Kids fatter despite being more active

AUSSIE children are playing more sport than ever – but they’re still getting fatter.

And while boys continue to get more active, girls’ participation is sliding.

The Bulletinn can reveal the latest participation data on kids’ sport from the Australian Sports Commission.

It shows in 2017, 3.5 million children aged 15 and under (74 per cent) participated in some organised sport or physical activity outside school hours, compared with 3.2 million

2016.

But while there was a rise in participation, 55 per cent of kids aged 12-14 either don’t like physical activity or don’t see it as a priority. This falls to 25 per cent of children aged 9-11 and 18 per cent of those aged 5-8.

And although participation increased in 2017, children’s waistlines continue to expand, with one in three children expected to be obese by 2028, according to Obesity Australia.

The top sporting activities (70 per cent) in nationally by participation for under-15s in 2017 were swimming (31.8 per cent), soccer (14.1 per cent) and Australian football (8.8 per cent).

For girls, the top activities were swimming (33.9 per cent), dancing (14.7 per cent) and netball (13.3 per cent).

For boys, the top activities were swimming (29.8 per cent), soccer (21.9 per cent) and Australian football (14.6 per cent).

The Australian Sports Commission’s AusPlay report found children were more likely to participate in organised physical activity outside school hours if their parents participate in sports or physical activity, if they come from a high-income family, or if they have only one or two siblings.

The participation gap between boys and girls is also widening, with fewer girls aged 12-14 interested in sport.

However, in sports like soccer and Australian football there is a surge in junior female participation – with both increasing by 6 per cent in 2017.

Kate Palmer, Australian Sports Commission CEO, welcomed the increase in participation but said more needed to be done to keep kids healthy.

“Despite the fact we have an increase in participation, Australians are still not active enough for the health outcomes we are trying to achieve and it is everyone’s responsibility to improve our children’s health,” Ms Palmer said. She also said the decline in girls’ participation – 7 per cent in the 9-11 age range – was worrying and more should be done reverse it.