Yesterday the findings of a survey were published by the British Heart Foundation (BHF), that British children are not getting enough exercise and only 1 in 8 are getting the recommended 60 minutes of physical activity a day. The study was carried out in July and August this year as part of the BHF’s Food4Thought campaign, to get more children active as part of the battle against childhood obesity.

The studies finding make great headlines, but I wouldn’t consider them typical of the British youth. Over 1000 school children aged 8-15 were questioned in an online survey, restricting the demographic of the study to those who have access to the computer and internet and also the time and inclination to fill in an online survey (which from my experience you have to be referred to by an adult who is signed up to an online survey company). Taking into account this selected group of respondents it’s not too surprising that 55% of the children said that they spent 60 minutes or more a day texting, talking on the phone or using instant messaging and social networking sites. Apparently in this selective group of children, one in three did less than an hour a week of physical activity, surprising considering compulsory sports lessons at school.

If the same survey was taken of the children who visit the park from my house the results may be very different. Large groups of children hang around from the end of school till dusk, kicking a football on the astro-turfed pitch, cycling round the surrounding paths or just running and chasing each other. Although I doubt if you asked this group if they did regular exercise they would think that they did. Also the secondary schools in my area are over a mile away and each day you see the constant stream of children walking to and from school. If brisk walking is classified as moderate exercise then most of these are getting at least 60 minutess exercise a day without even trying or being aware of it.

One statistic that was interesting is that 20% said they thought they did not need to exercise because they were not overweight. Most health advertising is about watching watch you eat and being active to reduce obesity. Those in a healthy weight range probably don’t think it applies to them, so it is good that this year’s campaign is to encourage the importance of physical activity for all through an Ultimate Dodgeball event.

I teach both private and school swimming lessons and yes there are some obese children and those who try to get out of the lesson, but at the junior school age group I would estimate only 10% of those I teach are overweight. I have noticed however, that increasingly religion is becoming an excuse, the girls can’t swim because the costumes clings to their body when it gets wet, they are weak from fasting or the pool water can’t touch their lips. Perhaps these excuses should be addressed by the relevant bodies so children are freely able to participate in exercise classes and learn valuable live saving skills though swimming, without restrictions through their religion.

The BHF’s Food4Thought is a valid campaign and to make it into the tabloids it needed its shock statistics about the downfall of modern Britain, for papers like the Daily Mail to publish and promote the scheme. But can we have too many surveys like this putting down today’s youth and will children pay attention to a campaign that is already so critical of them? Maybe to be more active children need more freedom and fewer restrictions and they will happily ride their bikes to their friends’ house, choose to go to the swimming pool after school, or kick about the football in the park, without seeing exercise as a chore.



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