London's successful bid to stage the 2012 Olympics made much of thebenefits for young people, with the games providing inspiration tofuture competitors as well as increased access to sports facilities andtraining.
No one can question that increasing children's interest in sports andtheir access to facilities should be a major public health priority.However, if the focus is solely on organised sport, a fundamental partof the equation is missed.
The British Medical Journal reported that there is "an obesity epidemic"in young (pre-school) children and suggests that "opportunities forspontaneous play may be the only requirement that young children need toincrease their physical activity".
Yet research published this week by Playday demonstrates that for toomany children their chances to play out are greatly restricted. Nearlyfour out of 10 children said that they didn't play out as often as theywould like because of concerns for their safety or inadequate playspace. Nearly one in five said they played out for only an hour or lessin an average week.
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