Many people have called for banning football among youth and high school children. They claim the potential risks of injury and long-term consequences are too great. While there are risks with playing football, they are small and rare compared to the benefits of playing the sport. One major benefit is how football can promote superior physical health, which supports strong mental and emotional health. In this way, football can defend against obesity in children.

Obesity in Children is Rising

The current obesity epidemic is one of the greatest public health concerns in the United States. Obesity is linked to many chronic diseases including type II diabetes, heart disease, cancer, depression, and anxiety. While obesity is more prevalent in adulthood, obesity rates in children have continued to rise over the last 40 years.¹ In the 1970s, about 5% of children and adolescents in the US were obese; but now, the childhood obesity rate may be as high as 20%.² One in five children being obese is not promising for the current and future health of America.

Childhood obesity can affect many organ systems in the body leading to current and long-term problems. It can affect a child’s mental and emotional health along with one’s social life. Children who are overweight or obese are more likely to remain overweight or obese in adulthood, which puts them at greater risk for chronic disease.³ Obesity in children increases their risk of cancer, diabetes, depression, dyslipidemia, infertility, and cardiovascular disease.⁴ This offers a greater chance of disability earlier in life.

There are many possible reasons for the alarming rise in obesity among children and adolescents. These include diet, screen time, lack of physical activity, and other environmental factors.⁴

Most Children Eat an Unhealthy Diet

The Standard American Diet consists of many ultra-processed foods that are calorie rich but nutrient poor. Children consume an excess of processed carbohydrates, sugar, and oils. They come in the form of cereals, granola bars, breads, pastas, candy, soda, and dressings/sauces filled with highly-processed seed oils.

These foods are designed to be hyper-palatable—very tasty—by combining carbs and fats with sugar or other artificial sweeteners. For this reason, kids will crave processed foods, possibly even get addicted to them. These foods are usually low cost and quick to get, which make them attractive options for busy parents as well. 

The lack of nutrients in processed foods results in continual hunger for food. The body tries to obtain the necessary nutrients at the expense of eating too many calories. Poor hunger and satiety signals in the brain lead to bad habits of eating excessive amounts of food. This eventually causes more body fat and weight gain.

Many Children Spend Too Much Time on Screens

Screen time is another factor that may be contributing to the obesity epidemic in children. Children may have access to screens at every hour of the day. They play video games on the television, on a tablet, and maybe even a phone. As they get older, they may have access to social media or are allowed to surf the internet.

They may stay up late using their screens, which can disrupt their sleep. More screen time in children has been shown to decrease the quantity and quality of sleep.⁵ It also increases the rate of mental health disorders like anxiety and depression.⁶ These disorders are associated with overeating and obesity. 

Children Are Often Not Active Enough

Increased screen time can also prevent children from using physical activity as a source of fun. Physical activity has many benefits for the brain and body because it activates muscles, improves blood flow and circulation, increases endorphins, and in terms of obesity, burns calories.

Many children do not perform the recommended amounts of daily physical activity, likely due to increased screen time, homework, and inability to access areas to play with others.¹ The lack of physical activity combined with overconsumption of calories causes excess weight gain. Furthermore, a less active child is more likely to be an inactive adult because the individual is not used to exercise.

Children Spend Too Much Time Inside

There are other environmental factors that may be related to obesity. These include the amount of toxins and electromagnetic radiation that humans are exposed to daily.⁷ Toxins may include air pollution like vehicle fumes and dust/mold toxins, pesticides on food, and hormone-disrupting chemicals in beauty products and plastics. These toxins are more prevalent now than they were a half a century ago. They can accumulate in the body and disrupt its ability to perform detoxification, digestion, and basic metabolic processes.

Electromagnetic radiation is also much higher than it was even thirty years ago. Electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) come from many objects including microwaves, cell phones, and electrical poles. Common types are Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 5G. The amount of EMFs that is considered tolerable for humans is debated, but some people are greatly affected by them.⁸ They may disrupt normal human cell processing leading to poor energy production, inflammation, and overeating.

Sports Participation Reduces the Causes of Obesity in Children

Sports participation has been shown to decrease rates of obesity, possibly by decreasing its causes.

Playing sports not only directly decreases screen time and increases physical activity, but these activities can also promote a healthy diet and increase time outside in fresh air. Many children playing sports find out quickly that eating certain foods are a detriment to their energy levels and athletic performance. If they do not realize this, they may at least have coaches or parents that educate about healthy foods to optimize strength, energy, and recovery. Outdoor sports provide time in fresh air and away from common pollutants in buildings such as mold toxins, dust, and EMFs.

Participating in sports can provide children with many other benefits. Decreasing the rates of obesity can directly influence the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, type II diabetes, cancer, mental health disorders, and therefore, all-cause mortality.⁹ Sports participation has also been shown to help prevent social problems, teen pregnancy, and suicide.⁹

What Makes Football Different?

