009 – Childhood obesity in America has grown to epidemic proportions and is now considered one of the most dangerous health problems facing children today. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 19 percent of children ages six to 11 and 17 percent of adolescents ages 12 to 19 are obese. These numbers have doubled over the last two decades. To get kids moving and help in the fight against childhood obesity, non-profit Soccer in the Streets offers free, supervised soccer programs for school-aged children in over 15 cities.

There are multiple reasons why children are becoming obese. During the past few decades, healthy home cooked meals have been replaced with double cheeseburgers and French fries, and children spend more time in front of the television, video console and computer take up more time than playing outdoors. According to a study in the journal Pediatrics, children spend only 10 to 16 hours a week playing, but 21 to 28 hours per week watching television. A child’s lack of exercise can lead to higher stress levels, self confidence loss, the inability to focus in school, excessive weight gain, losing function in bones, muscles and joints, and not getting the required amount of sleep at night.

A healthy lifestyle for children is critical. Seventy percent of overweight children will become obese adults. Recent developments show that obesity and sedentary lifestyles are linked to diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, strokes and certain types of cancer.

President Obama has declared May as National Physical Fitness and Sports Month in an effort to celebrate active lifestyles. He has challenged Americans to participate in The National President’s Challenge, a six-week fitness challenge designed to promote a healthy lifestyle and exercise regimen. The program began May 1 and extends until July 24.

Soccer in the Streets is doing its part to help this initiative. Established in 1989, the organization helps teach kids how to make positive, healthy choices and be successful in life through soccer. The program challenges kids mentally and physically. This regular exercise helps children handle the physical and emotional stresses that might come up during an average day.

According to Seema Csukas, M.D., Ph.D., medical director for Child Wellness at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Georgia Children’s Health Alliance (GCHA), “Overweight children are more likely to suffer from serious health issues such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.  Children need opportunities for physical activity and good nutrition to lead a healthy lifestyle, so that they may become healthy adults.  Regular exercise under the supervision of trained coaches through sports is one strategy to encourage participation and enjoyment of physical activity.”

Benefits of programs like Soccer in the Streets include:

·         Bone Building

·         Weight Control

·         Cardiovascular Protection

·         Mental Health Benefits

It doesn’t take much to get children exercising at the proper intensity to see results. The National Association for Sport and Physical Education published these activity recommendations for children ages five to 12:

·         School-aged children should accumulate at least 60 minutes and up to several hours per day of physical activity appropriate for their age.

·         Activity should be in periods of ten to 15 minutes and include moderate to vigorous movement.

·         Long periods of inactivity are not appropriate for healthy children.

·         School-aged children should participate in a variety of activities, at varying levels of intensity.

“Our program is designed to introduce and implement a complete healthy lifestyle for kids,” said Jill Robbins, executive director of Soccer in the Streets. “We not only teach the kids how to make positive choices, but we give them the resources to create a lifelong dedication to sports.”

About Soccer in the Streets

Soccer in the Streets, an Atlanta-based nationwide non-profit organization, is committed to teaching less advantaged kids how to make positive choices and be successful in life. Since the organization's inception in 1989, over 125,000 children have participated in programs in over 75 U.S. cities. Teaching kids skills for life... one goal at a time. For more information, please visit www.soccerstreets.org.