Verb is the word

Ask most adults about the way to lead a healthy lifestyle and you'll hear about eating more vegetables and less fat in their diet and getting adequate exercise.

Children, too, know that they shouldn't just sit around and play video games if they want to stay healthy and fit, but getting them out of their seats and into action takes more effort.

Lack of physical activity among young people is a contributing factor for obesity and has led to an increase in Type 2 diabetes, which is most commonly found in adults.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta has developed a new campaign to educate parents and encourage physical activity in children.

The five-year effort, "Verb. It's what you do." is designed to show children, especially those between ages 9 and 13, that any sort of physical activity -- from soccer to dance -- helps improve their health.

Those are the same lessons that Ann Cunningham tries to teach in physical education classes at Cape Girardeau Middle School.

"It's about personal improvement," she said. She doesn't stress competition but improving fitness skills. Students begin their classes with warm-ups, like jumping jacks, sit ups and sprints.

"Some students love nothing better than to play and others like to sit and read and aren't in good shape and they know that," Cunningham said.

Because everyone comes into the class with different skill levels, Cunningham tries to keep them focused on how to help themselves.

"We try to expose them to everything that we can so they can find something they like to do," she said.

Some students are really great at basketball and others are better at badminton. "It doesn't have to be Olympic caliber" activity, she said.

During a fitness unit, she tells the students that any activity from raking leaves to cleaning house can be exercise.

Even adults get caught up thinking that exercise means joining a team or gym. "Anything that burns calories in some form is exercise," she said.

That's the lesson that the CDC wants youths and their parents to learn.

"The percentage of young people who are overweight has more than doubled in the past 20 years, and we are seeing serious related complications, including dramatic increases in Type 2 diabetes in adolescents. The campaign will send the message to children that being active is an important part of being healthy," said secretary Tommy Thompson with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The campaign puts an emphasis on finding something that fits a teenager's personality -- not just joining a team sport.

Tyler McCormack and Shawn Hansen probably get more exercise than some of their classmates because they play on a basketball league outside of school. But Scott Cheung is more likely to get his exercise by playing outside at recess and swimming or running track in the spring.

Andrew Westcott knows that exercise is important for avoiding obesity. "You have to get off the couch," he said. "It helps you stay fit and healthy and be strong."

Westcott, now a sixth-grader at Cape's middle school, previously attended a school where P.E. classes were held for 30 minutes every day. Now, he goes twice a week for 40 minutes at a time.

CDC studies show that only 32 percent of children in the U.S. take a daily physical education class. And nearly half of youth between ages 12 and 21 don't regularly get enough exercise and the numbers worsen with age.

In Missouri, students are required to take only one P.E. credit in high school.

The Missouri Assessment Program tested fifth- and ninth-grade students in health and physical education for only the second time in 2002. Fifth grade students showed improvement while the ninth-graders levels declined.

"One of the things that makes the MAP distinctive is that we are one of the few states to try to capture this information about health knowledge," said Jim Morris, public information officer for state's Department of Elementary and Secondary Education.

Testing physical education is tough, though, because each school district offers health and P.E. differently, Morris said. The health and physical education portion of the MAP test won't be offered in the spring because of state funding cuts.

ljohnston@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 126

On the Net:

www.cdc.gov/youthcampaign

Parent site: www.VERBparents.com

Youth site: www.VERBnow.com