WHO advice for kids: Play more, sit less

Children under five must spend less time sitting in front of screens, or restrained in prams and seats, get better quality sleep and spend more time playing if they are to grow up healthy, according to new guidelines issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

In the digital era, which keeps kids busy with smartphones and video games, giving them a sense of physical activity while they leisurely sit in front of the screens, kids have become lazier. Currently, over 23 percent of adults and eighty percent of adolescents are not sufficiently physically active, leading to more than 5 million deaths globally each year across all age groups, the WHO report claimed.

“The WHO report says, a consistent pattern of overall 24-hour activity is key. This should involve replacing screen time with more active play and make sure young children get enough good-quality sleep. Quality time should also be spent in reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles, which benefits child development.”

“What we really need to do is bring back play for children,” says Dr Juana Willumsen, who acts as the WHO focal point for childhood obesity and physical activity. “This is about making the shift from sedentary time to playtime, while protecting sleep.”

The WHO report says, a consistent pattern of overall 24-hour activity is key. This should involve replacing screen time with more active play and make sure young children get enough good-quality sleep. Quality time should also be spent in reading, storytelling, singing and puzzles, which benefits child development.

“Health Issues India reported recently how physical inactivity among Indian kids is leading to health issues ranging from obesity to vision and hearing and breathing disabilities.”

“Achieving health for all means doing what is best for health right from the beginning of people’s lives,” says WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Early childhood is a period of rapid development and a time when family lifestyle patterns can be adapted to boost health gains.”

The new guidelines on physical activity for children under 5 years of age were developed by a WHO panel of experts after they assessed the effects on young children of inadequate sleep.

The guidelines are vital for a country like India which ranks fourth in number of obese children. Health Issues India reported recently how physical inactivity among Indian kids is leading to health issues ranging from obesity to vision and hearing and breathing disabilities.