This research is quite disturbing, but not surprising. Playing on computers is displacing outdoor activity such that even since 1998 the ability to do some pretty basic movements and activities has declined markedly. Certainly a worry for the future functioning of society.
We are training people to sit indoors at desks and we will reap the consequences in poor health both physical and psychological.
We are training people to sit indoors at desks and we will reap the consequences in poor health both physical and psychological.
Academics led by Dr Gavin Sandercock, a children's fitness expert at Essex University, studied how strong a group of 315 Essex 10-year-olds in 2008 were compared with 309 children the same age in 1998. They found that:READ MORE
■ The number of sit-ups 10-year-olds can do declined by 27.1% between 1998 and 2008
■ Arm strength fell by 26% and grip strength by 7%
■ While one in 20 children in 1998 could not hold their own weight when hanging from wall bars, one in 10 could not do so in 2008.
"This is probably due to changes in activity patterns among English 10-year-olds, such as taking part in fewer activities like rope-climbing in PE and tree-climbing for fun," Sandercock said. "Typically, these activities boosted children's strength, making them able to lift and hold their own bodyweight."
The fact that 10% could not do the wall bars test and another 10% refused to try was "really shocking", he added. "That probably shows that climbing and holding their own weight was something they hadn't done before."
Comments
Normally we see the blame centering on IT (as evidenced in the comments). But, comming from a generation that spent large amounts of my childhood bowed before a ZX81, ZX Spectrum and then a whole series of games consoles, I find this explanation lacks credibility. I am always skeptical of people blaming 'computers' given that kids also spend a lot of time reading - but as this is more socially acceptable, it garners less of a knee jerk reaction and so is never implicated in the dcelining health of the nations children.
The article says that BMI has not changed over the decade in question period, which is also interesting - but this does not tell us much about body composition which is the real issue.
Many foods appealing to a childs appetite are high in saturated fats and sugars, this diet along with the lack of natural motion and exercise is a double whammy against their health.
It should be a more comprehensive approach which integrates the need to address all these problems. Many schools in fact are taking up this fight and providing healthier meals for their students.
I agree with some of your argument, but I wouldn't agree with your criticism of saturated fat. Saturated fat is perfectly healthy - it is grains, seed oils and excess fructose that you have to watch out for.
And let us remember that our own youths are probably not the 'normal' reference points, even if we played and did sports more often. Think of hunter-gatherer childhoods. There is no sitting behind school desks for forager children.
The latter makes these recent findings even more depressing.
Thanks for the blog.
and he really loved it. A PE class should be making our children sweat!!!
Great article.