News Articles: Archive

15 Minutes Exercise Makes A Difference

Eating Apples and Fish During Pregnancy May Protect Against Childhood Asthma and Allergies

Poor Lifestyle Linked to Global Health Epidemic

Exercise and Breast Cancer

Whole-Grain Breakfast and Heart Disease

Children Need Play!

New Irish Cancer Cases Ahead of the European Average

TV Watching Linked to High Blood Pressure in Teenagers

Lack of Family Mealtimes Plus Excess TV Linked to Obesity

New Study Reveals Worrying Teenage Lifestyle Trends

An Apple a Day Really Can Keep the Doctor at Bay

Lack of Sleep Linked to Childhood Obesity

Green Vegetables Can Fight Cancer

Exercise Sessions for Preschoolers: Not Enough

Too Much TV Doesn't Add Up

Hold on to Childhood Campaign

Fizzy Drinks and Inactivity Linked to Recurrent Bone Fractures

Cancer Cases in Ireland Set to Increase

It’s Official: Vigorous Exercise is Good for Grades

15 Minutes Exercise Makes A Difference

We all know that children are getting fatter and that both a poor diet and a lack of exercise are to blame. A new report published in the Public Library of Science Medicine journal, offers new hope for parents concerned about the growing obesity epidemic. It suggests that making even small increases to your daily exercise routine, such as walking your child to school each day instead of taking the car, could have dramatic long-term results.

Using the latest cutting-edge techniques, researchers from Bristol University's Children of the 90s project discovered that doing 15 minutes a day of moderate exercise lowered a child’s chances of being obese by almost 50 per cent. As long as the activity was at least of the level of a brisk walk - enough to make your child a little out a breath – it seemed to be of benefit. What makes the results particularly startling is both the large number of UK children studied and the use of high-tech equipment, providing the most accurate measures of both fat and activity levels ever achieved for a study of this type.

Researchers monitored 5,500 12-year-olds from the Children of the 90s research project based at the University of Bristol, measuring their activity levels for 10 hours a day. Each child wore a special ‘Actigraph activity monitor’, which sits on a belt around the waist and records movement. Most wore the movement-sensitive monitor for a week but all used the Actigraph for at least three days. They also had their body fat measured using an X-ray emission scanner, which differentiates both muscle and fat deposits in the body. This is far more precise than the usual BMI (Body Mass Index) system often used to estimate fat levels.

The research was lead by Professor Chris Riddoch from Bath University together with Children of the 90s’ co-director Professor Andy Ness and his team at Bristol. Professor Riddoch explained the significance of their results: “This study provides some of the first robust evidence on the link between physical activity and obesity in children...We know that diet is important – but what this research tells us is that we mustn’t forget about activity. It’s been really surprising to us how even small amounts of exercise appear to have dramatic results.”

Professor Ness added, “The association between physical activity and obesity we observed was strong. These associations suggest that modest increases in physical activity could lead to important reductions in childhood obesity.” He also stressed that doing 15 minutes of moderate exercise a day should be regarded as a starting point, but one most people would find able to fit into their life-style. The team will now be taking their research further – looking to see if specific patterns of exercise can help achieve even better results.

01 April 2007

Eating Apples and Fish During Pregnancy May Protect Against Childhood Asthma and Allergies

Women who eat apples and fish during pregnancy may reduce the risk of their children developing asthma or allergic disease, suggests a new study presented at the American Thoracic Society 2007 Conference on Sunday, May 20.

The SEATON study, conducted at the University of Aberdeen, found that the children of mothers who ate the most apples were less likely to ever have wheezed or have doctor-confirmed asthma at the age of 5 years, compared to children of mothers who had the lowest apple consumption. Children of mothers who ate fish once or more a week were less likely to have had eczema than children of mothers who never ate fish. The study did not find any protective effect against asthma or allergic diseases from many other foods, including vegetables, fruit juice, citrus or kiwi fruit, whole grain products, fat from dairy products or margarine or other low-fat spreads.

The researchers studied 1212 children born to women who had filled out food questionnaires during their pregnancy. When the children were 5 years old, the mothers filled out a questionnaire about the children’s respiratory symptoms and allergies, as well as a questionnaire about their child’s food consumption. The children were also given lung function and allergy tests.

