A quarter of children think playing video games is exercise, study finds
Youngsters want more parental support when it comes to choosing healthy food, poll shows
Nearly 25 per cent of young children believe that playing video games or reading a book count as physical exercise, a new survey shows.
The YouGov poll asked 249 children, aged 6 to 11, about exercise and healthy lifestyles.
The survey suggested it was not awareness that most children lacked but parental support. Children were relatively well informed on most issues, with 94 per cent them understanding what was required for a healthy lifestyle.
But 60 per cent said they would be motivated to eat healthier food and exercise more if they received more time and affection from their parents. Nearly two thirds identified parents as their biggest role models.
Khalid Al Kamali, 14, an Emirati pupil at Repton School, credits his father with helping him to lose 9 kilograms.
A year ago, his favourite place was the couch and running up the stairs left him out of breath.
“I saw myself as fat, lazy, slow. I felt really shy to go play and be called names,” Khalid said.
It was only at his father’s gentle insistence that he began to play football with his cousins.
“I just went and everybody respected me as an equal and I started to make a change and respect myself,” Khalid said. “Last year I couldn’t do many things that I can do. Now I can swim and run on the beaches. I do horse riding.”
He says children his age already know the difference between healthy and unhealthy food but they need role models.
“For a kid, I would say the number one role model is the parents and the kids basically reflect what the parents do,” Khalid said. “So if my dad was just sitting on the couch, I would do the same. Whatever my dad does, I copy him. He loves sports and he’s the one who encouraged me.”
The survey was conducted in April for Oman Insurance and the insurance company Bupa Global, which yesterday launched presentations on healthy habits at schools across the country.
According to a Department of Health-Abu Dhabi report from 2015, 15 per cent of children in the UAE are obese and 17 per cent are overweight. For Emiratis the figure is higher, with about one in five children considered to be obese.
“A lot of parents do not even realise their child is obese,” said Amulya Saxena, a paediatric surgeon who spoke at Repton School yesterday.
“They think they’re just chubby at a young age and will be a healthy adult later on.”
National guidelines on labelling sugar content in easyto-read units, such as cubes instead of grams, could help children and parents to visualise sugar intake.
Cooking, shopping and packing a lunch with parents would help children develop a love for healthy food, Year 6 pupil Amy Magro said. “This might sound a bit weird but my favourite food is spinach,” said Amy, who is 11 and from Ireland. “It just appeals.”
She credits her mother for the discovery and adds the vegetable to curries, smoothies and salads.
“A few days ago we went to a food court and my mum was like, ‘remember to be healthy and don’t eat too much’. She lets me choose but she influences,” Amy said.
One of the best things parents can do is log off, said David Cook, the school’s headmaster.
“The key thing that I got from the research is how much pupils still admired and listened to their parents,” Mr Cook said.
He suggested that parents teach children the importance of a sit-down meal away from a screen, and monitor assigned homework to see if it can be done offline.
Lifelong habits come from mentoring, said Dhruz Parekh, 10. “Or you won’t learn how to be independent and make your own decision.”