Parents, doctors and teachers have become more and more concerned with child health and fitness over the past decade. Children in general are leading far less active lives than a generation ago and increasing amounts of junk food and sugary drinks are threatening child health and fitness across the UK and the rest of the Western World.

So, why should we be concerned? Excess weight in children can lead to problems both now and later in life. Health problems include high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes. There are also psychological and social consequences, including depression, low self-esteem and bullying.

But there are things that you can do! Child health and fitness programmes can help you and your child stay healthy and happy – and you don’t have to start jogging thirty miles each day to start seeing benefits.

Child health and fitness programmes should foster good eating and exercise routines without putting too much stress on your child or the rest of the family. Remember – habits you build in your child at a young age will likely stay with them for the rest of their lives. 80% of children who are overweight at 10 are overweight in adulthood. That’s why it makes sense to start your child health and fitness programme now.

Child health and fitness – what can you do?

Sometimes it might seem like you’re fighting a losing battle when trying to keep your child healthy and well. Junk food, computer games, television, DVD players, portable games consoles, mobile phones, social networking sites and the internet all seem to work against your plans for child health and fitness.

However – there are ways to keep a child health and fitness programme going without making you feel exhausted. The first step is to understand a little about the issues affecting children and what you can do to help. Take a look at some of our other sections on child health and fitness:

• Childhood obesity – you may have read about this term in newspapers or seen it mentioned on television, but what does it actually mean? We can help you find out more about this growing child health problem.
• Child sports fitness – one of the best ways to improve your child’s health and fitness is to encourage them to join sports clubs or teams. Not only is this great for their overall health, it can also offer a boost to their social life.
• Child weight loss – child health and fitness starts with trying to avoid excess fat. Find out where to begin when trying to lower your child’s weight.
• Child keep fit – what if your child doesn’t like sport and doesn’t want to get up from the sofa? Find out more about how a child health and fitness programme can motivate your child and even help bring the family closer together.