One of the researchers, Saskia Willers, suggests that the beneficial effect of apples may come from powerful antioxidants called flavonoids, while fish’s protective effect may come from omega-3 fatty acids, which other studies have suggested have a protective effect on the heart and may have a protective effect in asthma. “Other studies have looked at individual nutrients’ effect on asthma in pregnancy, but our study looked at specific foods during pregnancy and the subsequent development of childhood asthma and allergies, which is quite new,” Willers says. “Foods contain mixtures of nutrients that may contribute more than the sum of their parts.”

Asthma is on the increase in ireland.

Regular consumption of fish has a range of potential health benefits, including a reduced risk for heart disease.

Oily fish like salmon are a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, which are beneficial for health.

Poor Lifestyle Linked to Global Health Epidemic

The rate of uncontrolled high blood pressure may increase by 60 per cent over the next 20 years - potentially triggering a global epidemic of cardiovascular disease and affecting people as young as 30, according to a recent study carried out by three international health experts.

The report, High Blood Pressure and Health Policy: where we are and where we need to go next, was launched at the European Parliament and calls for government and healthcare policy-makers to take action to manage the threat of high blood pressure.

The report’s authors were Dr Panos Kanavos of London School of Economics Department of Health and Social Policy, Dr Jan Östergren, Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden and Michael A Weber, State University of New York. They concluded that without increased emphasis on modifying lifestyles as well as diagnosing and treating high blood pressure, late 20th century gains in treating cardiovascular disease may reverse.

Dr Kanavos said: ‘High blood pressure is a condition whereby incidence increases with age, but this does not mean that it is a problem that only affects old people.'

The lifestyle habits of Irish children and young people certainly give cause for concern, since poor diet and lack of physical activity are closely linked to high blood pressure. Recent research from the University of Minnesota (published in the April 2007 issue of the American Journal of Public Health) suggests that young adults who spend more time participating in physical activity have a reduced risk of developing high blood pressure as they get older.

23 April 2007

Exercise and Breast Cancer

The results of a major new US study suggest long-term recreational physical activity plays a protective role against invasive and in situ breast cancer. With falling activity levels in teenagers, and Ireland well above the EU average for breast cancer, this new research underlines the importance of promoting physical activity amongst girls.

 “This study is unique because it provides the first prospective study data documenting that a woman’s long-term exercise habits are important in determining her future breast cancer risk.” said Leslie Bernstein, professor of preventive medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of USC.

The study involved 110,599 women who were current or former California teachers and public school professionals with no prior history of breast cancer and who were between the ages of 22 and 79 years at the start of the 12 year study.

The study focused on the impact of strenuous activities as well as moderate activities, collecting information on the amount each woman exercised per week from high school up to the age of 54.

Invasive breast cancer risk was reduced among women participating in strenuous activity, such as swimming, jogging or participating in aerobics activities for more than five hours per week annually, when compared to the least active women. Similar results were seen for in situ breast cancer risk.

“This study confirms that breast cancer risk is influenced by consistent participation in strenuous forms of exercise activity. However, it may require substantial commitment of time to achieve this lower risk,” Bernstein concluded. “This study showed that risk was lower for women who exercised at least five hours per week and our prior studies of other groups of women have suggested a minimum of 3-4 hours per week.”

The research underlines the importance of effective promotion of physical activity to young women and girls in Ireland. More information on reducing cancer risk.

(Posted 2 March 2007)

9 March 2007: Whole-Grain Breakfast Cereal- Reduced Risk of Heart Failure

Eating whole-grain breakfast cereals seven or more times per week is associated with a lower risk of heart failure, according to an analysis of the observational Physicians’ Health Study. The research was presented at the American Heart Association’s 47th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

The analysis shows that those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal seven or more times per week were less likely (by 28 percent) to develop heart failure over the course of the study than those who never ate such cereal. The risk of heart failure decreased by 22 percent in those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal from two to six times per week and by 14 percent in those who ate a whole-grain breakfast cereal up to once per week.

"There are good and powerful arguments for eating a whole-grain cereal for breakfast," said Luc Djoussé, M.D., M.P.H., D.Sc., lead author of the study and assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Aging at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School in Boston, Mass. "The significant health benefits of whole-grain cereal are not just for kids, but also for adults. A whole-grain, high-fiber breakfast may lower blood pressure and bad cholesterol and prevent heart attacks."

