Holidays inspire kids to exercise more

In a unique piece of research conducted in conjunction with the Open University, school goers in the UK have produced the first ever independent report by children, about children comparing diet and exercise during their school term and their summer holidays.

The report and research, which also compared diet between term and holidays, was commissioned and sponsored by La Manga Club in Spain, a leading sports and leisure resort, and was conducted by 12-year-olds at Worle Community School, Weston-super-Mare, under the guidance of the Open University’s Children’s Research Centre.

The report comes in light of statistics which show that there are around 1 million obese children under 16 years of age in the UK, while 15% of 15-year-olds alone are classified obese.

The research shows that;

- more children (96%) aged 12 do more exercise during their summer holidays than during school term time
- children find term-time exercise more boring
- eight out of ten (79%) getting enjoyment from their exercise during the summer holidays
- over half (57%) describing it as ‘more fun’
- 22% saying it was ‘more exciting’
- There was a strong trend in the data to show that increased exercise is proportional to the kind of holiday the students took
- the highest exercise levels were found in students who went abroad on holiday (78% did a ‘lot more’ exercise)
- as opposed to those who holidayed in the UK (33%)
- and those students who did not have a holiday at all (37.5%).

Analysis of their school versus holiday eating experiences revealed results that are at odds with what may be considered the popular consensus, in that 12-year-olds consume:

- Less burgers and pizzas on holiday compared to a school week
- More vegetables during the school holidays than term time
- ‘Lots More’ fruit in the school holidays than term time
- Far more water during the school holidays than term time
- About the same amounts of salad, chips, sweets, chocolate and ice cream
- Finally, asked about their views on holiday eating habits, the vast majority wanted to eat more healthily

As a result of the findings, the company which commissioned the report, La Manga Club, is calling for schools to make term-time exercise more fun and for parents to encourage their children to be more active.

According to the BMA, soaring rates in obesity have lead to an increase in childhood type II diabetes and will lead to more future cases of heart disease, osteoarthritis and some cancers.

Dr Mary Kellett, Director of the Children’s Research Centre at the Open University, said: “This is a great day for young people. It’s important we give them opportunities to undertake their own research, free of adult filters and adult influence.

“Children ask different questions, collect data in different ways. They have a unique ‘insider’ perspective on their own worlds. We would do well to listen to what they are trying to tell us.

“With the child obesity problems we are facing, the more we can do to encourage children to be active, the better and making exercise fun is the key – this is one of the strong messages in the children's own research.”

The Rt Hon Dawn Primarolo MP, Minister of State for Public Health who was at the report launch, said: “First of all, this is a wonderful example of children getting involved in national health issues and the report they have produced is first-rate.

“What the findings show is that our young people are bothered about their health and well-being in that they enjoy more varied activities.

“Encouraging a healthy lifestyle isn’t just about watching what our young people eat and making sure they get their five-a-day, it’s also about remaining active.

“We need parents to supplement their children’s school exercise by encouraging more active lifestyles, be it games in the back garden, taking the dog out for a family walk or playing Frisbee in the park.”

Tony Coles, General Manager at La Manga Club, said: “As a family-orientated sports and leisure resort we commissioned this report to look at what children thought of the kinds of exercise they do and the diet they keep.

“The findings show that young people can and do enjoy their exercise, but the statistics reveal they do more of it – and in a greater range of activities – during the school holidays when they have more time, more opportunity and more fun.

“What we’re hoping to do today with the publishing of this report is to show parents, teachers, youth club operators, in fact anyone who engages with young people, that a more varied range of activities encourages increased levels of exercise – which is a great step on the road towards reducing childhood obesity.”

Mr Coles Added: “For more than 30 years La Manga Club has been synonymous around the world as a leading resort for sports and leisure activities, from top sports stars and leading teams, to amateurs, families and young people alike.

“We have a dedicated Director of Coaching whose role it is to source, plan and advise on activities, be it golf, tennis, squash, football or rugby, right through to trekking, horse riding, kitesurfing or canoeing.

“The key for us in helping our customers, young and old, remain active is about keeping sport fun, interesting and engaging.”

Hyatt International is responsible for the hospitality at La Manga Club which includes the Spa, accommodation and restaurants – the resort already has its own dedicated, onsite nutrition expert who advices on diet and meals for its guests. For a number of years, the resort has provided healthy, child-specific meals.

For the full report “Diet and exercise – is it different on holiday?” or more information on La Manga Club, visit Lamangaclub.com.