October is National Physical Therapy Month. This year's theme will focus on the importance of physical activity for people of all ages and abilities in preventing and combating obesity and its consequences. According to the most recent data, nearly 34% of adults and 17% of children and adolescents are obese. The incidence of type 2 diabetes, which accounts for about 90 - 95% of the 17.9 million diagnosed cases of diabetes, is also increasing as obesity rates climb. Literature increasingly indicates that inactivity and insufficient levels of physical activity are key indicators for health problems such as metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.
As health care providers, we play an important role in helping our patients and communities make the commitment to be physically active by providing them with the tools and strategies needed to make fitness fun and facilitate lifestyle changes.
As experts in restoring and improving motion in people's lives, we have the opportunity to educate the people who live and work in our communities about how we can help prevent or manage obesity and its effects by: designing physical activity programs for children and adults that can protect against obesity; devising exercise programs for children and adults with physical disabilities; developing safe and appropriate exercise programs and behavior modification plans for children and adults who are already overweight or obese; and providing a multi-dimensional approach to exercise for people with type 2 diabetes.
http://www.apta.org/ or http://www.moveforwardpt.com/