Djoussé urges the general public to consider eating a regular whole-grain, high fiber breakfast for its overall health benefits. In the Physicians’ Health Study, the majority of the physicians in the study ate whole-grain cereals rather than refined cereals. Whole grains are rich in vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants and have a high fiber content.

"The Physicians’ Health Study shows that even in a population with overall healthy behavior, it is possible to see less heart failure in those who eat a whole-grain cereal breakfast," Djoussé said.

High fibre breakfast cereals include porridge, Weetabix and Shredded Wheat.

Porridge (shown here with sultanas, linseed and a teaspoon of honey) is an excellent choice to start the day. Full of fibre, porridge is likely to reduce your risk for heart disease.

Download the RedBranch Breakfast Factsheet (PDF 173 KB)

16 February 2007: Children Need Play!

The leading play agency in Northern Ireland, PlayBoard, has called on the government and politicians to encourage schools in the North to give greater priority to children’s play. The call is contained in a special ‘Play Manifesto’ which was released earlier this week. 

Children and young people need to play. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth. Physically active play can also help prevent a range of serious illnesses. Unstructured play is one of the best ways for children to achieve the World Health Organisation's recommended 60 minutes of physical activity per day. The work of RedBranch has shown that lack of play opportunities is a huge issue in the Republic as well as in Northern Ireland.

PlayBoard says that prioritising play would help tackle the spiralling levels of child obesity in Northern Ireland, a claim that is relevant across the whole island of Ireland: “We know that TV and computer games outside school are contributing to a much more sedentary lifestyle, and that many children can’t access good play facilities near their homes." says PlayBoard’s Chief Executive, Jacqueline O’Loughlin.

PlayBoard is already tackling this issue by providing special ‘play training’ to 100 primary schools through its innovative Positive PlayGrounds programme. Positive PlayGrounds helps staff and pupils to make more effective use of the playground by giving children a bigger say in how their playground is run, and introducing new and exciting ideas for play. PlayBoard is calling on the government of Northern Ireland to provide sufficient funding to enable this scheme to be rolled out to every primary school in the North.

One school which has already benefited from the programme is St Joseph’s Primary School in Lisburn. The school’s principal, Maria Gough, says the scheme has transformed playtime. “Most children used to stand around at lunchtime, looking bored and just waiting for the bell...now the children look so happy and involved at playtime...We’ve seen activity levels at break-time increasing threefold – which not only benefits the children physically, but also improves their concentration in class.”

PlayBoard is also calling for longer school break times and limits on the amount of homework children are given in primary schools - to increase the time children have available for play. Circumstantial evidence suggests that many primary schools in Ireland have shorter lunch breaks and give out more homework than schools in England. “Many schools here just don’t realise the incredible physical and developmental value of play” says Jacqueline O’Loughlin. “What schools need is the right support and guidance on this issue - we hope any new devolved administration will give school-based children’s play the priority it deserves.”

The work of PlayBoard is vital in a changing society which offers increasingly fewer opportunities for children to determine their boundaries through play. We feel that the "Play Manifesto" initiative should be available across the entire island of Ireland.

Play is so important to optimal child development that it has been recognized by the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights as a right of every child.

"Positive Playgrounds", an initiative run by PlayBoard in Northern Ireland has resulted in:

9 February 2007: New Irish Cancer Cases Ahead of the European Average

A new report has placed Ireland ahead of the European average with respect to new cancer cases. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, who carried out the research, stated that lifestyle cancer risk factors, such as lack of physical exercise, imbalanced diet and smoking put a strong additional pressure on the already high background levels of certain malignancies.

Ireland had an above average incidence of new cases of:

Although part of this may be due to improved detection of cancer, Ireland is also worse than the European average when it comes to cancer mortality from:

The report also documents a Europe wide increase in new cancer cases, which probably reflects the aging population.

According to the World Health Organisation, 40% of cancer could be prevented - mainly by not using tobacco, having a healthy diet and being physically active. See our cancer prevention page for more information.

9 February 2007: TV Watching Linked to High Blood Pressure

Teenagers who spend a lot of time planted in front of the TV are more likely to have higher blood pressure, regardless of whether they are overweight. "This is the first research to show a direct and independent connection between TV watching and higher blood pressure among adolescents," said study leader Nicolas Stettler, M.D., M.S.C.E. a pediatric nutrition specialist at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

The team reported on their study of 4,500 American adolescents in the February issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health. They found that sedentary activities and higher body mass index (BMI) were associated with higher systolic blood pressure.

