Lack of outdoor play activities 'may be causing health problems'
16/08/2010 If the amount of time children spend exercising outdoors continues to drop, young people could face serious health problems, according to one expert.
Deputy US surgeon general Dr David Rutstein was quoted by the Rome News Tribune as saying that a lack of participation in outdoor play activities is contributing to growing levels of childhood obesity in the country.
"If this problem is not addressed, we will leave our children a legacy of shorter life spans for the first time in history," he explained.
The comments came following the release of a report by the US National Wildlife Federation which said that time spent on unstructured outdoor play activities was important for child development.
According to the report, parents should act as role models and turn off the TV and head out of doors.
Ken Ryan, senior communications officer at Play England, also recently highlighted how outdoor play activities had a clear link to physical activity levels.
"The chief medical officer states that having access to good play provision is good for children's health – it keeps them active," he explained.
Deputy US surgeon general Dr David Rutstein was quoted by the Rome News Tribune as saying that a lack of participation in outdoor play activities is contributing to growing levels of childhood obesity in the country.
"If this problem is not addressed, we will leave our children a legacy of shorter life spans for the first time in history," he explained.
The comments came following the release of a report by the US National Wildlife Federation which said that time spent on unstructured outdoor play activities was important for child development.
According to the report, parents should act as role models and turn off the TV and head out of doors.
Ken Ryan, senior communications officer at Play England, also recently highlighted how outdoor play activities had a clear link to physical activity levels.
"The chief medical officer states that having access to good play provision is good for children's health – it keeps them active," he explained.
