With the advent of video games and devises comes a noticeable decline in children’s activity. Today’s children watch an average of at least three hours of television a day. Only 20 per cent meet the minimum daily requirement of 60 minutes of physical activity a day, less than 20 per cent walk to and from school and one in three children in Niagara are overweight or obese, according to Niagara Region statistics.
In this era of sedentary lifestyles, how do we get kids off of electronic devices and couches and into the playground? What are some practical ways to increase our kids’ activity levels so that they can grow up to be healthy and happy?
Bareket Falk, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at Brock University and editor of the journal Pediatric Exercise Science and Erin McBride, general manager, Youth Outreach and Day Camp, YMCA of Niagara join the program to explore how we can better support children and youth to be more active and healthy.
Encouraging children to be more active and healthy is articulated in the “Health and Wellness in Niagara” section contained within the Living in Niagara 2014: Critical Indicators for Reflecting on Life in Niagara report, produced by Niagara Connects.
In the Consider This podcast series researchers dissect issues and events happening all around us – from the end of our street to the other side of the globe – as a way of exploring how we can move forward in the face of these.
Podcast Series: Consider This – A Podcast Series Where Thoughts and Conversation Come Together
Hosted By: Barry Wright, Director, Niagara Community Observatory
Published By: BrockuResearch in partnership with Niagara Connects; brought to you by the federal government’s Research Support Fund
Date: January 2016
View Supporting Children and Youth to be More Active and Healthy Podcast