"It was already known that physical activity lowers blood pressure in both adults and children, but sedentary activity is not just the opposite of physical activity," said Dr. Stettler. "For example, other studies have found that decreasing sedentary activity in young people helps prevent or treat obesity better than interventions to increase physical activity." If further studies confirm these results, encouraging adolescents to reduce their sedentary activity may improve their blood pressure and lower their later risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.

The bottom line? Limit TV time by choosing the programmes you want to watch. If you're a parent, see our TV tips page for advice on limiting your families time in front of the box.

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Scientific studies have linked excessive TV watching with:

9 February 2007: Family Meals, TV and Obesity

Sitting down to a family meal more often and cutting down on television watching can help keep children from becoming overweight, according to a new University of Missouri-Columbia study.

After following 8,000 children from kindergarten (pre-school) to third grade, researchers concluded that kids who watched the most TV were at the greatest risk of being or becoming overweight. Children who ate fewer meals with their families were also at risk for becoming overweight.

"Other research has shown that children who eat meals with their families eat more healthy foods than children who don't eat as many meals with their families," said Sara Gable, associate professor of human development and family studies in the MU College of Human Environmental Studies. "I suspect there are other benefits of family meal times that protect children from developing some of the habits that could lead to weight problems."

"Children who were never overweight between kindergarten and third grade were watching, as per parent reports, roughly two hours of television per day, or about 14 hours during a typical week," Gable said. "The children who were persistently overweight were watching about 16 hours of television per week."

Members of the persistently overweight groups also lived in neighborhoods that parents perceived as less safe for outdoor play. "These results suggest that some overweight children have fewer options for active play when they are at home," Gable said.

The study, which was funded by the United States Department of Agriculture, was published in this month's issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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10 January 2007: New Study Reveals Worrying Teenage Lifestyle Trends

A recent study by Cancer Research UK suggests that teenagers are endangering their health by avoiding physical activity and spending more time watching TV and playing computer games.

Researchers studied nearly 6,000 11-12 year olds at 36 London schools over a five-year period. They found that physical activity declined sharply during the study, by 46 per cent in girls and 23 per cent in boys. Teenagers also increased the amount of time they spent on sedentary activities like watching TV and playing computer games. By the age of 16, girls were physically active on less than two days a week.

Lead author of the report, Professor Jane Wardle, director of Cancer Research UK’s health behaviour unit at University College London, said: "The study showed marked reductions in physical activity and increases in sedentary behaviour between the ages of 11- 16. The trends were particularly notable in girls. There is growing evidence about the role that physical activity and a healthy weight play in reducing our cancer risk. The results of this study highlight the need for adolescents to be given opportunities, encouragement and support to take more physical activity to benefit their future health. Schools and parents both have roles to play in encouraging children to be more active by providing more physical education and limiting time for TV and computer games. Non-traditional forms of exercise like aerobics or dance classes might increase appeal to girls. Walking and cycling should also be promoted."

Professor John Toy, medical director of Cancer Research UK, said: "While computers and TV can bring many educational benefits and enjoyment to young people there is a danger in them spending too much time sitting in front of a screen at the expense of exercising. Adolescents are more likely to develop into healthy adults and will reduce their cancer risk if they grow up taking regular exercise like going for a run in the park or cycling."

Our work paints a similar picture of teenage trends in Ireland, with well over 50% of teenagers surveyed having a TV in their bedroom, and with very few Irish teenagers achieving the recommended levels of physical activity.

Our advice is to start building regular physical activity into your family's routine from an early age, and to set time aside for family activities:

Encouraging children to be physically active will have a major effect on their long-term health. Schools can help by promoting non-standard physical activities like dance, yoga and martial arts. If you want help starting any of these initiatives in your area, contact RedBranch.

According to the World Health Organisation, regular exercise reduces risk for the following diseases:

24 October 2006: An Apple a Day Really Can Keep the Doctor Away

New evidence regarding the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption was presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. 

Dr. Romaina Iqbal of INTERHEART told the Congress that people who consumed more fruit and vegetables had a 27 percent lower risk of having a heart attack compared to those who ate little or no fruit & veg.

