Some members of congress have a plan to reverse a growing trend that threatens the health and wellness of an entire generation. Call it indoorism, call it Nature-Deficit Disorder, call it whatever you’d like – kids are spending too much time inside. Legislation introduced by Senator Martin Heinrich of New Mexico and Congressman Ron Kind of Wisconsin promises to increase the quality and quantity of time our children spend in nature. The Healthy Kids Outdoors Act of 2015 (S. 1078, H.R. 2014), if passed, would give states the tools they need to get children and youth active, healthy and back outdoors.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that children and youth get 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity every day. Unfortunately, 75 percent of adolescents fail to get this daily dose of exercise. The inactivity of our kids is contributing to an obesity crisis that, for the first time in history, threatens an entire generation with a shorter life expectancy than their parents.
At the same time, today’s youth are growing up indoors. We know that kids with access to safe parks and green spaces nearby are more likely to spend time outdoors and be physically active when they do. Time in nature also reduces stress, anxiety and contributes to improved mental health and happiness. Unfortunately, not every kid has equal access to places where they can run free, breathe fresh air and learn from nature. Fewer than half of children in the United States can safely walk to a park from their home.
The Healthy Kids Outdoors Act will help to increase opportunities for kids and families to spend time outdoors by encouraging states to develop and implement five year comprehensive strategies. The plans may include:
- Outdoor recreation and youth mentoring programs that provide opportunities to experience the outdoors, be physically active, and teach skills for lifelong participation in outdoor activities;
- Programs that connect communities with safe parks, green spaces, and outdoor recreation areas through affordable public transportation and trail systems;
- School-based programs that use outdoor learning environments, such as wildlife habitats or gardens;
- Programs that use service learning to restore natural areas;
- Education programs for parents and caregivers about the health benefits of active time outdoors to fight obesity and increase the quality of life for children, youth and families.
The legislation also calls on the President to develop a national strategy to get kids healthy and outdoors and directs the Department of Health and Human Services to complete an evaluation of the health impacts of the national and state strategies.