British children are among the least active in the world, new survey reveals
![British children are among the least active in the world a new survey has revealed [Photo: Getty]](https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/_ZKDcfByz4Sdx_fAF4.GVw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTEyNDI7aD04MzA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/homerun/feed_manager_auto_publish_494/bf52ba64f30723a79369332f59d2dd4a)
When it comes to keeping our kids active, we know the drill. Movement and exercise is vital because of it’s far-reaching benefits on children’s health and development. But turns out we might not be doing enough as a new study has revealed that British children are among the least active in the world.
The international study of 38 countries found that England, Scotland and Wales are among the worst for physical activity – far behind other countries such as China, Belgium and the United Arab Emirates.
Commenting on the study experts warned that the results were extremely alarming, and suggested that we could conclude that movement was being “stripped out” of modern lifestyles, thanks to children spending hours on technology and being starved of outdoor activity.
Simon Stevens, chief executive of the NHS, last night called for major action. He described exercise as a “magic pill” that would be a “pharmaceutical blockbuster” if it were in the form of a medicine.
Just 15 per cent of girls aged 11 to 15 in England manage the hour of moderate-intensity physical activity per day advised by the World Health Organisation. Meanwhile, the figure for boys has fallen from 28 to 22 per cent in the last two years. The study also highlighted the fact that that just one in three children of this age are involved in any organised sport outside school.
Dr. Mark Tremblay, chair of the Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance, who compiled the research blamed the results of the ‘digitisation’ of childhood, which ties into research revealed last week by broadcasting watchdog Ofcom which found pre-school children are now spending an average of more than four hours a day looking at screens. Among those aged five to 15 the figure rises again, to an average of five-and-a-half hours.
“Automation, mechanisation, urbanisation, and digitisation have reduced physical activity levels globally,” explained Dr Tremblay.
“Efforts to manage these trends are essential and extend beyond creating policies, strategies, facilities and programmes to include the preservation and promotion of physical and social habitats where being physically active year round, through outdoor play, transportation, recreation and sport, are the preferred and normative standard, not the exception. This is the contemporary global challenge for all countries.”
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Dr Tremblay said he hopes that the UK can learn from other, more active countries in the future.
“Countries with the most active children and youth overall, including Slovenia, New Zealand and Zimbabwe, rely on very different approaches to get children to move more,” he explained.
“But, what is consistent between all of them is that physical activity is driven by pervasive cultural norms – being active is not just a choice, but a way of life.”
What do you think of the results? Do British children spend too much time on screens? Let us know @YahooStyleUK
