Teens are usually known for being an active group of individuals. However there is a recent study conducted by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology, indicating that teens are becoming more inactive or sedentary. One of the leading causes behind this shift in lifestyle, as mentioned in Dr. Rick Nauret’s recent article; is being contributed to the popularity of electronic media.
Between the television, electronic game consoles, and the internet, teens have very alluring temptations that require a great deal of inactivity. These temptations are compounded on the weekends when teens have a great deal of time available to them, with some figures showing that on the weekends, more than 60% of teens spend over 2 hours a day in front of some form of electronic media.
A drawback to this new sedentary lifestyle is the increase long-term affects this will have on the teen’s health – specifically cardiometabolic health. Cardiometabolic health is a measurement that takes into account various factors such as weight and cholesterol when determining the risk associated with diabetes and heart disease. The danger with an inactive lifestyle is with the inverse relationship it has with your health, the longer the inactivity period the lower the cardiometabolic health.
One of the recommendations to counteract teenagers being sedentary on the weekends; according to the American Academy of Pediatrics; is to not put televisions or game consoles in the teens bedroom. Having access to this type of electronic media in the bedroom “triples the risk of exceeding the health recommendations to not spend more than two hours per day watching television” according to researcher Juan P. Ray-Lopez.
A counter-measure that The Family Foundation School (FFS) supports is to make the weekend a time of activity thereby limiting the amount of time spent in front of a computer/television. Staff at The Family Foundation School participate, support, sponsor etc… various outdoor activities available to the students such as a runner’s club, fly fishing, and hiking. There are also student trips off campus such as the recent Sunday outing to Crystal Lake at Crystal Lake Wild Forest (photos on Flicker) located approximately 30 minutes from the school’s campus. 
By promoting an active lifestyle for teens, we can counteract the sedentary affects today’s electronic media have on teens. It requires participation and vigilance on the part of adults, but in return both adults and teens can improve their individual health while having a supportive and fun lifestyle.
