USQ academic encourages Gen X parents to reinforce the fun of exercise

Parents should reinforce the fun of exercise rather than its calorie-burning benefits to children, according to a USQ academic.

Education lecturer and Health and Wellbeing specialist, Ms Alice Brown, said recent research conducted by the Children's Nutrition Research Centre and published in the media earlier this week was being used as a 'scare tactic' for parents.

The research showed how much exercise an average eight-year-old would have undertake to burn off  the calories in treats such as burgers, chips and chocolate.

'This sort of negative publicity is taking away from the everyday reasons to do exercise,' Ms Brown said. 'This mentality that food equals the amount of exercise we need to do to burn it off is setting a detrimental mindset in children from a very young age.

'It detracts from the wonderful experiences of exercise such as socialisation, enjoying the outdoors, bonding and attachment with parents, increasing muscle tone and most importantly, having fun.'

Ms Brown said Generation X parents had become the ‘fear generation'.

'This climate of fear is concerned for children becoming obese, fears of skin cancer, fears of children drowning, fears of children getting diabetes. As a consequence of their fears, many Generation Z children are finding themselves indoors with limited opportunities for play, fun or physical activity.'

Ms Brown said instead of shocking parents with articles like the one shared in the newspaper we should be celebrating initiatives that are supporting children in activity and healthy eating, such as the State Government's SmartChoices program and Stephanie Alexander's Kitchen Garden Foundation.

'These are wonderful initiatives that create a more positive mindset to healthy eating and exercise.'

Ms Brown is actively involved in a range of research projects exploring obstacles for children in accessing physical education opportunities, exploring opportunities to 'catch moments to move', and investigating parents' decision-making on supporting active play experiences with young children in the home. She is also the author of "Kids with more Zip", a practical resource for educators and careers, focusing on long-term health and movement experiences for children aged 3-12.

Media contact:  Madeleine Tiller, USQ Media, 4631 1163 or 0406 937 795.