According to a slew of reports which hit the headlines recently, it would appear that the answer is a definite no.
Even though we might have seen this coming, it is still alarming to read the various reports on the subject. Many of us will remember getting out and about and being very active without even thinking about it during our own youth. But the kids of today are growing up in a very different society, and many of the activities they are interested in involve looking at one screen or another. Chiefly to blame for the inactivity is the internet and watching television or playing computer games.
While the Nintendo Wii has come up with active games to help get kids moving indoors, there is still a lot of work to be done according to new figures. A recent government led poll invited parents to get in touch and give details about how active their kids are. While you might have expected them to be rather less active than they should be, the fact is that approaching three quarters of them don’t get enough exercise.
So where can we go from here? The age of computers has brought many kids in from outdoors and put them in front of a computer screen instead. That isn’t good news as far as anyone is concerned – not least the health of the nation as today’s youngsters become tomorrow’s adults.
But are we setting a bad example as adults? After all, some families are very active and where the parents tend to be more active, the kids in that family are often more active as well. It might be an easy move to let your kids sit in front of the television or the computer each and every night, but it doesn’t do them any good in the long run.
The government is pressing ahead with this advertising campaign that aims to get more and more children – and families – to be more active as time goes on. But how successful is it likely to be? Will it start in a blaze of publicity before petering out? Or will it press ahead and encourage parents to make changes in their children’s lives?
In the end, it is the case that however good the promotion might be, it is ultimately up to the parents to make the changes that are necessary. It might be easy to let your children sit in front of the television, but why not earn some benefits yourself and get out in the garden with your children for some exercise? Even if you don’t have a big garden it is not impossible to take some exercise every day.
It’s small wonder that Nintendo are taking the upper hand here and making sure that they can promote their Wii Fit as the best way to keep fit and have fun indoors. And since it uses the television to do it, it could well be the best of both worlds.