Deadly legacy of lazy school holidays

IT seems the days of children spending their summer holidays climbing trees and playing on the beach are a thing of the past.

A study has found that pupils return to lessons in September unfit and overweight – suggesting they have spent the time glued to an iPad or watching television.

The research by the UK Active health charity and the University of Essex tracked the weight and fitness of more than 400 children aged nine and ten from schools in the North West.

They found fitness increased and body mass index (BMI) fell in the school year, but these gains were all but wiped out over the summer holidays. Children lost an average of 80 per cent of fitness gained during term time and average BMI rose from 17.64 to 18.26.

The trend was more marked in deprived areas. The authors said the prohibitive cost of many holiday activities, such as summer camps, means many of the poorest children are left slumped in front of screens.

Study leader Dr Steven Mann said: ‘Being inactive as a child sets a dangerous precedent on a number of levels. As well as being linked to impaired physical development, shorter attention span and lower grades, an inactive childhood means that person faces much higher risk of heart disease, cancer and Type 2 diabetes in later life.’