Children and physical
activity
Physical activity is an essential
factor in improving our children’s health and
preventing a possible risk of heart disease in the future.
Despite this many children and young people in the UK are
not achieving the recommended target of 60
minutes activity each day.
Levels of obesity have more than doubled in the last 25 years.
About 10% of children are now obese and a further 20 - 25%
overweight. The 2007 National Health Surveys in England and
Scotland also found that around 30% of boys and 40% of girls did
not reach the recommended physical activity target.
Being active is therefore essential part for tackling this
widespread problem, and in doing so children can
reap a number of benefits. For example, regular
exercise helps prevent risk factors for some diseases, such as
type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease, from developing early
in life.
Children and young people aged between 5 and 19-years-old
should take part in a minimum of 60
minutes of physical activity every day. Although
government guidelines vary across the UK nations, they are
all very similar to this.
We are concerned about
inequalities in activity levels - teenage boys tend to be more
active than teenage girls. The amount of time that schools dedicate
to PE varies across the UK. We
think it’s important to offer a range of fun activities to encourage as many children as
possible to get involved.
We believe that the UK Governments should be:
- tackling inequalities and ensuring
all girls and boys in the UK have access to enjoyable sports and
activities
- prioritising physical activity in
and around the school day
- raising awareness of the 60 minutes
a day guideline and promoting the benefits of regular activity
among children, young people, and their parents.
For more information download
our
policy statement and report on
'Couch kids: the nation's future'. Alternatively, you can
email us at policy@bhf.org.uk.
