Are you setting your child up for an unhealthy life?

How much TV does your child watch?  How much time do you spend in front of the TV? Surprisingly, the levels of activity you had as a child has more impact on your level of fitness and incidence of obesity than what you do as an adult.

If, as a child you spent a lot of time in front of the television then the effects can still be there as an adult in your 30s. Those people in their 30s who have poor fitness levels or are obese are less likely to have been active as a child.

Humans evolved to be physically active. The muscles and ligaments develop and become strong in childhood from strenuous activity.  They remain that way in adult life by being used.  Those muscles and ligaments don’t even have a chance to fully develop in our children if they spend hours in front of screens of one type or another. In addition, we set habits early in life that can be hard to break.

Very young children naturally want to run and jump and play. If, as they grow, these children continue to see physical activity as fun and spend their childhood engaged in exploring, games, sport, running for the sheer pleasure of it and playing in the playground, they are more likely to grow up as healthy active adults. Engaging in these activities with others is also hugely important for children's social development. The lessons we know as adults were often leaned in the playground as children.