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Older kids chose TV over exercise

July 1, 2008
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Kids

Children aged 10 to 12 years old spend half the amount of time doing moderate physical activity they did when they were five to six and watch an "excessive" three hours of television a day, according to a study by Deakin University.

Of the 800 families surveyed in 2001, 2004 and 2006, 40% had two TV sets at home, and 32% of boys and 25% of girls aged 10 to 12 had a set in their bedroom, said David Crawford, director of the Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition Research.

"Television viewing has been linked to increased risk of overweight and obesity," Professor Crawford said. He said children aged 10 to 12 spent two hours and five minutes a day doing moderate physical activity, half that of five to six-year-olds.

He presented the findings of the study, 'Children Living in Active Neighbourhoods', at a conference in Sydney called 'Tackling Childhood Obesity in Australia'.

The recommendation for children's viewing is no more than two hours a day, he said.

The study found that 21% of secondary students preferred TV or electronic games to physical activity, 19% thought they looked funny when being active and 18% said they did not have anyone to be active with.

For primary school students, their parents said 29% enjoyed doing things other than physical activity, 13% thought their children were not sporty types and 11% thought most of their child's friends did not play sport.

In another study by the centre, the Healthy Eating and Play Study, out of 900 families surveyed in 2003 and 2006, 70% of children had takeaway food at least once a week, 50% had chocolate, lollies or potato chips available at home and almost 70% had cordial and fruit juice available, Professor Crawford said.

Almost 20% said their child had dinner in front of the TV at least four times a week, one in two parents thought it was acceptable for children to eat separately from adults and 15% considered the evening meal to be an unpleasant family time. Continued...