A recent survey conducted by the food and Nutrition Research. The survey examined 8 to 10 year old children in Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bogor and Manila.

The result indicates that physical activity among Asian children has decreased. Fewer children are participating in sports, play ground or street games, and physical exercises. More and more children are turning to computer games, television and reading for entertainment. Even schools have lessened their physical education lessons at school to only once or twice a week. The study also showed that girls are less active that boys.

According to recent studies, the ‘couch potato syndrome’ really kicks in at the age of ten, when time spent sitting down by most children starts to exceed the time they spend being active TV, video games, DVDs and computers have all played a part in this increasingly sedentary trend. Children younger than eight often spend two or more hours a day watching TV or playing computer games, while kids older these sedentary activities.