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Last update - 22:00 25/08/2008 Starting at a young age By Ariel Rubinsky Tags: sports, education Children playing soccer or riding their bikes through the neighborhood have become an increasingly rare sight over the past few years, especially in the big cities. According to a recently published study, the same is true of school recesses: From age 11 onward, a large number of boys and girls prefer staying inside the classroom to compare the features of their new mobile phones to playing tag or skipping outside. "The rate of physical activity among Israeli children is substantially lower than that of other children in the Western world," says Dr. Yossi Harel-Fisch, who participated in a multinational study organized by the World Health Organization, which examined the behavior of children aged 11-15 in 14 countries. Harel-Fisch, of Bar-Ilan University, oversaw the study in Israel that examined some 6,000 Israeli boys and girls in grades six through 10. The students came from a representative cross section that included the state's education network, the state-run religious education network and the Arab sector. The study defined minimal physical exercise as any activity lasting around 30 minutes, performed at least three times a week. "Israeli children were among the bottom tenth of those countries covered by the study - a very low position," says Harel-Fisch. But when it comes to time spent watching TV or DVDs - some five hours and more daily - Israeli children top the list. They are also first with regard to maintaining "electronic social ties" via internet chat rooms, messaging programs and mobile phones. Advertisement Harel-Fisch notes that the girls' physical shape is particularly bad, because regardless of their weight, many of them have a low self-image. Thirty-two percent of 15-year-old girls think they're fat - although in practice the percentage of overweight girls in that age group is a mere eight percent. But only six percent of 15-year-old girls engage in physical activity. "Instead of doing sport, which improves self-image and reduces anxieties, they eat junk food in front of their computers and try all kinds of diets, which increases the risk of developing eating disorders in the future," says Harel-Fisch. This kind of behavior has many social and psychological effects. Some experts believe that such habits directly impact the children's health - mostly with regard to two areas: improper development of bones and muscles and problems linked to obesity. "Being physically active at a young age contributes decisively to increased bone density," explains Dr. Naama Constantini, director of the center for sports medicine at Hadassah Optimal. "It's important to understand that bone mass is built during the first two decades of a person's life; whatever we amass until the ages of 18 to 20 is meant to serve us for our entire life. Most bone mass is built up during adolescence. Unfortunately it is exactly at this age, when they really need to engage in physical activity, that children stop moving and spend their free time with electronic devices. "The situation is critical," Constantini stresses. "There is a risk of damaging the normal development of bones and muscles. Also, the development of basic skills - such as bike riding, paddle-ball playing, jumping rope and the like - is impaired. In addition, there is a risk that an inactive child will grow up to be an inactive and unhealthy adult with a tendency to being overweight." Constantini notes that there is a marked increase in the number of children aged 10 and above who suffer from Type 2 diabetes - also known as "adult diabetes," because it mainly manifests itself in adults aged 40 and above. She argues that the lack of physical activity, a poor diet and excess weight decisively impact the development of this condition. "The long-term damage is very worrying," says Constantini. "Many of the kids who were not physically active during their adolescence are at risk of developing osteoporosis in another 40 to 50 years, at a relatively young age. They are also more likely to suffer from obesity and all its ensuing complications: vascular ailments, heart disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes." An overweight child is at risk of becoming an overweight adult. But even thin teenage boys and girls are not immune to weight gain at a later age. Dr. Gal Dubnov-Raz, who studied the phenomenon together with researchers from Schneider and Tel Hashomer hospitals, examined 40-year-old career soldiers and compared their physical shape today to their body mass index at age 17. The study showed that even those whose weight at age 17 was normal could become overweight with age. The research team concluded that there is an urgent need for everyone, both skinny and fat, to internalize the values of a healthy and active lifestyle. Dubnov-Raz adds that physical activity is a guarantee for good health even among the overweight: "The mortality risk of a fat person in good physical shape is the same as that of a thin person who is fit, and significantly lower than that of a thin person who does not do sports. Physical activity protects against obesity among both children and adults." Constantini and Dubnov-Raz supported the change in the "fitness room law," which was revised in 2005 to allow children aged 6 and above to train at a gym, subject to certain conditions such as constant supervision by instructors trained to work with minors and exercise machines adjusted to fit minors. The widespread fear that weightlifting might impair a child's development dissipated once numerous studies disproved this theory. Rishon Letzion's Jimmy Club is a gym for children only; its spinning equipment and exercise machines are adapted for the use of six to 16-year-olds. The machines are similar to those in regular gyms, the only difference being that they are smaller, because they are meant to correspond to the anatomical structure of a child. In addition, most of them come in more appealing colors - orange, for example - and the weights are made of plastic, not iron, to ensure safety. Weights range from half a kilo to 10 kilograms. The children who work out at Jimmy Club follow a set program of training objectives. Their progress is monitored. The sessions are usually held in groups and resemble an extra-curricular class. A workout might consist of 15 minutes of spinning with guided instruction, followed by some time on the exercise machines - all according to each child's personal program and under the constant supervision of an instructor. The last 20 minutes are spent playing a game that requires aerobic exertion. "These are kids - to avoid them getting bored you have to constantly change the activity and appeal to their interest," says Ella Botwinick, the club's owner. Recently, several other gyms for kids have opened. Except for a few exceptions, regular fitness clubs still limit entry to those aged 14 or over. The official explanation for such a policy is the lack of suitable equipment for younger children, but there is also concern that the presence of children might scare away older trainees. "It's a financial thing: The moment there is enough demand, most fitness clubs will invest in suitable equipment and training, and allow children to work out during the less busy hours," says Dr. Dubnov-Raz, who is in favor of exercising in a gym at a young age. "A gym class, a judo class, a dance class - all of these constitute training and provide for a framework that can be adhered to," he says. Dr. Constantini, for her part, feels that "it's nice to start training at a young age, but that's not the solution." She notes that a gym is not accessible to everyone, both in terms of proximity and finances. The solution, she says, lies in changing habits: "We have become a very physically inactive society that travels everywhere by car, has sedentary jobs and gets things delivered. We even drive our children everywhere. This has to change. People have to walk more, encourage their children to play ball games, tag or jump rope. They have to set a personal example and play with them, go for walks on the weekends and more. A gym can also prove boring for children. Playing soccer or basketball with the gang, on the other hand, can continue for years." Bookmark to del.icio.us   Swing Jews Jewish Democrats go hi-tech to fight anti-Obama 'hate mail.' Where's Rose? 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