Sources+5

"Basketball Hoops – 5 Benefits of Playing Basketball | Fitness 1." Fitness One - Change Your Body - Change Your Life. Web. 30 Mar. 2011

> •More than 15% of the nation’s children between the ages of 6 and 11 are overweight, up from just 4% in the 1970s. 4 > > • One-third of American children and youth are either obese or at risk of becoming obese. 5 In California, 17.6% of children over the age of 5 are overweight. 6 > > • The cumulative lifetime risk of coronary heart disease is likely greatest among those who are persistently overweight throughout their adolescent years.7 > > • Approximately 300,000 deaths a year in the US are currently associated with overweight and obesity. 8 > > • Obesity-related health expenditures have accounted for an estimated 25% or more of national health care spending growth between 1987 and 2001. 9
 * Burn calories (an hour of basketball can burn 630–750 calories).
 * Build endurance.
 * Improve coordination.
 * Develop concentration and self-discipline.
 * Build up muscle.
 * Today’s children are likely to be the first generation to live shorter, less healthy lives than their parents due to obesity and other related diseases. 3