28/09/09
'Exercise? Am I bothered?' say Britain's children
Only
one in eight young people get the recommended daily amount of
exercise.
Britain's youngsters are failing to get enough daily exercise,
with only one in eight of them getting 60
minutes of physical activity a day - the recommended daily
amount - according to a survey published for our Food4Thought campaign today.
The survey found nearly one in three children
did under an hour of exercise a week.
Worryingly, 78% of children were unaware of the
recommended daily amount of exercise they should be doing, with
30% even admitting they ‘can't be bothered' to
exercise on a daily basis.
Recent research has predicted that if current trends continue
two thirds of all children will be overweight or
obese by 2050.
Of the children surveyed, one in five
considered exercise to be ‘a chore' and think you only need to do
it if you're overweight.
Children are now spending more time on their computers and
mobile phones with over half
(55%) admitting they spend 60 minutes or more a
day texting and/or chatting to their friends and visiting
social networking websites.
We've released the new survey results as we launch our Food4Thought campaign,
aimed at getting children more active as part of the battle against
childhood obesity.
Alongside this, we welcomes the arrival of its latest schools
initiative Ultimate
Dodgeball - an attempt to fire up children's
interest in physical activity throughout UK schools.
This year's campaign also marks the return of the
Yoobot
With over one million Yoobots being created
last year, this innovative online
game has become a staple in children's lives and
helps them to make informed and healthier food choices.
Dr Mike Knapton, BHF Director of Prevention and
Care, said: “We have a generation of kids growing up who have a
shockingly blasé attitude towards exercise and being active.
“Ultimate
Dodgeball is a great way to get children
interested in sport and physical activity - young people need to
switch off their square eyes and get in the habit of exercising
now”.
The Food4Thought campaign is
also backed by former British Olympic champion Sally
Gunnell.
She said: "As a mum, I know how children can benefit from being
active. It's something that all children should enjoy as part of a
healthy lifestyle and is also a great way to socialise with
friends.
"Children's sluggish attitude towards daily exercise is worrying
and it's great to see the BHF thinking of new ways to get them
intrigued and active again”.
For further information on the Food4Thought
campaign visit bhf.org.uk/junkfood
For more information, please contact the BHF Press
Office on 020 7554 0164 or 07764 290381 (out of hours) or email
newsdesk@bhf.org.uk
Notes to Editors
BHF TNS Survey of 1029 UK children, August 2009.
All figures, unless otherwise stated, are from TNS. Total sample
size was 1029 UK children aged 8-15. Fieldwork was undertaken
between 29 July and 10 August. This survey was carried out
online.
Media Tools
- ISDN line for radio interviews
- High quality images of the Yoobot and Ultimate Dodgeball
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