Six out of 10 teenagers not getting enough exercise

SIX out of 10 teenagers are not taking enough exercise, new research shows.

It also found that male students aged between 15 and 17 years are fitter than women in the same age group.

Academics based at the Centre for Sport Science and Health at Dublin City University used current recommendations for physical activity.

The cut-off point for the study was set at moderate or vigorous physical activity for around four days for at least 60 minutes per day.

One of the authors, Dr Niall Moyna, described the fitness level of girls as alarming.

Dr Moyna said they intended to take blood samples from the students and look at bio-markers for risks of chronic diseases.

“My hypothesis is that the children who are either overweight or particularly obese are certainly well on their way to developing heart disease, diabetes and other chronic diseases,” he said.

The study of 1,000 students also found 61% travelled to school by motorised transport but there was no gender difference on the numbers walking or cycling to school.

It also found 70% of males and 60% of females watched TV for around two hours every day.

Young men who were less active tended to watch more TV than their regularly active counterparts. Obese adolescents were more than twice as likely to have high sedentary leisure habits than normal or overweight adolescents.

Twice as many boys as girls, felt their body weight was fine while four times as many girls as boys said they were currently dieting to lose weight.

Twice as many girls as boys indicated they had smoked more in the past 12 months to control their weight.

Those who were obese or overweight were twice were more likely to make unhealthy lifestyle choices and extreme weight management patterns.

The study also found 20% of the students currently smoked and 13 was the most common age for both boys and girls to have their first drink. The most common age for boys and girls to become drunk for the first time was 15.

Meanwhile, research carried out by the North Western Health Board has found that even in remote rural areas one in four children were either overweight or obese.

The study also found 8% of children in Co Leitrim could be classified as obese.

Dr Christine McMaster from the NWHB’s regional children’s services described the findings as “worrying.”

“We must be worried that if this is the picture in a rural country, then what is the situation in more built up, heavier populated areas,” she said.