On the other hand, those eating a "western" diet – characterized by a higher intake of meat, fried foods and salty snacks – were found to have a 24 percent greater risk of having a heart attack.

The INTERHEART study involved 16,718 participants in 52 countries. "We’ve long known that a balanced diet with at least five daily servings of vegetables and fruit is best for your health,” said Dr. Beth Abramson of the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation. “This study provides more proof that you ARE what you eat, and what you eat could be killing you.” Other risk factors such as age, obesity, physical activity and smoking were taken into consideration in the analysis.

In Ireland, roughly 40% of all deaths are due to Heart Disease and our rates of fruit and vegetable consumption are low. Fruit and vegetable intakes in children are well below recommended levels, with fruit consumption in schoolchildren having nearly halved since 1998. Vegetable consumption has also declined since 1998.

RedBranch work hard to promote fruit and vegetable consumption in children. At primary level, we have helped schools to set up school fruit breaks. At secondary level, we have helped students to run school-fruit micro-businesses.

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"An apple a day..." New evidence suggests that people who eat more vegetables and fruit have a 27% lower risk of having a heart attack compared with those who eat little or no fruit & veg.

In Ireland, only 36% of schoolgirls and 29% of schoolboys eat more than one portion of fruit daily. Only 43% of girls and 37% of boys eat more than one portion of vegetables daily. An excellent way to help increase fruit consumption in children is to start a school fruit break like the one shown above.

24 October 2006: Lack of Sleep Linked to Childhood Obesity

Soaring levels of obesity might be linked to children sleeping fewer hours at night than they used to, claims Dr Shahrad Taheri of the University of Bristol. A growing body of research shows that when children sleep less, their metabolism is disrupted. This may contribute to obesity, insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Whilst adequate sleep is certainly not the only solution to the obesity pandemic, it might help towards prevention. Research shows that lack of sleep is associated with hormonal changes that are linked with cravings for sugary and starchy foods. Over a prolonged period, this can lead to significant weight gain.

Poor sleep can set up a vicious cycle. It leads to fatigue, which leads to reduced levels of physical activity, which leads to lower energy expenditure, which leads to obesity, which itself leads to poor sleep, explains Taheri.

Over the last 50 years, the amount of sleep we get has been reduced by up to 2 hours per night. This is possibly due to increased time pressures including TV watching and the internet. Children are less likely to sleep well if they spend long hours watching TV and playing computer games.

Dr Taheri, reporting in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, blames the increasing availability of computers, mobile phones and TVs for the diminishing nightly quota of sleep, and suggests they should be kept out of children's bedrooms.

Research conducted by RedBranch suggests that this is a real problem in Ireland...with more than 50% of National School children having a TV in their bedroom. Irish children commonly watch 3 hours of TV per day.

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"Sleep is probably not the only answer to the obesity pandemic, but its effect should be taken seriously, as even small changes in energy balance are beneficial...Good sleep could be promoted by removal of gadget distractions from bedrooms and restricting their use," Dr Shahrad Taheri, University of Bristol.

13 October 2006: Green Vegetables Can Fight Cancer

A new scientific study has found that a substance found in green vegetables can inhibit the growth of breast cancer cells. The substance could even be used in combination with drugs to help fight breast cancer.

There is a growing body of evidence that the food we eat is linked to our risk for cancer. According to the World Health Organisation, regular consumption of fruits and vegetables could help prevent certain cancers, as well as reducing risk for cardiovascular disease. The latest research has helped to pin down some of the beneficial effects of eating fruits and vegetables. Scientists at the University of Leicester found that a substance called indole-3-carbinol (I3C), which is naturally present in cruciferous vegetables, slowed down or even killed breast cancer cells. Cruciferous vegetables belong to the cabbage family, which includes cabbage, kale, brocolli, brussel sprouts, turnips and swede.

Dr Sheila Bingham Director of the UK’s Medical Research Council Centre for Nutrition and Cancer at the University of Cambridge said: “This study supports the growing evidence that food can be important in altering our susceptibility to cancer and possibly survival from it, and may help to explain why fruits and vegetables are so important.”

I3C is naturally present in cruciferous vegetables, but the doses which would be required in potential breast cancer treatments would have to be formulated to ensure they were high enough, delivered in the right way and that they reached the right areas. It is also thought I3C may have a similar impact on colon cancer cells. However, the research also confirms the preventative qualities of I3C, demonstrating how it is able to protect us from carcinogens. There are thousands of other molecules present in fruit and vegetables which could have similar properties. The case gets stronger everyday to ensure sufficient levels of fruit and vegetables in our diets.

