Children’s health: ‘Disinterest in sports causing obesity

Speakers stress the need to encourage students to choose healthy lifestyles.

MULTAN:

The participants of a seminar at the Bahauddin Zakariya University on Wednesday agreed that shunning sports was one of the reasons behind childhood obesity.

The seminar was organised by the sports sciences department.

Dr Ijaz Asghar of Islamia University, Bahawalpur, was the chief guest. He said most children kept themselves to computers, mobile phones and excess television viewing, which he believed led to lazy lifestyles and consequently obesity.

“We need to reorganise our lifestyles by incorporating healthy activities,” he said.

Syed Zeeshan Hamdani of the BZU Department of Sports Research said that parental encouragement had a strong connection with children’s participation in sports. Parents, he said, played an important role in deciding the lifestyles their children develop.

He regretted that while most parents wanted their children to pursue medicine and engineering, there were very few who wanted to get their children into professional sports.

Talking about children’s health, Hamdani said that it was the primary responsibility of parents to provide their children a balanced diet.

Lecturer Mehreen Saba said that the department planned to organise more seminars to raise awareness among children and parents.

Lecturer Abida Khan stressed the need to encourage students to choose healthy lifestyles.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 15^th, 2013.