Are we killing our kids?

You might think that holiday time would be the perfect opportunity for our children to get active and increase their fitness before heading back to school. It seems that’s not the case at all.

Children in Australia are enjoying the last few weeks of summer holiday freedom. Before long they’ll be back in the classroom.

According to Bluearth CEO, David Simpson, our kids are in danger of returning to school fatter rather than fitter. He says the summer holidays are the worst time of the year for our kids to maintain healthy habits. I spoke to David during my morning radio programme on 98.5 Sonshine FM today.

Bluearth’s website says, “The Bluearth Institute (Bluearth) is a non-profit charitable organisation founded in 2000. It is operated with the express purpose of improving health and preventing diseases of sedentary living by providing programs and information facilitating the development and integration of mind, body and spirit through participation in physical activity.”

David says, “The relaxed attitudes by some parents towards eating habits and physical activity over the Christmas period give children the message that the holidays are synonymous with an over-indulgent lifestyle. This poses a potential risk to a child’s short and long-term health and well-being.”

If you want to hear what David had to say when we chatted this morning you can use the media player below.



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About the author

Rodney Olsen

Rodney is a husband, father, cyclist, blogger and podcaster from Perth Western Australia.

He previously worked in radio for about 25 years but these days he spends his time at Compassion Australia, working towards releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

The views he expresses here are his own.

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1 Comment

  • Interesting. I wonder if Blueearth would find different results in America, since our summer holidays don’t coincide with Christmas. I’m sure our kids are far more active in the summer than at any other time. But if Christmas came at the same time, it might be different. Hmmmm….

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