Parents’ reality gap hides truth about kids exercise levels

While 71% of parents think their children are "active enough," barely one in ten (11%) are doing the recommended daily 60 minutes of physical activity. The heart charity released the findings as it published its new Couch Kids report, highlighting how physical activity is a crucial component in tackling childhood obesity. As the number of obese children has risen since the mid-1990s there have been no major changes in children's physical activity levels over the last decade. Currently around a third of young people are overweight or obese. Dr Mike Knapton, associate medical director at the BHF, said: "Mums and dads need to take off the blinkers about how active kids need to be in order to keep their hearts healthy. Kids need to get moving more, yet we've been standing still for the last decade. Children aren't really any more active than they were ten years ago. "Parents have such an important role in helping and encouraging their kids to be more active by building exercise into their every day lives - whether that's taking part in team sports, playing outside with their friends or walking to school." The BHF is calling for urgent action to ensure children can get fit and active easily with: • Consistent guidelines on recommended levels of physical activity for all age groups • Schools maximising the opportunities for children to take part in physical activity during and around the school day • Consistent collection of data about physical activity levels across the UK by local authorities, regional bodies and national governments For a full copy of the report please go to www.bhf.org.uk/couchkids