Do we suffer from 'nature deficit disorder?'

The call of the wild beckons us outdoors to the serendipity of health and well being.

By SUKI REED / For The Orange County Register

Richard Louv's new book "Last Child in the Woods" is meant to get children away from the TV/computer/Wii and into the outdoors, but it's also a call of the wild for adults.

Louv, awarded the 2008 Audubon Medal by the National Audubon Society, clearly portrays in his book the "magic" through the portal of nature. There is something magical that happens when people start spending time outdoors.

As president of the OC Hiking Club, I have watched thousands of people become more peaceful, confident and healthier by spending time outdoors. Swapping the TV set for hiking boots can have a multitude of benefits, and some people even come to the club because it was, "recommended by their doctor."

Whether it is exercise, positive social interaction or simply the magic of the outdoors, the recipe seems to work. After spending time on the trail, I have watched people overcome illnesses and injuries. Small miracles happen when people spend time outdoors in nature.

"Last Child in the Woods" asks adults to take kids into nature and offers several revealing suggestions. One is that the ADD/ADHD diagnosis began to rise as a direct relationship to kids spending more time indoors.

If this is true, could it apply to adults as well? Louv also points out that children need more than a once-a-year field trip outside. Similarly, could adults benefit from more time outdoors? And he states that child obesity has risen to an all-time high as time outdoors has decreased to an all-time low.

The soon to be released Orange County Parks, Recreation and Environment Report 2009 states: "Louv has coined the phrase 'nature deficit disorder,' which is not technically a medical diagnosis. It is instead the articulation of what many have come to realize in the past few decades: More children are spending less time outside."

For example: 

— Children at 8 years old can identify 25 percent more Pokemon characters than wildlife species.

— Only 22 percent of children walk to school (71 percent of their parents walked to school).

— Obesity in California children has increased from about 10 percent in the 1985 to close to 22.6 percent in 2007.

Clearly, as children spend more time indoors their weight is rising and health is declining. Could the same be true for adults?

If you would like to have an outdoors experience of your own and avoid being the "Last Adult in the Woods," you can get information on local hikes or join OC Hiking Club at www.OC-Hiking.com. 

The club offers primarily adult hikes and offers only one children's hike per month, but your support will allow us to expand and offer outdoor children's hikes and programs as well.