As kids get older, they drop the ball on exercise

USA TODAY, July, 2008 by Nanci Hellmich

The amount of exercise children in the USA get each day drops dramatically from ages 9 to 15, according to one of the largest studies ever done on the activity levels of children.

In fact, fewer than one-third of 15-year-olds get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity a day, the minimum amount recommended for children by the federal government.

Inactivity has been shown to contribute to obesity. One-third of children in the USA -- about 23 million ages 2 to 19 -- weigh too much, which puts them at an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and other health problems.

In the latest study, researchers measured and analyzed the activity of more than 1,000 children from 10 different cities from 2000 to 2006. The kids wore...