I recently saw a statistic where about 30% of all adolescents in the US are either considered to be overweight or obese, and, for adults in the state of Iowa, the obesity rate is about 36% (fourth highest in the nation)! Now I surely do not believe every statistic I hear or believe every study I read, however, it does give us all something to think about. A lot of us need to be more active and eat better.
There are a lot of things that a high school student could and should do over the summer: work, take a class, campus visits, job shadow, read, prepare for scholarships, the list goes on. What I would like you to consider doing in addition to those things is to be active!
Iowa has so many things to offer during the summer months. There are water sports such as fishing, kayaking, canoeing, and swimming. There are miles and miles of trails that people can walk, run, bike, or rollerblade on. There are team sports a student could participate in. If you don’t have the equipment needed to do some of these things, there are usually many options to rent the equipment needed from a local college, bike shop, or outdoor outfitter, or even some sporting goods stores. And, the nice thing is that the rental rates are usually very reasonable.
As far as eating goes, summer is great time to sample local fruits and vegetables from your local farmer’s markets. Eat healthy and support your local farmers.
The way I look at it is if you stay more active and participate in outdoor activities, you will not only be healthier in your body, but statistics also show that if you spend time outdoors, it is healthy for your mind as well. And, if you keep busy with these activities, maybe both students and parents will spend a little less time on screen time!! Have a great, healthy summer!
John - ICAN Waterloo Center
