U.S. News & World Report: Encouraging Physical Activity in Children

FOR MOST PARENTS, THE ultimate goal is to raise healthy, smart, successful and happy children. Anyone who has kids can attest to the fact that it's a wild ride, with some twists and turns that aren't always visible up ahead. There's no manual, no green light that will spin and flash when you make the right call – and parenting, in general, requires a lot of gut-checks and crossed-fingers as you navigate through the childrearing years. As if the task at hand wasn't tough enough already, these days we're also taking on the rising challenge of childhood obesity , hich sadly has come to affect 1 in every 5 school-age children. It wasn't always this big a problem in America. In fact, the percentage of children and adolescents affected by obesity has nearly tripled since the 1970s. We can thank the booming convenience-food culture and the rise of technology for contributing to a sedentary lifestyle and an imbalance in energy.

Read the top five tips to encourage physical activity in your children here