When you get this substance through your diet, it is kind to normal cells at doses which slow down or even kill cancer cells. Another great reason to eat up your veggies! More tips on reducing cancer risk here.

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6 October 2006: Exercise Sessions for Pre-schoolers May Not Prevent Childhood Obesity

Physical activity in preschoolers is a good thing...but it may not be enough to combat obesity as children get older.

The results of a recent study published in the October 5 online edition of the British Medical Journal suggest that a simple physical activity programme for pre-school children is not enough to prevent childhood obesity. The study involved looking at whether an active play programme in 545 pre-school children could reduce weight. The play program consisted of three 30 minute sessions each week, along with parental guidance on how to increase physical play at home.

The lead researcher, Dr John Reilly of the University of Glasgow, suggested that a combination of exercise and improved diets may be the only solution to the growing childhood obesity crisis.

Exercise certainly produces health benefits for children and people of all ages, including improved motor skills, balance and coordination (see here for health benefits of exercise). Exercise also benefits children socially and developmentally. However, it is not surprising that a simple physical activity programme does not affect childhood obesity levels. The issue is hugely complex...junk food, long hours spent passively watching TV and a built environment that doesn’t encourage walking (or play!). Apparently these pressures cannot be combated by a simple exercise programme.

The programme didn’t fail, it’s just that more factors need to be changed. As parents we need to limit our children’s TV time, we need to ensure that our children have access to decent food, that access to junk food is restricted, that active play is promoted and facilitated, and that our schools and pre-schools facilitate physical activity. In short, we have to prevent our children from drifting passively through life.

5 October 2006: Too Much TV Doesn't Add Up

A report commissioned by the Department of Education and Science in Ireland has found that children who have a TV in their bedroom perform worse in standard maths tests.

The report found that lowest scores were achieved by pupils who spent no time on maths study and pupils who spent between one and two hours a day playing computer/console games.

Highest scores were achieved by those who spent up to two hours per day on sport, extra classes, or reading for enjoyment, and not more than one hour on mathematics study. Pupils who spent more than one hour a day watching television or playing computer/console games achieved significantly lower scores than pupils who spent less than an hour a day on these activities.

Excessive TV watching has a number of important effects on performance and health. We recommend that your child's bedroom should be a TV free zone, and that parents should limit the amount of TV children watch. You could also look at our suggestions and tips for limiting TV.

12 September 2006: Hold On To Childhood!

Junk food, exploitative marketing, accelerated adulthood and long hours passively watching TV are having a disastrous effect upon the development of children. A group of distinguished academics, psychologists, teachers, and children’s authors in the UK have launched a campaign aimed at halting the “death” of childhood. In an open letter to the Daily Telegraph, these experts have warned that childhood is being poisoned by modern “junk” culture...that real experiences are being replaced with TV and that real food is being displaced by junk food. The letter warns that TV, the internet, competitive schooling and lack of outdoor play is increasing depression and tarnishing childhood. The list of signatories include:

Lady Greenfield, the director of the Royal Institution, Penelope Leach, child care expert, Sir Richard Bowlby, the president of the Centre for Child Mental Health, the children's writers Philip Pullman, Michael Morpurgo and Jacqueline Wilson, psychologist Dr Dorothy Rowe and Prof Tim Brighouse, the commissioner for London Schools.

Many studies suggest that worsening diets are causing physical and mental health problems, commercial pressure and modern technologies are sexualising children at ever earlier ages, and children no longer have the ability to assess risk because they do not have the opportunity for outdoor unsupervised play. Children may not get the opportunity to interact with adults, and in many cases the TV is the only contact that children have with the adult world outside school.

These issues are every bit as relevant in Ireland as they are in Britain. Our society has changed rapidly during the last decade, but the basic needs of children remain the same: proper food rather than over processed junk, real play rather than virtual entertainment and passive TV time, direct experience of the real world, and regular interaction with significant adults. Children are being pushed ever-rapidly into the adult world by enormous commercial pressures...perhaps they need time to simply be children...

