Electronics Need A Time-Out

The Ottawa Citizen Wayne Scanlan's report on fitness and sports specialization has offered a valuable reminder on the need to rethink our approach to fitness and overall well-being. In the last of a four-part series, Dr. Mark Tremblay's observations along with his comment "we're not doing so well" has given emphasis to the obvious. Although there may be many factors contributing to the expanded waistline, including poor diet, the growing addiction to smartphones and computer games probably ranks near the top as culprits in the sedentary lifestyle. If parents don't lead by example how can their children buy into the need to change habits? Without change, our longer-term health care costs, for both physiological and psychological issues, are likely to increase significantly. Consequences for staying with the status quo need to be created now, foregoing their arrival many years later as a result of a health problem.