Children across the globe are slowing down! That's according to a fairly recent study which looked at studies over nearly a 50 year period involving more than 25 million youngsters. Compared to kids 30 years ago, young people today run a mile 90 seconds slower.

Do you know how much time your child is spending in physical education classes at school. A recent Cornell University study about to be published shows a link between PE sessions in the US and obesity rates amongst youngsters. This is one of the few pieces of research looking at in-school fitness and the weight and Body Mass Index of children.

School is a massive influence on your children. It is at school that they first interact outside of their home environment, form their attitudes and learn about diet, exercise and lifestyle among other things. While you might promote a certain standard of living and approach to life at home, how can you be sure that schools are doing enough to benefit the health of your child? Recent proposals by the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) highlight the need for rules to protect youngsters' diets at school.

Child couch potatoes may not be quite as much at risk of getting fat than their worried parents suspect. Studies show that there is nothing wrong with a bit of lounging on the sofa after all, as long as kids are are getting exercise in at some point.

What does the New Year mean to you. For kids it often means no more than a dearth of presents until their birthday and an end to eating chocolate for breakfast. For the young, full of the joys of life, the change from 2012 to 2013 isn't so much an arbitrary date to change their lifestyles as it it for us more bitter adults.

The epidemic of childhood obesity in many countries across the globe, particularly the US, is hardly breaking news. However, with the link between one of the biggest killers, type 2 diabetes, and obesity, there is at least one serious health condition that needs to be tackled alongside the issue of kids getting fitter and not fatter.