The WHO Says Games Make Kids Fat

No, not the British rock legends, the World Health Organization, which called out video games as a prime contributor to sedentary [[link]] lifestyles obesifying the planet’s children. Nearly a third of kids globally spend three or more hours per day playing sitting in front of a screen, [[link]] whether that’s to play video games, watch television or chat online with friends. The WHO says kids aren’t getting enough [[link]] exercise whether they live in a rich or a poor country.(new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c&cid=872d12ce-453b-4870-845f-955919887e1b'; cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "995c4c7d-194f-4077-b0a0-7ad466eb737c" }).render("79703296e5134c75a2db6e1b64762017"); }); “Growing up in a poor country does not necessarily mean that kids get more physical activity” the WHO’s Regina Guthold told Reuters. What’s enough exercise? According to the WHO, it’s at least an hour of exercise – not counting any P.E. at school – per day for five days a week. By this measure, the WHO says just 25 percent of boys and 15 percent of girls get enough exercise. By contrast 25 percent of boys and 30 percent of girls qualified as sedentary, which means three or more hours per day sitting on one’s ass playing games and such. The WHO conducted its study of 72,845 kids ages 13 to 15 from 2003 to 2007; the kids lived in North and South America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. Considering how much time I spend in front of a screen, both for my job and for leisure, I’m more than a little grateful that I grew up in a time when console games were so crappy that running around in the yard or the woods was an appealing alternative. But yeah, I could stand to get a bit more exercise as an adult. Right after I 100 percent Assassin’s Creed II of course. Nearly Third of Children Globally are Couch Potatoes [Reuters]