As many as one in six European children are at risk of heart disease because of obesity and lack of fitness, researchers warn today.
Experts called for a massive increase in activity levels among the continent’s children.
According to the latest study, children under ten should be undertaking up to 85 minutes of activity a day, including 20 minutes of vigorous activity.
The findings come from a study of some 3,000 children led by the University of Zaragoza, Spain, and involving researchers from across the continent.
Children were tested for blood pressure and cholesterol levels together with thickness of skin-fold.
Reporting in BMC Medicine, the researchers say even children aged two to six showed heart disease risk.
A second study today suggests children can "outgrow" obesity.
The research, in The Lancet, says that children can shed fat during periods of rapid growth, such as after the age of 11.
The researchers, from the US National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, USA, set out to specify healthy calorie intakes for children.
They say an overweight ten-year-old is eating the equivalent of a beefburger more than a healthy child daily.
Researcher Dr Kevin Hall said: "Our model, which takes growth into consideration, helps quantify realistic goals for weight management in children and adolescents."
Physical activity and clustered cardiovascular disease risk factors in young children: a cross-sectional study (The IDEFICS study) BMC Medicine 30 July 2013 11:172, doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-172
The Lancet 30 July 2013 [abstract]
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