Print edition: 
The percentage of American adults categorized as either overweight or obese is a staggering 68 percent.
The risks that accompany these conditions are well documented. Adults who are overweight or obese have a much higher risk of suffering from heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
Adversely, adults who are physically active on a regular basis are less likely to suffer from these same diseases. So how do we get our children to be healthy, active adults?
According to many studies, one way is to make sure they are participating in high-quality physical education classes. And a second way is to get them involved in organized athletic activities.
Let's start with the first.
Today's PE teacher makes it a high priority to teach children how to make healthy choices and to be physically active later in life. Two new trends in physical education: teaching individualized fitness and emphasizing the importance of being physically active outside the school setting.
PE teachers realize that each student comes to class with different strengths and weaknesses. Taking the time to teach each child about what he can do to maintain or improve his fitness level has replaced the "run the mile this fast or else" attitude of days gone by.
That style of elitism, where the athletically gifted were applauded and the less athletic made to feel inferior, left a bad taste in the mouths of many adults. Those who were stigmatized became the adults who are not physically active today.
Kids who have a good experience in PE classes are more likely to be active in their adult lives.
Another encouraging finding about today's adults: The vast majority who engage in regular physical activity today participated in organized sports either in school or outside of school as a child. This speaks volumes about getting your kids involved in organized sports. There are many programs in and around Wichita that share the vision of the importance of playing, not winning.
But before you sign up for a youth sport, consider this: Research also suggests that children and adolescents who participate in individual sports such as swimming, track, cross country, golf and tennis are more likely to be active as adults than those who participate in team sports such as football, soccer, basketball or volleyball.
