It is easy for the issue of health to be overshadowed by the more dramatic problems like addiction for example, but it is an issue that should be of particular concern to the taxpaying public. Consider the kids in the skateboard park. Without the park at the local community center where they can practice and refine their skills, they might follow the lead of many of their peers, opting for a more sedentary existence playing video games which has proven links to obesity. In a study published in the June 2004 issue of the journal Obesity Research, researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the University Hospital Zurich present a strong association between playing electronic video games and childhood obesity in school-aged Swiss children. “Childhood obesity has increased fivefold in the past 20 years,” said Dr. Peter Katzmarzyk of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. “Opportunities for physical activity for children are critical to turning that trend around, and avoiding heart disease and other health problems down the road.” In a day and age where heart disease and type 2 Diabetes are on the rise, we really shouldn’t be discouraging anyone from pursuing physical activities. The long-term costs associated with treating the inevitable outcome of obesity and heart disease are far greater than the cost of setting a few broken arms and repainting a few railings.