Be warned. Your young 'un is living dangerously

Be warned. Your young 'un is living dangerously

 

Sedentary lifestyle and addiction to television and video games exposing kids to heart ailments: Study

 

Watch out. Your kid is living dangerously. His obsession with the Internet, video games and television may be sparing you parenting troubles, but his aversion to physical activities is leaving him exposed to a raft of ailments, including heart diseases.

A survey has found that 88% boys and 85% girls in the age group of 11-14 years lacked daily physical activity appropriate for their age. About 33% children were above normal weight. Of these, 19.2% children were overweight and 3.8% obese. These findings of a pedometer-determined study by the Asian Heart Institute (AHI)should send alarm bells ringing among city parents.

"The younger lot is already exposed to various ailments. By compromising on physical activity, these children stand a much higher risk of heart ailments," said Dr Ashish Contractor, preventive cardiologist at the institute and the principal investigator of the study. Besides cardiovascular risks, these children are also exposed to hypertension, diabetes and depression, he added.

The study, conducted over two years, will soon be a part of an international medical journal. It used, for the first time, the digital pedometer, a device to track step count to study physical activity.

According to global norms, a 12-year-old boy should walk 15,000 steps a day and a girl of the same age 12,000. But the study found that boys walked 10,600 steps on an average and girls 9,000. "On weekends, the step count dipped drastically as the kids indulged in minimal physical activity," Contractor said.

While the study focused on 872 students — 448 boys and 424 girls — of a single Navi Mumbai school, the findings of the study could be a reflection of the general worrisome reality across the city given the uniformity in lifestyle among the youngsters and their preoccupation with sedentary activities.

The children were found relying increasingly on cars for transportation as opposed to walking or cycling. The Internet, television and video games were collectively found responsible for lower physical activity levels.

"Parents should take note of this trend, and buck it by playing role models to their children. This, unfortunately, is not happening," said Contractor. The economic background of the children plays a vital role in their lifestyle, he added.

"It is well-documented that sedentary lifestyle makes one prone to heart ailments. The C-reactive protein (CRP) is an indicator of future heart ailments. With the current lifestyle trends, most of the obese children would have high CRP," said Vijay Bang, an interventional cardiologist from Lilavati hospital.

The AHI is now aiming to undertake a study involving a larger group of children to gather more in-depth data. "We are hoping to take the findings to a completely different level by petitioning the government," said Contractor. Lack of open spaces is also a hindrance to activities and that's where the government should intervene, he added.

His concern was echoed by Minal Vagal, a Mahim housewife and mother of a 14-year-old. "My son's school does not have a playground and that has been my concern for a long time. He is addicted to video games and cartoon shows on television. There are two grounds near our house. But these are not well-maintained and drug addicts frequent the places making it unsafe for children."