From the editor

Parks & Recreation, May, 2005 by Rachel Roberts

Everyone has heard the statistics that tell us our nation is becoming one of the fattest on the planet. As many as two-thirds of U.S. adults are considered overweight or obese, with 30 percent of American children being overweight. A new study by the University of Illinois at Chicago even goes so far to say that life expectancy in the next 50 years will decrease by two to five years due to obesity-related illnesses.

Although these statistics are staggering, May is the time to get your community moving. This month is National Physical Fitness Month, and a time when park and recreation departments should be pushing residents to get active by showing them exciting new ways to use their park.

Whether it's organizing a hike along a trail, or recruiting community members to play a new sport like disc golf, the key is getting your citizens to move more, no matter what the method.

In this issue, we have given park and recreation managers a slew of ideas to use in their own communities. Pull kids off the couch and into your skatepark with a festival or clinic (see page 40); find talented soccer coaches to inspire your residents to become involved with a team sport (see page 52); use a neighboring waterway to convince your community of the thrill of paddle sports (see page 34); or even find ways to include more golfers who are disabled (see page 56) at your golf courses.

According to the American Heart Association, each year an estimated 300,000 U.S. adults die from causes related to obesity. I urge you, especially during National Physical Fitness Month, to do something to change these statistics-park and recreation agencies have the tools to make a real difference in someone's life.

Rachel Roberts

Editor, Parks & Recreation