Parents hugely overestimate the amount of exercise their children are doing, a survey by the British Heart Foundation has found.
The results showed that 71% of parents think their children are "active enough”, but that barely one in ten (11%) are doing the recommended daily 60 minutes of physical activity each day.
The British Heart Foundation released the findings along with its Couch Kids report, highlighting how, while the number of obese children has risen since the mid-1990s, there have been no major changes in children’s physical activity levels over the last decade. Currently around a third of young people are overweight or obese.
Dr Mike Knapton, Associate Medical Director at the BHF, said: "Mums and dads need to take off the blinkers about how active kids need to be in order to keep their hearts healthy.
"Parents have such an important role in helping and encouraging their kids to be more active by building exercise into their every day lives - whether that’s taking part in team sports, playing outside with their friends or walking to school."
This report highlights barriers stopping children from being more active and makes recommendations for overcoming them.
Dr Knapton said: "Local authorities need to feature public health more strongly in transport, planning and education policies.
"One example would be through recognising the importance of safe cycling routes and making sure children have interesting places to play."