All sports can provide benefits of physical activity to combat obesity, but football is different. There are many characteristics that make football an ideal sport for decreasing rates of childhood obesity: 

• Football is fun.
• Football is physically challenging.
• Football involves many players.
• Football does not require any skill.

Football is Fun

Because football is fun, many children will choose to play and want to play. This is important because a sport must be fun to motivate kids to get off their screens and go outside to play. While many enjoy running cross-country, chasing after a soccer ball, and standing on a baseball field, others prefer the physical contact in football.

All kids have an urge for contact—and maybe some violence—as many will play king of the hill at recess, start pillow fights, and organize snowball fights or dodgeball games. Football provides an organized, controlled, and regulated way to fulfill this need and release some energy in the process. Kids who are not allowed to release emotions in a regulated environment may be more likely to physically act out at home or in school.

Children will stick with activities that they enjoy. If they enjoy football, the physical activity that the sport provides will benefit their health without them realizing it. They will be more likely to find friends to play with outside rather than play video games indoors. A child’s motivation to be physically active is primarily based on enjoyment of the activity; therefore, football can help increase physical activity to fight obesity.

Football is Physically Challenging

Football is a physical challenge, which forces children to exert energy. Not only is this important for burning calories, but also the physical contact necessary to block and tackle helps build muscle. Most have heard the old saying that muscle burns more calories than fat. While this is true as muscle tissue metabolizes energy faster, there are more benefits to building muscle at a young age.

Muscle improves the strength and durability of bones. It is a large source of information stimulating the brain. It can help regulate blood sugar and improve insulin signaling. It is easier to build muscle at a younger age, which can be maintained later in life for prevention of many age-related diseases like broken bones and dementia.

Because many football teams require strength and speed training, children learn how to work on their physical health. Training at a young age is beneficial for learning proper form to prevent injury, but it is also a time when the body can be pushed hard without fear of injury.

Pushing one’s body past its perceived limits is challenging, both mentally and physically, but the rewards are huge. Physically, these are stronger muscles, improved metabolism, and a better physique. The mental rewards are learning how to fight through failures, confidence in one’s abilities, and a greater self-esteem. These not only directly prevent obesity in children but can motivate them to continue exercising as adults.

Football Involves Many Children

Football is the greatest team sport with the most number of players on a team and participating in games. Most sports, especially in high school and college, have a maximum number of players that can participate on a team. In contrast, football rarely makes any player ‘cuts,’ so all are welcomed to participate and have fun. This allows more children to be physically active than any other sport.

Football also offers the most positions on the field for opportunities to play. Basketball only has five starting spots and maybe another 5-7 will rotate in. Hockey is similar with six players on the ice with more rotating. Baseball has nine starting spots, but players cannot rotate during a game. They can only enter with removal of another player. Soccer has eleven starting positions, but these players will play both offense and defense.

On the contrary, football has eleven starting positions on offense, on defense, and more on special teams. This is 22 positions that play a large portion of the game, plus additional spots that may offer other children playing time. Football has the most numbers and offers the most opportunities to be physically active in both practices and games.

Football Does Not Require Any Specific Skill

Because football does not require any specific skill to be successful, it can attract many types of children. Of course, those who play quarterback need to have a strong and accurate throwing arm. Running backs need to be fast and shifty, and wide receivers require good hand-eye coordination to catch a ball. However, there are many positions on the field where the player does not need to be the fastest or have great hands or a good arm.

These are offensive and defensive linemen who are playing in the trenches. Lineman can be big or small, slow or fast, athletic or still working on coordination. They do not require any one skill but the desire to hustle and give effort. Because there are no initial requirements, the positions can attract many children who would otherwise avoid sports. Children will learn and develop expertise at these positions as they play.

Because most sports require some skill, they may discourage children who do not have specific skills. Cross country runners need endurance. Baseball players require eye-hand coordination. Basketball players need shooting abilities. Soccer players require proper foot control. Football is different because any child despite size or skill level can find a position to play and excel. Because children stick with activities they enjoy, this is a significant feature that football possesses to prevent obesity in all types of children.

Summary

In conclusion, childhood obesity is continuing to rise in the United States in which about 1 in 5 children are obese. Here are the possible causes:

• An unhealthy diet filled with processed foods
• Increased screen time using social media and playing video games
• Lack of physical activity
• Environmental factors like toxins and radiation

Sports participation can help decrease childhood obesity by increasing physical activity in nature and educating children on healthy eating. 

Football is different than other sports, which can better help combat childhood obesity. Football is fun for many children, and this enjoyment is necessary to motivate them to be physically active. Football is physically challenging, which promotes muscle building along with positive mental and emotional health attributes. There are more numbers who are on football teams and participate in games, so there are more opportunities for all children to be active. Lastly, it does not require any specialized skill to play and be successful. This means that any child regardless of height, weight, or skill level can play football and enjoy it.

Football is a great sport that can help decrease rates of obesity and chronic disease in children.

References

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