British, U.S. children not active enough

LONDON, June 30 (UPI) -- British and U.S. guidelines on how much physical activity children need to boost their health and stave off obesity need to be revised, researchers said.

The study, published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, found 42 percent of boys and 11 percent of girls met the 60-minute guideline.

The researchers base their findings on the long-term monitoring of 113 boys and 99 girls from 54 different schools, all of whom were age 5 when the study started.

The children's weekly physical activity levels were measured using a tiny device worn around the waist. Changes in weight and predictive health indicators, such as insulin resistance, blood fat levels, cholesterol levels and blood pressure were measured annually between the ages of 5 and 8. Taken together, these health indicators reflect the risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Both the British and U.S. guidelines recommend children be moderately physically active for at least one hour every day, however, the study found some spending as little as 10 minutes a day at the recommended intensity while others were spending more than 90 minutes a day.