"Active" children held back
Wednesday April 21st, 2010
Children have a natural urge to be active - but their environment may hold them back, researchers said today.
Although genes mean some people are more "sporty" than others, the main influences on child fitness are external, according to the new study.
Professor
Jane Wardle from the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre
at University College London, UK, and her team analysed more than 100
pairs of twins.
They found that most of the variation in how naturally energetic the children were depended on genes, but the actual amount of exercise they got was mainly influenced by their family, neighbourhood or school environment.
This accounted for 73 per cent of the variation in activity levels.
"This research shows us how important it is to encourage exercise in schools and at home," Professor Wardle said. "Some children may inherit versions of different genes that make them naturally more likely to enjoy sports and exercise. But their environment is the most powerful factor in determining how active they actually are."
She previously found that intervention is needed before eight years old to prevent a drop in children's physical activity.
Sarah Woolnough of Cancer Research UK commented: "Research like this is crucial if we are to help tackle our high levels of obesity across the UK."
"It supports the need to encourage physical activity in schools and in the community to help young people to get more exercise," she added. "Along with a balanced diet, it's important that healthy activity habits are encouraged at a young age, as they could make a big difference to cancer risk in later life."
About 17 per cent of boys and 16 per cent of girls in the UK are obese, increasing their risk of heart problems and cancer.
Fisher, A. et al. Environmental influences on children's physical activity: quantitative estimates using a twin design. PLoS ONE, published online April 21, 2010.
Purslow, L. R. et al. Differences in physical activity and sedentary time in relation to weight in 8-9 year old children. The International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Vol. 12, December 12, 2008.
Tags: Child Health | Fitness | Genetics | UK News
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