More Aussie children becoming obese

24 Sep 2009, 3:52 pm   -   Source: AAP/SBS
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A quarter of Australian children are either overweight or obese - and that figure is continuing to rise.

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A quarter of Australian children are either overweight or obese - and that figure is continuing to rise, the Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed.

In 2007-08, 25 per cent of children aged between five and 17 were overweight or obese - up four percentage points on 1995 data.

The report showed the ratio of obese boys had doubled to 10 per cent during this time, while the rate of overweight older girls was up eight percentage points to 20 per cent.

Despite more children falling into unhealthy weight ranges, there has been a surge in the numbers taking up sport.

In 2006, almost two-thirds of surveyed five to 14-year-olds had played organised sport outside school hours, up from 59 per cent in 2000.

Sports 'more popular'

Participation rates in informal sporting activities, like bike riding or rollerblading, were at similar levels, occupying kids in that age bracket for an average of six hours per fortnight.

However, an estimated 37 per cent of children did not take part in sports at all.

Among older children, 77 per cent played sport or did recreational exercise in the two weeks prior to being surveyed.

Sedentary pursuits such as watching television and playing computer games also proved popular with children.

The average time spent on these two activities in 2006 was two hours per day, the maximum recommended amount.

The report warned that people who suffer weight problems during childhood were more likely to have the same problems in their adult lives.

In 2007-08, 61 per cent of adult Australians were overweight or obese.

 

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Your Comments

sugar

some person - from tasmania, 2 years ago

What they are saying is that kids are having too much fatty foods. it's alright to have it, but not all the time

To john byatt

gta_787 - from nunya, 3 years ago

but if you dont eat sugar. you dont have energy. sugar is high in energy. without sugar. we may aswell be sleeping all the time.

its sugar

john byatt - from cooloola , 3 years ago

an epidemic driven by sugar consumption , sugar hidden in just about every processed food product on the market , exercise is a great cardio vascular improver, getting rid of sugar is the way to lose weight

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