How Are you Britain? That's the question asked by Bupa in a new report they have published. The report gives an insight into the nation's wellbeing, and paints a picture of how the next generation of youngsters will live.
At the moment, there are 10.8 million children in Britain aged 2-16. By 2021, this is expected to rise to 11.6 million. Taking data from 1,081 people aged 16 to 30 who hope to start a family and comparing it with 1,012 existing parents with children under 16, the study found that the next generation of parents want their children to spend more time outside and eat a better diet.
71% of current parents said they don't let their children eat junk food, whilst 96% of future parents said junk food would be off-limits for their kids. At present, children spend an average of 165 minutes per day watching TV or playing video games, whilst the average target figure for future parents was 141 minutes (which is still 20 minutes over the recommended amount). The study also suggests that 2.5 million more children will walk or cycle to school, and that 4 million more children will take part in regular sports activities in future. In most cases, future mothers were more worried about time spent watching TV, and future fathers were more focused on increasing the time spent on sport.
The study's findings were welcomed by Bianca Parau (a senior paediatric dietitian at Bupa Cromwell Hospital). She pointed out that, due to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, many youngsters currently have a heightened risk of illnesses like diabetes and heart disease when they get older.
She acknowledged that parents' best intentions don't always fully materialise when they're confronted with the challenges of the real world, but said that future parents had the right attitude, and said this should be treated as a positive sign.
At the moment, there are 10.8 million children in Britain aged 2-16. By 2021, this is expected to rise to 11.6 million. Taking data from 1,081 people aged 16 to 30 who hope to start a family and comparing it with 1,012 existing parents with children under 16, the study found that the next generation of parents want their children to spend more time outside and eat a better diet.
71% of current parents said they don't let their children eat junk food, whilst 96% of future parents said junk food would be off-limits for their kids. At present, children spend an average of 165 minutes per day watching TV or playing video games, whilst the average target figure for future parents was 141 minutes (which is still 20 minutes over the recommended amount). The study also suggests that 2.5 million more children will walk or cycle to school, and that 4 million more children will take part in regular sports activities in future. In most cases, future mothers were more worried about time spent watching TV, and future fathers were more focused on increasing the time spent on sport.
The study's findings were welcomed by Bianca Parau (a senior paediatric dietitian at Bupa Cromwell Hospital). She pointed out that, due to the increasing prevalence of childhood obesity, many youngsters currently have a heightened risk of illnesses like diabetes and heart disease when they get older.
She acknowledged that parents' best intentions don't always fully materialise when they're confronted with the challenges of the real world, but said that future parents had the right attitude, and said this should be treated as a positive sign.
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