| These days, bicycles, roller blades, and seaside | | | | bay but generates a healthy and happy attitude, its |
| holidays can no longer compete with television, DVDs, | | | | surprising that more schools have not tried to |
| Playstation, and computers when it comes to a | | | | harness the positive influence of physical activity |
| childs attention span. Sadly, children are spending | | | | within their educational programme. Unfortunately, |
| longer and longer, sedentary in front of LCD screens, | | | | usually physical activity takes a back seat to other |
| and less and less time doing any form of physical | | | | subjects regarded as more important. |
| activity. As a result, they are weighing more and | | | | Outside of schools, in public areas, many parks have |
| more and child obesity is now actually something to | | | | been vandalized so that their swings are broken, |
| be concerned about. | | | | wooden seats upturned, and obscene language |
| Prior to the digital age, children were forced to go | | | | painted on any open space. So its no wonder that |
| out and play, unknowingly engaging in physical activity | | | | children no longer have the urge to play there. |
| and oblivious to their bodys burning off of any | | | | Öèôðîâûå |
| unwanted calories. Full of energy, kissed by the sun, | | | | ¥Ã°Ã» |
| and eager to use their imagination, children played | | | | - Sony |
| games of make-believe for hours on end with their | | | | - Panasonic |
| friends, loathe to come in of an evening, to eat | | | | - Canon |
| dinner with the family. | | | | ¥ |
| Compare that scenario to the lives of children today | | | | °Ã òû |
| and there is a stark difference. Children nowadays | | | | - Olympus |
| are lethargic from excessive amounts of junk food | | | | - Premier |
| eaten between meals. They spend hours upon hours | | | | MP3-ïëååðû |
| watching television, and more often than not, eat | | | | - Creative |
| their breakfast, lunch, or dinner in front of it along | | | | - iPod |
| with the rest of the family at various times that | | | | - Iriver |
| rarely coincide. | | | | - Mpio |
| A child on a mission to achieve a certain level or | | | | - Ritmix |
| score on a Playstation can sit glued to the screen for | | | | - Samsung |
| hours on end, hardly moving or speaking except to | | | | - Sony |
| let out a cry of anguish or victory depending on how | | | | - Digma |
| their game is progressing, their only source of | | | | - Ditech |
| physical activity being to move a joystick and press | | | | - Treelogic |
| buttons repeatedly. | | | | - Synex |
| Children nowadays avoid physical activity to such an | | | | - Nexx |
| extent that they expect to be driven everywhere | | | | - |
| rather than walk or to pick up the telephone rather | | | | °Ã» ê |
| than visit someone to talk with them. | | | | MP3-ïëååðà ì |
| However the blame really shouldnt be placed on | | | | » |
| the children. It is the parents who are at fault, and to | | | | - |
| a certain extent, society in general. Life is faster now | | | | Öèôðîâûå |
| and in direct proportion the faster it gets, the less | | | | » |
| physical activity children do. | | | | - |
| Before, working mothers were in the minority, | | | | ¥ |
| however, nowadays most parents work both | | | | » |
| mothers and fathers - resulting in the need for a | | | | - |
| more convenient lifestyle. Kids are sat down to | | | | °Ã» äëÿ |
| watch a DVD in order to keep them quiet whilst their | | | | ®Ã¢ |
| puzzles, games, and books, remain tucked carefully | | | | Ãà óøÃèêè |
| away in the cupboard. | | | | § |
| The growing intensity of school curricula and lack of | | | | %ÎAŽù"4z± |
| time for sport within school hours has only added to | | | | ¯@/> Luckily, some forms of physical |
| this problem, with nearly three-quarters of British | | | | activity still hold a modicum of interest with the |
| teenagers attending school doing less than two | | | | younger generation such as swimming in the sea. The |
| hours physical activity a week! | | | | question is, is it enough to stop obesity becoming |
| Given that physical activity not only keeps obesity at | | | | more of a worry than ever before? |