As a pediatrician I am practicing preventative medicine each day. I probably practice more preventative health than actually treating illness or disease. In the office we give vaccines to prevent disease. We monitor growth and development to insure children’s health. At times I prescribe medications that help prevent illnesses or flare ups. Through the years I have come to realize that the best preventative for disease is Movement.
Often we think of preventive medicine as prescribing medications to prevent a disease state from developing complications. We give asthma patients medications to prevent flare ups. We give diabetic patients medications to prevent acute and long term complications related to high blood sugars. Patients with high blood pressure take medications to prevent the complications of hypertension. Wouldn’t it be better to prescribe something that prevents a disease state from developing or something that would make a disease state go away? There is something that can do this. That something is movement and physical activity.
Let me start by listing the disease states that science has found can be prevented by increasing the amount of physical activity our children have in their lives. First to be mentioned should be Heart Disease. It is the number one killer of men and women in the United States. There are so many studies that show the more active we are the less likely we are to develop heart disease. A good summary of the data can be found in this article. The number two killer in the U.S. is cancer. According to the American Cancer Society Guidelines on Nutrition and Physical Activity for Cancer Prevention, getting more physical activity is associated with a lower risk for several types of cancer, including breast, prostate, colon, endometrium, and possibly pancreatic cancer. You can find a link to their statement here. Exercise can also help prevent and control type 2 diabetes. The main way that fitness can help with type 2 diabetes is through helping your child’s body composition. You can read what the American Diabetes Association has to say here. While Fitness may not prevent asthma it can certainly help decrease the frequency of flare ups. The American Lung Association provides information on its website.
Fitness can also help with your child’s mental health. Multiple studies show that kids who are more active and involved in organized activities have less issues with anxiety and depression. Increased activity also leads to better sleep which is key to having good mental health. Multiple studies have also reported less drug use in kids who are involved with sports. Lastly girls who are involved in sports in high school have a decreased risk of unintentional pregnancy.
No other prescription can provide so much preventive health care. Movement can lead to better health and the science is there to prove it. So let’s get our kids out and Move IT so they can have continued health. Start today and your child will have the benefits for a lifetime.
