For thousands of years, physical activity has been associated with health. Today, science has confirmed the link, with overwhelming evidence that people who lead active lifestyles are less likely to die early, or to experience major illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes and colon cancer. Obesity and poor physical fitness constitute a health problem affecting an increasing number of children. Childhood obesity and poor physical fitness are associated with insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, blood lipid abnormalities, and high blood pressure in later life, according to background information in the article. The causes of childhood obesity include a pervasive "toxic" environment that facilitates increased caloric intake and reduced physical activity. In order to alter the children's environment, it is suggested, an effective strategy for prevention and treatment of childhood obesity must be pervasive and collaborative. The school setting is an attractive starting point for a collaborative effort. Eye Exercise This eye exercise is as simple as it sounds. Whenever it occurs to you that you've been spending too much time staring at the monitor, purposely shift your vision to look at the weave of the fabric on your sleeve or the poster on the wall or the tree across the street. Exercise tip for an exercise benefit: Whenever you and your spouse or friends have free time, use it to go for a hike, a day of fun with the kids in the park, etc. When kids are at a park you'll get a lot of exercise because all children love to go up and down on the slide, swing etc. and they always want their parents to do it with them, so do it Regular activity can also improve the way you look and feel. In combination with a balanced diet, regular activity can help to maintain a healthy weight. It can even boost self-confidence and reduce the risk of depression. How much is enough? For an adult, regular, moderate intensity physical activity means using up about an extra 200 calories per day, most days of the week. This equates to about 30 minutes of activity, such as a two-mile brisk walk, that should make you feel warm and mildly out of breath. During moderate intensity activity, you should still be able to talk without panting in between your words.