Technology the enemy of keeping up kids' fitness

Those couch potatoes should be out in the holiday sun, say the experts. REBECCA WLASH reports.

It's the school holidays and time for thousands of kids around the country to kick back and relax.

For many the ideal day will be spent playing computer games or watching television and videos. But too much time in front of a screen can mean they are sitting around getting sluggish and putting on weight.

Television and computers can be useful tools but are often used simply as entertainment, substituting for other more active pursuits.

So, how much time should children spend watching television and what impact does hours spent playing Counter Strike or watching The Simpsons have on their health?

A recent Lincoln University study looking at the physical fitness of 10- to 14-year-old children from 1991 to 2000 found boys increased in weight by 2.9kg and girls by 2.1kg.

The proportion of overweight or obese children also increased dramatically, with double the number of boys and four times the number of girls fitting that category.

The time taken to complete a 550m run increased by 23.6 seconds in boys and 27 seconds in girls.

Researcher and director of Lincoln's human sciences division, Dr Jenny Ross, says research has shown children are less active, partly because they can indulge in sedentary activities. Part-time work and the fact that fewer children walk and cycle to school - often because of concerns for their safety - has also contributed.

Dr Ross says the results are disturbing as overweight children tend to become overweight adults. Obesity and inactivity also contribute to diseases such as diabetes, colon cancer and cardiovascular disease.

In Australia the situation is much the same. The rate of childhood obesity has tripled in the past decade and more than one in five children are now classified as obese or overweight.

Nicky Sherriff of the Hillary Commission says a recent New Zealand survey found about 70 per cent of children under 18 did 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week. But that could include 10 minutes walking to and from the bus and 10 minutes walking around the playground at lunchtime.

A steering committee set up by the commission recommended at least 30 minutes a day plus 20 minutes of vigorous activity three times a week.

"We need to encourage parents to encourage their kids to be physically active," she says.

"We have heard stories of some kids spending as much time after school in front of the screen as they do at school."

That can result in problems in the classroom with children too tired to concentrate.

In New Zealand, children watch on average two hours and 11 minutes of television a day, according to a 1997 Consumer magazine survey.

A Waikato University study found watching television every day was the activity shared by the greatest number of students at four Hamilton primary and intermediate schools. About 77 per cent of the 383 students watched television daily.

The research, completed in 1999 by Geoff Lealand, a lecturer in screen and media studies, showed nearly a third played a computer game or video game daily. About 40 per cent of students had access to the internet at home.

Just over 30 per cent of students had a television in their bedroom compared with 63 per cent of British children.

Dr Lealand believes New Zealand's climate and geography can account for some of the difference.

But he believes the amount of technology making its way into children's bedrooms is growing.

Striking a happy balance between computer or TV time and other activities such as sport, reading, homework, music practice and playing with friends is vital.

Jenny Ritchie, an early childhood lecturer at Waikato University, says that as the number of families where both parents work increases, television and computers are often used as babysitters.

"These days for children living in urban situations, it may not be safe to go down to the playground. Parents may prefer to know that their children are safe at home doing some supposedly 'educational' computer games than they are out in the playground unsupervised."

Ms Ritchie says parents are expected to do the "right thing educationally" by having a computer in the home but a lot of software has limited educational content.

She advises parents to monitor what their children watch and what they use the computer for. They should ask children questions about what's happening and if they are not happy about the content, turn it off and explain why.

Tracey MacArthur, secretary of the Children's Television Foundation, an advocacy group for children's rights in the media, says most parents believe children watch too much television but many do nothing to change the habit.

The foundation recommends an hour of television a day. It advises families to plan their television watching in advance, decide how much they will watch and monitor it.

But Ruth Zanker, a lecturer at the New Zealand Broadcasting School at Christchurch Polytechnic, says parents need the energy and time to constantly monitor children's viewing.

"It's a case of doing what you best can on the back foot."

Screen tips

How do you manage your child's use of the television and computer?

* tWork out goals about how much time should be devoted to watching television or using the computer - and stick to them. For example, one of the goals could be to give priority to homework and hobbies.

* Plan television-watching in advance and monitor what children watch.

* A balanced life is the best - encourage your children to be physically active, to play a musical instrument or to read.

* Be a good role model and show them how it is done.