Now that summer is here, get your little couch potatoes out of the house and active in something--sports, volunteer activities, biking, hiking, swimming, boating, baseball, basketball. Get them out of the house and away from the kitchen, the TV, the Game Cube, and the computer.

Jerry Seinfeld's most prized possession is a replica of his first bicycle--a vintage Schwin that he felt was his ticket to freedom on the streets of his New York neighborhood. How many children today would value their bike that much?

Childhood obesity, now considered epidemic, accounts for 50 percent of the new cases of sleep apnea and asthma, the Surgeon General reports. It also accounts for 50 percent of the new cases of pediatric diabetes. Diabetes used to be considered an adult disease, but now one child in four shows early signs of Type II diabetes and 60 percent show at least one risk factor for heart disease.

The inclination to hang out in front of the TV, computer, or Gameboy has put our kids at risk. The Mayo Clinic's Children's Health Center says that TV-watching, now up to 25 hours per week on average, is the biggest culprit in exercise-related health problems of children. Video games and computers are the next biggest culprits. The clinic's doctors estimate that 60 percent of the childhood obesity cases they see are directly related to too much television. They make the following recommentations.

• 1. Limit TV and other "high-tech" entertainments to make sure outdoor time and action get their share of each child's daily schedule.
• 2. Keep up your own exercise habits as a model for the kids.
• 3. Promote physical education in your schools.

• 4. When birthdays and holidays come around, give gifts that encourage exercise. A gift of another video, CD or violent game for the button-pusher set is not in the best interest of your child, niece, nephew or grandchild.
• 5. Encourage casual and informal sports at home as well as the ones offered in the time-limited school schedule.
• 6. Encourage trips that produce exercise - hiking, swimming, and setting up camp.

Help your children keep their weight down through exercise. They'll feel better, build strong muscles, and increase their flexibility. They'll also have a head start toward a happier and longer lifetime.