Embracing a healthier lifestyle

Malta ranks poorly alongside our European neighbours in the time spent each year on physical education at secondary level, according to a European Commission Eurydice Report.

The report, published a few weeks ago, reveals that the belief that we allow too little time for sport in our education system is indeed well founded, with the time dedicated to physical education in Malta being less than a third of France's or Austria's.

The situation is an alarming one. According to a European Journal of Sports Science study of 234 Maltese children, half of 11 and 12 year olds are overweight or obese, and this is mainly due to "low levels of activity".

The study, authored by Russell Jago and Kenneth Fox, goes on to state that only 7.4% of boys and 1.1% of girls were active for the recommended 60 minutes of exercise, with 85% of boys watching between two and four hours of television every single day. These numbers are worrying for the health of society in general, putting a huge strain on the health service.

This is not to say that improvements haven't been noted. Over the years there seems to have been more awareness of healthier foods and an understanding of the negatives of junk food and sugary drinks.

I am happy to report on various nutrition initiatives taken by a large number of schools, including the preparation of healthy snacks and meals. The earlier our children are exposed to such lifestyles the more embedded they become.

Sport is also another component of the equation that aims to address obesity. Parents need to expose children to different disciplines as early as possible. Football is, of course, a very popular sport in Malta, but there are many other kinds of sport which children could and should take up.

Sport is not something that solely revolves around the younger generation. Over the past few years, as synthetic turfs became more common across the island, many people of different ages have taken up five-a-side football, and this has grown into an extensive community. Our aim is to continue helping to make sport more accessible to everyone and make sure that different kinds of sports are given space to grow.

The use of the word "embracing" in the title of this article is intentional. Such core life values are not simply enforced in schools or elsewhere, but they must be embraced by the children themselves. Once they are, they will become part of their life and help keep them healthy.

It is important that a generation fixated on game consoles and tablets learns about the positive energy derived from playing a sport and the sense of fulfilment that comes from a long walk in the countryside.

During the scholastic year, which is about to start, we will be urging more education and understanding of a healthier lifestyle, so that children learn how they can benefit from good nutrition and physical education.