Young people are spending too much time watching television, according to a new at-a-glance guide to the state of the nation’s health.
Experts have produced a “report card” on the activity levels and health of Scotland’s children, grading 10 categories from a possible top A down to F-minus, with many failing to reach even a basic pass mark.
Three of the 10 categories (physical activity, sedentary behaviour and obesity) are awarded the lowest F or F-minus grade, meaning the healthy living message in these categories is getting through to fewer than one in five children
The Active Healthy Kids Scotland Report Card, the first of its kind in the country, suggests levels of obesity among young people are at a record high.
Meanwhile, according to the Scottish Health Survey, at least 16% of two to 15-year-olds were obese in 2011.
Citing the survey, the report card states: “Multiple data sources suggest that levels of obesity among children and adolescents are higher than at any time in our history. Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents has more than trebled since 1990, and obesity is more common among the more deprived.”
The study also finds that only one in five adolescent boys (19%) and one in 10 girls (11%) aged between 11 and 15 meet the recommendation of doing moderate physical activity for at least 60 minutes a day. Guidelines sayno more than two hoursin front of TV.