In a recent s t u d y p u blished in the Journal of Obesity & Weight L o s s T h e r a p y , Wong and colleagues looked at physical activity levels of more than 480 minority children between the ages of 9 and 12 in the Houston area. The children wore accelerometers for seven days to measure their physical activity. Researchers found that 77 percent of the children were not meeting recommendations for moderate to vigorous levels of physical activity.
Wong advises that parents should provide children the environment to be physically active. He suggests
taking advantage of parks and community centers throughout the city. Adults and children should be physically active for at least 60 minutes per day.
“Even walking is better than nothing,” said Wong. In the summer h e a t , W o n g  emphasi z e s parents a n d c h i l d r e n  s t a y hydrated when taking part in physical activity and use proper sun protection when outdoors.

Others who took part in the study include Karen L. Konzelmann, Anne L. Adolph, O’Brian Smith and Nancy F. Butte of BCM and Christina L. Ortiz, Debra Lathan and Louis A. Moore of the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department.

Funding for this study came from the National Research Initiative of the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture and the USDA Agricultural Research Services.