This 2009 report by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy finds that significant numbers of children do not do enough exercise and face poor health as adults.
More than a third of children could face significant health problems in adulthood unless more is done to encourage families to be more active.
The report reveals:
- A recent study by researchers at the Universities of Newcastle and Glasgow has suggested that as few as three in every hundred children are actually doing the recommended one hour of physical activity every day
- Government reports show that about one third of boys and one third to one half of girls report (inadequate) physical activity levels which may compromise their health
- Approximately one third of children in the UK aged 2-15 are overweight or obese
- Only 1 in 5 parents know how much exercise their children should be taking
- Parents think their children get around two and a half hours exercise per day, when in fact they are physically active for less than 30 minutes
- 83 per cent of parents are unaware that physical inactivity in childhood can increase the risk of cancer in later life