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15th June 2006: Fizzy Drink Consumption and Physical Inactivity Linked to Recurrent Bone Fractures

A new study has reported that recurrent bone fractures in children is linked to diet and exercise. The researchers found that children with recurrent fractures tend to:

The research looked at 150 children aged between 4 and 16, and you can see a summary report here. This is not the first time that scientists have linked modifiable risk factors such as diet and exercise with bone health.

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9th June 2006: Cancer Cases in Ireland Set to Increase

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Liquids4life: Pushing Fizzy Drinks at Primary Level

The Beverage Council of Ireland recently launched a new "educational" website aimed at National School children.  The site is called "liquids4life" and claims to educate children about the importance of liquids as part of a healthy lifestyle.  An information leaflet about the site has been sent to National School principals throughout the country asking them to use the site and to inform students and teachers of the site.

We think that this is an insidious way of promoting unhealthy soft drink consumption in children. 

The website uses colourful characters to expound the importance of liquids in the diet and places sugar laden carbonated drinks in the same category as water as a source of good hydration. In one section of the website, ‘Bubbles’, a cartoon character, explains the ingredients of soft drinks.  Bubbles tells children that there is an acid put into soft drinks to make them tangy and to preserve them. No mention is made of the fact that some of these acids have been associated with the decalcification of bone and may contribute to the development of osteoporosis.  Regular soft drink consumption has also been linked to obesity, type II diabetes and tooth decay - for more information, click here - but Bubbles fails to mention this.  In fact, the only advice bubbles gives is not to shake the can and spray drink around.  

Nowhere on the website are children advised that soft drinks should only be consumed occasionally.  In relation to foods containing fats and sugars, the website advises children that if they want to eat these products then they should make sure to get some exercise.  Better advice would be to limit intake of these - eat them as occasional treats only. The site also includes a downloadable drinks diary which reminds children to drink at least six to eight cups of liquid per day.  Conveniently it does not warn children that soft drinks should only be consumed very occasionally.

The website incorporates  a ‘how healthy is your lifestyle quiz’ which asks a series of ten questions and tells you if you have a healthy lifestyle based on the results.  We took the test and said we did not eat 4-5 portions of fruit and veg a day, did not eat a balanced diet, ate treats as snacks throughout the day, did not exercise regularly - an absolutely terrible lifestyle - but according to the people at Liquids 4 Life we have a fairly balanced lifestyle!

Why would the BCI have developed such a misinformed, misleading "educational" website?  The Beverage Council of Ireland is the new name for an organisation formerly known as the Soft Drinks and Beer Bottlers Association. Members of this organisation include the likes of Coca Cola and Pepsi. This is the same organisation that lobbied to have VAT on soft drinks removed, which would have only served to increase sales of their products. 

In January of this year the Union of European Beverage Associations, of which the BCI is a member, made commitments  that it would no longer place any marketing communication in printed media, websites or during broadcast programmes specifically aimed at children.  It also stated that it would not engage in any director commercial activity in primary schools, unless otherwise requested by school authorities.

The drinks industry have agreed to refrain from direct media marketing to children, but it appears that they have simply turned to more subtle methods to promote their products.  New promotional techniques for targeting children are being continuously developed. Areas of concern include sponsorship and branding of educational materials and PE equipment, promotional events outside the school, product placement in children’s programmes, web based promotions, redemptions, under the cap offerings, text messaging and other prize and incentive based campaigns not referred to in the Union of European Beverages Associations (UNESDA) code.

Our advice would be for principals to keep this rubbish out of the classroom. Unfortunately, both parents and school administrators need to be aware that the junk food and beverage industry use biased “educational” materials to drive consumption of their product, and the BCI are using the classroom to promote their products.

It’s Official: Vigorous Exercise is Good for Grades

A recent American study found that children who participated in vigorous physical activity tended to have higher academic grades than children who were less active. The most physically active students performed on average 10% better on core Maths, science and English tests than their sedentary counterparts. The study found that simply doing PE did not by itself raise grades, and that taking part in vigorous activity at least 3 times per week was associated with the best academic performance. Vigorous activity includes sports (like football, hurling, camogie, soccer & rugby) as well as non-standard activities like skateboarding and dance.

We already know that being physically active can help prevent heart disease, stroke and certain cancers...so now we have yet another reason to promote physical activity in children. Getting young people to take part in vigorous activity is easier said than done, and may need a bit of imagination. Contact RedBranch if you’d like some ideas on how best to promote physical activity in your school.