Governments must understand that the factors making cities convenient and productive also make their residents prone to obesity. They must confront this challenge with intelligent, focused policies.
One in five children are now obese by the time they turn 11.
While office workers often worry they sit too long while on the job, research suggests standing at work increases the risk of heart disease.
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A global health and disease study shows we're living longer, but spending more years in poor health. But there are some things within our power to change.
Too much sitting may increase the risk of developing diseases including heart disease and type 2 diabetes, and it may even cause premature death.
morir soñando/Flickr
More people are getting standing desks in response to our increasing knowledge about the harms of sedentary lifestyles. But can you transition to standing at work without causing yourself harm?
To grow into healthy adults, children need lots of exercise. The best kind is when they are playing freely – even better when it is with their parents.
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We've known for some time that too much sitting increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease. But until now it's been unclear how much standing during the work day may counter this risk.
Australian kids are falling behind their international peers in fundamental movement skills.
Jason Devaun
Australians like to think themselves as sporting and fit – a concept reinforced by the success of the country’s elite athletes. But evidence is emerging that Australian kids are falling behind their international…
Current guidelines ignore the fact that young Australians use screens for homework, social media and entertainment.
Andrew Plumb/Flickr
It’s almost universally recommended that for optimal physical and mental health, children engage in 60 minutes of physical activity each day and limit the time they spend watching TV, playing computer…
If you’re completely inactive just walking to the shops will help.
Alain Limoges/Flickr
If we could go back 100 years in a time machine, what would kids be like? They’d be shorter, leaner, probably dirtier and less well-fed — but would they be fitter? It turns out we actually have a beautiful…
The geographic setting of where you live is important for health in a number of ways.
Daniel Pietzsch/Flickr
Socioeconomic disadvantage and its impact on where we live and work (and how we get between the two), has enormous implications for health and well-being. But the picture is not as clear cut as many people…
Excessive exercise places a significant load on the heart that can result in temporary reductions in function.
Ian Hunter
Exercise is said to foster better health and well-being as well as increasing life expectancy. But you can have too much of a good thing, it seems, as evidence shows that there may an optimal level of…