Not enough exercise raising risk of chronic health problems in kids

Parents really need to stop their kids from becoming mini-couch potatoes, for a new study has found that kids who dont get regular exercise are at risk of chronic health problems in later life.

London, May 28 : Parents really need to stop their kids from becoming 'mini-couch potatoes', for a new study has found that kids who don't get regular exercise are at risk of chronic health problems in later life.

As a part of their study, researchers from the British Heart Foundation examined activity levels of more than 3,500 students from five inner-city secondary schools in Leicester.

They found that half of the kids hardly got any exercise, for they spent four hours or more a day watching television or playing games on the computer.

The researchers noted that only half of the kids walked to school every day.

Lead author Professor Kamlesh Khunti of Leicester University, said that parents and the Government needed to wake up to the threat posed by obesity, such as diabetes and heart disease.

"This study shows that overall the physical activity levels in inner city school children are very low," the Daily Mail quoted Professor Khunti, as saying.

"Parents, schools and community health providers need to address the results of these findings to reduce their future risks of developing diabetes and heart disease in children," he added.

He added that kids of South Asian origin, as well as those whose parents also suffer from these conditions, were at particular risk to these diseases.

ANI