Children worldwide are not physically active anymore, says report

The growing sedentary lifestyles are making children unhealthy and inactive says a global study. Children have the need of being active to promote healthy growth and development for a better self-esteem, stronger bones muscles, joints and more importantly to maintain a social interaction. Parents as such, have always been advised to establish healthy lifestyle patterns at a young age which they can carry forward for the rest of their lives.

The report of the inactive lifestyle was recorded by one, non-profit organization, Active Healthy Kids Global Alliance (AHKGA). AHKGA which is an Australia-based non-profit organisation showed how modern lifestyles including an increase in screen time, growing urbanisation of communities and the limitation of manual tasks are contributing to a concerning public health problem.

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“Global trends, including excessive screen time, are contributing to a generation of inactive children and putting them on a dangerous path,” said Mark Tremblay, President of the AHKGA, and Professor at the University of Ottawa in Canada.

“Inactive children are at risk for adverse physical, mental, social and cognitive health problems. This generation will face a range of challenges, including the impacts of climate change, increasing globalisation, and the consequences of rapid technological change,” he added.
To show the seriousness of the growing concern, the team compared 49 countries from six continents to assess global trends in childhood physical activity in developed and developing nations.

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The findings showed that of all the countries, countries like Slovenia, Zimbabwe and Japan showed the most active children and the youth’s overall health. They recorded that these countries took into seriousness about how physical activity is a way of life for them.

However, it is hard to say that only children alone are subjected to the importance of physical activity. The World Health Organization records that the obesity rate since 1975 has tripled. In 2016 alone, 41 million children under the age of 5 were recorded as overweight or obese. 
The researchers as such have strongly argued that for the good of our children’s health and future, the need for physical activity should be exerted to all societies.