Sedentary children - Yet another warning

Last weekend, the country was excited and animated by the resumption of the GAA championships.

In a few weeks, we’ll be glued to our televisions — or rather our couches — watching the Fifa World Cup from Brazil. You’d nearly think we loved sport — but what we really love is watching sport, watching someone else sweat and take the kind of exercise that defines a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.

This sad fact was confirmed again yesterday when we were given a pathetic ‘D minus’ in a new international scheme for measuring physical activity levels among young people. There have been more than enough reports warning of obesity and the sedentary lifestyle becoming the norm among young people. That children in developing countries scored better than Irish children puts the issue in a worrying context. These are the kind of warnings we cannot ignore if we are to avert a real health crisis in the years ahead.